cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surveying the Landscape: Statewide Data on K-12 CS Education Implementation

In the past decade, there have been increasing efforts and initiatives to increase participation in computer science worldwide. In the U.S., these efforts have resulted in national curricula and increased local expectations. The research on actual implementation often reports on efforts of single schools or districts. This paper provides a high-level description of the practices and challenges of teaching CS in K-12 across an entire state. To better understand how these efforts might increase CS education for all, we surveyed every public school in the state of Utah and analyzed enrollment data for all 19 Utah CS courses. The survey consisted of closed and open-ended questions about each school’s current CS practices and personnel. Schools from 39 of 42 public school districts responded (including charter schools) representing 46.3% of the state’s high schools, 39.3% of middle/junior high schools, and 28% of elementary schools. Course data indicated that enrollment in CS courses increased considerably in the past five years after the introduction of newer, more fundamental courses. Despite the general enrollment increase, there has been a markedly smaller increase in student enrollment in more advanced CS courses. In this paper, we discuss these and other surprising results, as well as challenges that educators reported in promoting and teaching CS.
Towards a Reconfigurable Platform for Studying Networked, Multi-Converter Power Systems

This work considers modern electric power grids, i.e. cyber-physical power systems, as networked, multi-converter power systems. From such a viewpoint, this paper presents a software and hardware platform for the integrated study of both the underlying communication network and the interaction of multiple, power converters within a single electric power microgrid. In particular, a microgrid energy management system was established that collects and provides data to a network simulator. The resulting platform allows for delays in both power control actuation and power data communication to be jointly studied. The inclusion of hardware resulted in data collection that intrinsically includes uncertainty. Subsequently, this platform can be used in both deterministic and stochastic analysis and control studies of cyber-physical power systems.
Creating a Departmental Climate that Increases a Student’s Sense of Belonging, Perceived Faculty Support, and Satisfaction with the Major

Research shows that a lack of peer study support, particularly a lack of friends in the major, is linked to students switching majors. Furthermore, strong relationships with faculty have a significant influence on students’ decisions to persist in the major. However, it is unclear how the creation of an environment that fosters student research and professional development can improve these aspects of the college experience, namely forming a sense of belonging in the major or raising levels of satisfaction with the major. I examine a holistic approach to student involvement in the major that engages students in research and provides multiple opportunities for students to form strong bonds with both students and faculty. Specifically, I analyze survey data of the effects of student involvement in a three-year scholarship program that focuses on providing faculty mentorship of student research, multiple opportunities for professional development and multiple connections with faculty and scholarship recipients across three universities. Overall, findings show that the scholarship program is having a positive impact on scholars. Scholars have a higher sense of belonging and have high levels of satisfaction in their majors.
Limited Accessibility to Surface Area Generated by Thermal Pretreatment of Electrodes Reduces Its Impact on Redox Flow Battery Performance

Thermal oxidation of carbon electrodes is a common approach to improving flow battery performance. Here, we investigate how thermal pretreatment increases electrode surface area and the effect this...
CO2 Sorption Capacity in Clay-Rich Shales with Moisture Content

Injected CO2 in geological sites may contact the impermeable caprock/shales overlying the injection reservoirs. In such cases, the shales may provide additional storage capacity due to CO2 adsorption in the microstructures. Shales have heterogenous mineral compositions and nano-scale microstructures (pore width < 200 nm), which result in complex wetting properties and low permeability. In such nanoporous materials, a large percentage of gas in place is stored by adsorption to the high surface areas. The complex mineralogy of shales, such as clay, quartz, carbonate and organic matter, will control sorption properties in addition to environmental pressure and temperature effects. The goal of this study is to determine the mineralogy and moisture effect on CO2 accessible surface area using subcritical adsorption and low pressure adsorption. Our results indicate that the total organic content (TOC) is a controlling factor of micropore volume in shale. We find a positive correlation where the excess micropore volume increases with increasing TOC of the shale. The hydrophobic nature of organic matter (OM) shows preferential adsorption when tested with different fluids such as nitrogen, hexane and water. With the micropore volume estimated from CO2 subcritical adsorption, CO2 storage potential in Utica shale is estimated to be double of previous theoretical estimation by Godec et al (2014). Moisture effect on shale and zeolites is studied to image the effect of irreducible water saturation, where the CO2 adsorption is significantly reduced with the presence of moisture.
Animal Migration: An Overview of One of Nature's Great Spectacles

The twenty-first century has witnessed an explosion in research on animal migration, in large part due to a technological revolution in tracking and remote-sensing technologies, along with advances...
A problem-solving test of sportsmanship

Abstract This study deals with the development and validation of two written tests of sportsmanship responses. The major steps followed were: selection of test items, development of criterion instruments, refinement and validation of test forms, and establishment of reliabilities between the forms. Validities and reliabilities were satisfactory, and the tests provided nearly normal distributions among responses.
GreenMail: Reducing Email Service’s Carbon Emission with Minimum Cost

Internet services contribute a large fraction of worldwide carbon emission nowadays, in a context of increasing number of companies tending to provide and more and more developers use Internet services. Noticeably, a trend is those service providers are trying to reduce their carbon emissions by utilizing on-site or off-site renewable energy in their datacenters in order to attract more customers. With such efforts have been paid, there are still some users who are aggressively calling for even cleaner Internet services. For example, over 500,000 Facebook users petitioned the social networking site to use renewable energy to power its datacenter. However, it seems impossible for such demand to be satisfied merely from the inside of those production datacenters, considering the transition cost and stability. Outside the existing Internet services, on the other hand, may easily set up a proxy service to attract those renewable-energy-sensitive users, by 1) using carbon neutral or even over-offsetting cloud instances to bridge the end user and traditional Internet services; and 2) estimating and offsetting the carbon emissions from the traditional Internet services. In our paper, we proposed GreenMail, which is a general IMAP proxy caching system that connects email users and traditional email services. GreenMail runs on green web hosts to cache users' emails on green cloud instances. Besides, it offsets the carbon emitted by traditional backend email services. With GreenMail, users could set a carbon emission constraint and use traditional email service without breaking any code modification of user side and email server side.
Abstract P073: Insufficient and Poor Sleep are Associated with Barriers to Healthy Eating and Lower Physical Activity: Baseline Characteristics of the EMPOWER Study

Background: Sleep is emerging as an important factor that impacts dietary habits, physical activity, and metabolism. However, minimal attention is typically given to sleep in traditional lifestyle interventions. The purpose of these analyses was to examine baseline associations between sleep and physical activity and perceived barriers to healthy eating, which are two common lifestyle intervention targets, in a sample of apparently healthy adults enrolled in a behavioral weight loss intervention study. Methods: 150 overweight adults (51.1±10.2 y; 91% female; 79% Caucasian) participated in a 12-month lifestyle intervention that featured adaptive ecological momentary assessment. Sleep, physical activity, barriers to healthy eating and body habitus/composition were assessed prior to the intervention. Objective sleep was estimated with 7 days of wrist-worn actigraphy (Philips Actiwatch 2); sleep onset latency (SOL; the amount of time it takes to fall asleep after going to bed), sleep efficiency (SE; the perce...
Molds in Brined Cucumbers: Cause of Softening During Air-Purging of Fermentations

Softening of cucumbers in fermentations purged at high air-flow rates was caused by molds growing in the brined cucumbers, not in the brine. This conclusion is based on the following results: (i) no microorganisms were isolated in significant numbers from brines that caused softening of pasteurized brined cucumbers, (ii) no pectinolytic enzyme activities were produced in cucumber brines in the absence of cucumbers, (iii) the pickles in some air-purged fermentations became very soft without the appearance of any pectinolytic enzyme activity in the brine, (iv) mold hyphae were consistently observed in tissues of soft pickles, (v) molds consistently developed in cultures of slices of surface sterilized cucumbers taken from fermentations in which soft pickles were subsequently found, and (vi) molds belonging to the genera Alternaria, Fusarium, and Mucor isolated from slices all softened pasteurized brined cucumbers.
Application of Schlieren Optical Techniques for the Measurement of Gas Temperature and Turbulent Diffusivity in a Diesel Engine

A new technique which is based on optoacoustic phenomena has been developed for measuring in-cylinder gas temperature and turbulent diffusivity. In the experiments, a high energy Nd:YAG pulsed laser beam was focused to cause local ionization of air at a point in the combustion chamber. This initiates a shock wave and creates a hot spot. The local temperature and turbulent diffusivity are determined by monitoring the shock propagation and the hot spot growth, respectively, with a schlieren photography system. In order to assess the validity and accuracy of the measurements, the technique was also applied to a turbulent jet. The temperature measurements were found to be accurate to within 3%. Results from the turbulent jet measurements also showed that the growth rate of the hot spot diameter can be used to estimate the turbulent diffusivity.... I.C. Engines, Diesel, Temperature measurement, Optics, Schlieren.
Quantifying the stratigraphic completeness of delta shoreline trajectories

Understanding the incomplete nature of the stratigraphic record is fundamental for interpreting stratigraphic sequences. Methods for quantifying stratigraphic completeness for one-dimensional stratigraphic columns, defined as the proportion of time intervals of some length that contain stratigraphy, are commonplace; however, quantitative assessments of completeness in higher dimensions are lacking. Here we present a metric for defining stratigraphic completeness of two-dimensional shoreline trajectories using topset-foreset rollover positions in dip-parallel sections and describe the preservation potential of a shoreline trajectory derived from the geometry of the delta surface profile and the kinematics of the geomorphic shoreline trajectory. Two end-member forward models are required to fully constrain the preservation potential of the shoreline dependent on whether or not a topset is eroded during base level fall. A laboratory fan-delta was constructed under nonsteady boundary conditions, and one-dimensional stratigraphic column and two-dimensional shoreline completeness curves were calculated. Results are consistent with the hypothesis derived from conservation of sediment mass that completeness over all timescales should increase given increasing dimensions of analysis. Stratigraphic trajectories and completeness curves determined from forward models using experimental geomorphic trajectories compare well to values from transects when subsampled to the equivalent stratigraphic resolution as observed in the actual preserved sequence. The concept of stratigraphic completeness applied to two-dimensional trajectory analysis and the end-member forward models presented here provide novel tools for a conceptual understanding of the nature of stratigraphic preservation at basin scales.
Bayesian Reconstruction for Emissiom Tomography via Deterministic Annealing

In emission tomography, a principled means of incorporating a piecewise smooth prior on the source f is via a mixed variable objective function E(f, l) defined on f and binary valued line processes l. MAP estimation on E(f, l) results in the difficult problem of minimizing an objective function that includes a nonsmooth Gibbs prior Φ* defined on the spatial derivatives of f. Previous approaches have used heuristic Gibbs potentials Φ that incorporate line processes, but only approximately. In this work, we present a continuation method in which the correct function Φ* is approached through a sequence of smooth Φ functions. Our continuation method is implemented using a GEM-ICM procedure. Simulation results show improvement using our continuation method relative to using Φ* alone, and to conventional EM reconstructions. Finally, we show a means of generalizing this formalism to the less restrictive case of piecewise linear instead of piecewise flat priors.
Discrete Random Signal Processing and Filtering Primer with MATLAB

Fourier analysis of signals Introduction FT Sampling of signals Discrete-time FT (DTFT) DFT Resolution Continuous linear systems Discrete systems-linear difference equations Detrending Random variables, sequences, and stochastic processes Random signals and distributions Averages Stationary processes Wiener-Khinchin relations Filtering random processes PDFs Estimators Confidence intervals Nonparametric (classical) spectrums estimation Periodogram and correlogram spectra estimators Daniell periodogram Bartlett periodogram Blackman-Tukey (BT) method Welch method Proposed modified methods for Welch periodogram Parametric and other methods for spectra estimation AR, MA, and ARMA models Yule-Walker (YW) equations Least-squares (LS) method and linear prediction Minimum variance (MV) method Model order Levinson-Durbin algorithm Maximum entropy method Spectrums of segmented signals Eigenvalues and eigenvectors of matrices Optimal filtering-Wiener filters Mean square error (MSE) FIR Wiener filter Wiener solution-orthogonal principle Wiener filtering examples Adaptive filtering-LMS algorithm Introduction LMS algorithm Examples using the LMS algorithm Properties of the LMS method Adaptive filtering with variations of LMS algorithm. Sign algorithms Normalized LMS (NLMS) algorithm Variable step-size LMS algorithm (VSLMS) Leaky LMS algorithm Linearly constrained LMS algorithm Self-correcting adaptive filtering (SCAF) Transform domain adaptive LMS filtering Convergence in transform domain of the adaptive LMS filtering Error-normalized LMS algorithm Nonlinear filtering Introduction Statistical preliminaries Mean filter Median filter Trimmed-type mean filter L-filters Ranked-order statistic filter Edge-enhancement filters R-filters Appendix A: Suggestions and explanations for MATLAB(R) use Appendix B: Matrix analysis Appendix C: Lagrange multiplier method
The impact of integrated wireless and mobile communication technologies on the corporate world

This paper validates the progression and expected trends of integrated wireless and mobile communication technologies. Currently, integrated wireless and mobile communication technologies have allowed for high quality end-user experience with acceptable level of usage and efficiency in business organizations. Forthcoming mobile broadband life creates new norms and expectations for end-users from the next business generation, who can utilize integrated wireless and mobile technologies in their full potential. Several scenarios from different domains illustrate the impact of integrated wireless and mobile communication technologies on the corporate world. The models and scenarios show that the power of integrated wireless and mobile technologies is certainly in several orders of magnitude greater than the simple sum of their separate individual impacts.
Heterogeneous binding of the SH3 client protein to the DnaK molecular chaperone

The molecular chaperone heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) plays a vital role in cellular processes, including protein folding and assembly, and helps prevent aggregation under physiological and stress-related conditions. Although the structural changes undergone by full-length client proteins upon interaction with DnaK (i.e., Escherichia coli Hsp70) are fundamental to understand chaperone-mediated protein folding, these changes are still largely unexplored. Here, we show that multiple conformations of the SRC homology 3 domain (SH3) client protein interact with the ADP-bound form of the DnaK chaperone. Chaperone-bound SH3 is largely unstructured yet distinct from the unfolded state in the absence of DnaK. The bound client protein shares a highly flexible N terminus and multiple slowly interconverting conformations in different parts of the sequence. In all, there is significant structural and dynamical heterogeneity in the DnaK-bound client protein, revealing that proteins may undergo some conformational sampling while chaperone-bound. This result is important because it shows that the surface of the Hsp70 chaperone provides an aggregation-free environment able to support part of the search for the native state.
Erection of Ceratonova n. gen. (Myxosporea: Ceratomyxidae) to Encompass Freshwater Species C. gasterostea n. sp. from Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and C. shasta n. comb. from Salmonid Fishes

Abstract: Ceratonova gasterostea n. gen. n. sp. is described from the intestine of freshwater Gasterosteus aculeatus L. from the Klamath River, California. Myxospores are arcuate, 22.4 ± 2.6 μm thick, 5.2 ± 0.4 μm long, posterior angle 45° ± 24°, with 2 sub-spherical polar capsules, diameter 2.3 ± 0.2 μm, which lie adjacent to the suture. Its ribosomal small subunit sequence was most similar to an intestinal parasite of salmonid fishes, Ceratomyxa shasta (97%, 1,671/1,692 nucleotides), and distinct from all other Ceratomyxa species (<85%), which are typically coelozoic parasites in the gall bladder or urinary system of marine fishes. We propose erection of genus Ceratonova to contain both intestinal, freshwater species and reassign the salmonid parasite as Ceratonova shasta n. comb.
THz on-wafer calibration using offset-shorts and known through as standards

We present a novel on-wafer calibration technique using well-defined standards that can be an alternative to widely used multiline-TRL (thru-reflect-line) calibration in millimeter and submillimeter waves. Our method is specifically useful in measurement setups with fixed probes since TRL-type calibration typically requires different physical separation between measurement probes. As on-wafer standards, offset shorts with different electrical delay lengths and a simple through connection are used. Experimental validation of this calibration method is provided in G-Band (140−220 GHz) via measurement of a Beatty standard (mismatched thru) using non-contact probes.
Experimental simulation of microinteractions in large scale explosions

The fragmentation behavior of molten steel drops forced to explode in sustained pressure fields is investigated. The effect of pressure amplitude, melt superheat, and coolant velocity is considered. The data include external images from high-speed movies, internal structures from simultaneously obtained flash X-ray radiographs, and solidified debris size distributions and morphology from scanning electron micrographs. The results demonstrate the importance of all three parameters studied on both the rates and extent of the interaction/fragmentation.
A Gutsy Task: Generating Intestinal Tissue from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Many significant advances in our understanding of intestine development, intestinal stem cell homeostasis and differentiation have been made in recent years. These advances include novel techniques to culture primary human and mouse intestinal epithelium in three-dimensional matrices, and de novo generation of human intestinal tissue from embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. This short review will focus on the directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells into intestinal tissue, highlight novel uses of this tissue, and compare and contrast this system to primary intestinal epithelial cultures.
Nutritional and social cues influence the onset of puberty in California voles

Abstract Weanling male California voles were housed individually in cages containing either bedding taken from their own mothers, from unrelated mothers, or clean woodshavings. Half of the males in each housing condition received fresh lettuce daily in addition to their standard diets. At 45 days of age males housed in clean bedding had heavier seminal vesicles than males housed in bedding from their own or an unrelated mother. However, males which received lettuce supplementation displayed large-sized seminal vesicles regardless of their housing condition. In a second study 45–47 day old females were housed either with an adult male, alone in the bedding of an adult male, or in clean bedding for 4 days. Again, one half of the females in each housing condition received lettuce daily in addition to their standard diet. Ovarian and uterine weights were heaviest in females that had direct contact with an adult male. Lettuce supplementation increased uterine weights in females housed alone in either clean or male-soiled bedding. Lettuce did not accelerate uterine growth in females co-habiting with males, presumably male contact causes maximal development. These data show that the ingestion of green vegetation may facilitate reproductive development in male and female voles, despite inhibitory social conditions.
Chiasmodon Niger and Notacanthus Rissoanus

IF the “singular fish of a deep black colour, with small eyes, and a most abyssal physiognomy,” noticed by Prof. Giglioli (NATURE, vol. xxv. p. 535) had been a Chiasmodon, that learned ichthyologist would doubtless have recognised it, and not suggested that “it may be allied to Malacosteus.” But in addition to the two specimens of Chiasmodon niger referred to by Mr. Johnson (NATURE, vol. xxvi. p. 453), it may interest ichthyologists to learn that a third specimen has been found off the New England coast (on the Le Have Bank). Like the others previously known it had engorged a fish several times larger than itself. The specimen is now in the U.S. National Museum. Chiasmodon, it may be added, is not at all related to the Gadidae, as has been supposed by Messrs. Gunther and Johnson, but is a true Acanthopterygian fish and the type of a peculiar family—the Chiasmodontidœ. [In Dr. Gunther's “system” it belongs to the heterogeneous family Trachinidœ.]
Analysis of photoernzymatic repair of UV lesions in DNA by single light flashes. XI. Light-induced activation of the yeast photoreactivating enzyme

Abstract Photoreactivating enzyme (PRE) from yeast (as semi-crude extract, or in highly purified form) shows increased activity if its is illuminated with near UV or short wavelength visible light prior to its use for photoenzymatic repair of UV-induced pyrimidine dimers in transforming DNA in vitro. This effect results from an alternation in PRE molecules changing those with low activity in the light-dependent step of the reaction to a higher activity. Light-induced activation of PRE preparations is slowly lost by dark storage for several hours to 1 day (faster at 23°C than at 5°C), but can be recovered repeatedly by renewed preillumination. The action spectrum for these preillumination effects generally resembles that for the photoenzymatic repair reaction itself, having its maximum in the same 355–385 nm region as the latter, but light of somewhat longer wavelengths (546 nm) is still effective. Preilluminated PRE is also more stable to thermal inactivation (65°C) than untreated enzyme.
Ultrasonic Emulsification of Liquid, Near-Critical Carbon Dioxide−Water Biphasic Mixtures for Acceleration of a Hydrolysis Reaction

A surfactant-free method based on power ultrasound was used to emulsify biphasic mixtures of liquid, near-critical carbon dioxide and water (T = 30 °C, P = 80 bar). When ultrasound above a threshold power density (roughly 0.15 W/cm3 at 20 kHz) was applied to a biphasic system of carbon dioxide and water, emulsions were formed which remained turbid for approximately 30 min (after 2 min of continuous ultrasound). Pulsed ultrasound (20% duty of a 2.5 s cycle at 20 kHz) could be used to maintain the emulsions indefinitely. Benzoyl chloride hydrolysis was selected as a model chemical reaction because of its rapid rate in pure water and the relative insolubility of the aroyl halide in the aqueous phase as compared to the carbon dioxide phase. The kinetic rate was measured under a range of ultrasonic pulsed power densities and zero ultrasound (i.e., silently) as a control. The measured, apparent, first-order rate constant was accelerated 100-fold in the presence of ultrasound at 0.50 W/cm3 relative to silent con...
The effect of particle reinforcement on the creep behavior of single-phase aluminum

The effect of TiC particle reinforcement on the creep behavior of Al (99.8) and Al-1.5Mg is investigated in the temperature range of 150 °C to 250 °C. The dislocation structure developed during creep is characterized in these materials. The addition of TiC increases creep resistance in both alloys. In pure aluminum, the presence of 15 vol pct TiC leads to a factor of 400 to 40,000 increase in creep resistance. The creep strengthening observed in Al/TiC/15p is substantially greater than the direct strengthening predicted by continuum models. Traditional methods for explaining creep strengthening in particle-reinforced materials(e.g., threshold stress, constant structure, and dislocation density) are unable to account for the increase in creep resistance. The creep hardening rate(h) is found to be 100 times higher in Al/TiC/15p, than in unreinforced Al. When incorporated into a recovery creep model, this increase inh can explain the reduction in creep rate in Al/TiC/15p. Particle reinforcement affects creep hardening, and thus creep rate, by altering the equilibrium dislocation substructure that forms during steady-state creep. The nonequilibrium structure generates internal stresses which lower the rate of dislocation glide. The strengthening observed by adding TiC to Al-1.5Mg is much smaller than that found in the pure aluminum materials and is consistent with the amount of strengthening predicted by continuum models. These results show that while both direct (continuum) and indirect strengthening occur in particle-reinforced aluminum alloys, the ratio of indirect to direct strengthening is strongly influenced by the operative matrix strengthening mechanisms.
Site-specific hippocampal pathophysiology due to cerebral overexpression of interleukin-6 in transgenic mice

Transgenic mice expressing the cytokine interleukin-6 exhibit distinctive hippocampal interneuron pathology and behavioral seizures. Electroencephalographic recordings from these mice revealed anomalous hippocampal paroxysmal discharges and suppressed theta rhythm. Analysis of hippocampal field responses evoked by monosynaptic afferent stimulation revealed a site-specific increase in recurrent inhibition in the dentate gyrus. In addition, the cholinergic component of septohippocampal conditioning of dentate-evoked activity was absent in the transgenic mice. These results indicate that overexpression of interleukin-6 selectively disrupts cholinergic transmission by inducing a functional pathophysiology of hippocampal cholinoceptive target neurons.
Skin Grafts: Delayed Rejection between Pairs of Cattle Twins Showing Erythrocyte Chimerism

Although dizygotic cattle twins with erythrocyte chimerism exhibit complete tolerance to each other9s hematopoietic tissues exchanged in utero by way of chorionic anastomoses, they may not be completely tolerant to each other9s histocompatibility antigens. Skin grafts exchanged between partners of 21 pairs of chimeric twins were rejected by more than half of the twins in an average of 250 days.
Fractal properties of sympathetic nerve discharge.

Fano factor analysis and dispersional analysis were used to characterize time series of single and multifiber spikes recorded from the preganglionic cervical sympathetic nerve and cardiac-related s...
Chemoimmunotherapy for relapsed/refractory and progressive 17p13-deleted chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) combining pentostatin, alemtuzumab, and low-dose rituximab is effective and tolerable and limits loss of CD20 expression by circulating CLL cells.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL) patients with purine analog refractory disease or TP53 dysfunction still have limited treatment options and poor survival. Alemtuzumab-containing chemoimmunotherapy regimens can be effective but frequently cause serious infections. We report a Phase II trial testing the efficacy and tolerability of a short-duration regimen combining pentostatin, alemtuzumab, and low-dose high-frequency rituximab designed to decrease the risk of treatment-associated infections and to limit the loss of CD20 expression by CLL cells. The study enrolled 39 patients with progressive CLL that was either relapsed/refractory (n = 36) or previously untreated with 17p13 deletion (17p13−) (n = 3). Thirteen (33%) patients had both 17p13− and TP53 mutations predicted to be dysfunctional, and eight patients had purine analog refractory CLL without TP53 dysfunction. Twenty-six (67%) patients completed therapy, with only five (13%) patients having treatment-limiting toxicity and no treatment-related deaths. Twenty-two (56%) patients responded to treatment, with 11 (28%) complete responses (four with incomplete bone marrow recovery). Median progression-free survival was 7.2 months, time to next treatment was 9.1 months, and overall survival was 34.1 months. The majority of deaths (82%) were caused by progressive disease, including transformed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (n = 6). Correlative studies showed that low-dose rituximab activates complement and natural killer cells without a profound and sustained decrease in expression of CD20 by circulating CLL cells. We conclude that pentostatin, alemtuzumab, and low-dose high-frequency rituximab is a tolerable and effective therapy for CLL and that low-dose rituximab therapy can activate innate immune cytotoxic mechanisms without substantially decreasing CD20 expression. Am. J. Hematol. 89:757–765, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Chest Pain in a Young Basketball Player

A 32-year-old man was elbowed in the chest while fighting for a rebound in a recreational basketball game. He fell to the ground and his chest ached from the blow. Four days later he developed more severe chest pressure with dyspnea and came to the hospital. His chest wall was tender and his pulse slow, but the remainder of his physical examination was normal. Electrocardiogram showed sinus bradycardia, first-degree atrioventricular (AV) block, and occasional isorhythmic AV dissociation, but no ischemic ST-T changes. Cardiac troponin I rose to 1.74 ng/mL (normal <0.50). The patient therefore underwent coronary angiography, showing spiral dissection of the right coronary artery with extensive thrombus filling the distal portion of the vessel. Stenting was unsuccessful in restoring flow. This case highlights the potential dangers of blunt chest trauma in recreational sports and shows how angiography can distinguish myocardial contusion from coronary artery dissection.
Identification of Inorganic Elements in Proteins in Human Serum and in DNA Fragments by Size Exclusion Chromatography and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry with a Magnetic Sector Mass Spectrometer

A general method to identify trace elements in biological molecules is described. These measurements are made in only a few minutes without preliminary isolation and preconcentration steps. Many unusual or difficult elements, such as Cr, Se, Cd, Th, and U, can be observed at ambient levels bound to proteins in human serum. A new protein or family of proteins, that either contain Se or that bind Se molecules, is found with molecular weight ∼ 760 kDa. Binding of metal cations to DNA restriction fragments can be studied by similar procedures both for essential elements such as Mn and Fe and toxic ones such as Cd and Pb. In particular, trace Pb, Cd, and Co are completely bound to DNA fragments. Reduction of chromate to a cation (probably Cr3+) and subsequent binding of the Cr cation to DNA is also demonstrated.
Experiments with Lilly's Cloud-Topped Mixed Layer Model

Abstract Lilly's model of a horizontally homogeneous cloud-topped mixed layer is studied. The model is closed by taking a weighted (weighting factor or entrainment parameter k) average of Lilly's maximum and minimum entrainment cases. The dependence of steady-state solutions on large-scale divergence, sea surface temperature and entrainment parameter k is investigated. By numerical integration the response of the mixed layer to a diurnally varying radiative flux is investigated. Significant variations in the state of the mixed layer and in the convective fluxes are found.
Comparison of apical leakage between Ketac Endo sealer and Grossman sealer

Forty-eight extracted human teeth were prepared for study to compare Ketac Endo cement with Grossman's cement in preventing leakage of a dye. Four groups were formed: (1) Grossman's sealer with a single gutta percha cone; (2) Grossman's sealer with lateral condensation of gutta percha; (3) Ketac Endo sealer with a single cone of gutta percha; and (4) Ketac Endo sealer with lateral condensation of gutta percha. The teeth were immersed in the dye for 10 days, after which they were rinsed in running tap water and cleared for observation. In the groups of teeth evaluated by three individual evaluators, the results consistently showed less leakage with glass ionomer sealers (groups 3 and 4) than with the Grossman's sealers (groups 1 and 2). The best results were noted when Ketac Endo sealers were used with lateral condensation.
Suppression of the semiconductor-metal transition in vanadium oxides☆

Abstract V 2 O 3 and V 2 O 4 films have been sputtered by a radio-frequency technique onto relatively cold substrates. The films were amorphous according to X-ray diffraction. Their electrical resistivities at 100 °C were approximately 10 −2 ohm-cm and corresponded to that of the respective high temperature phases of the crystals. However, unlike the crystalline solids, the amorphous films did not exhibit the so-called semiconductor-metal transition. At 25 °C, because of the absence of this transition, the conductivity of amorphous V 2 O 4 is almost four orders of magnitude greater than that of the crystal.
Transformation of Mammalian Cells in vitro by Low Doses of X-rays

X-irradiation of hamster embryo cells in culture, followed by cloning of the cells, was used to obtain a dose–response curve in terms of cell transformation. Transformations were observed for doses as low as 1 rad.
Postsecondary Education for Students with Learning Disabilities: A Synthesis of the Literature:

This article is a systematic analysis and synthesis of published research from 1985–2000 recommending or reporting on postsecondary education services for students with learning disabilities. Twenty-six articles met the criteria of recommending services or describing services presently available. The 11 program factors examined were: definition of learning disability, characteristics of adult learners, type of institution, special admission procedures, assessment services, program accommodations, support services, instructional adjustments, instructional staff training, direct service staff training, and program evaluation. Implications and recommendations for postsecondary program development are presented.
Absorption Spectra Of Agl At Pressures To 136 kbar

Spectral absorption measurements in Agl are reported at pressures up to 136 kbar using a diamond anvil cell. In the NaC1 phase between 5 and 70 kbar the absorption edge shift is found to be nearly linear with pressure. Broadening of the low energy tail of the absorption increases with pressure. No indication of a sudden jump into a CsCl phase is found near 100 kbar and the possible influence of larger pressure gradients in earlier measurements is discussed.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Acid dissociation constants and pH values for standard “bes” and “tricine” buffer solutions in 30, 40, and 50 mass% dimethyl sulfoxide/water between 25 and −25 °C

Information is given concerning two standard buffer solutions suitable as pH references in 30, 40, and 50 mass% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)/H2O mixed solvents at subzero temperatures from -20 to 0 degrees C, with the intention of establishing a pH (designated pH*) scale. The two buffers selected were the ampholytes N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminoethane sulfonic acid ("bes") and N-tris(hydroxymethyl)methylglycine ("tricine"), and the reference standard consisted of equal molal quantities of the buffer and its respective sodium salt. The assignment of pH* values was based on measurements of the emf of cells without liquid junction of the type: Pt;H2(g,l atm) /Bes, Na Besate, NaCl / AgCl;Ag and Pt;H2(g,l atm) /Tricine, Na Tricinate, NaCl /AgCl;Ag and the pH* was derived from a determination of K2, the equilibrium constant for the dissociation process (Buffer)+/- in equilibrium with(Buffer)- + H+.
Stability analysis of deterministic and stochastic switched systems via a comparison principle and multiple Lyapunov functions

This paper presents a general framework for analyzing stability of nonlinear switched systems, by combining the method of multiple Lyapunov functions with a suitably adapted comparison principle in the context of stability in terms of two measures. For deterministic switched systems, this leads to a unification of representative existing results and an improvement upon the current scope of the method of multiple Lyapunov functions. For switched systems perturbed by white noise, we develop new results which may be viewed as natural stochastic counterparts of the deterministic ones. In particular, we study stability of deterministic and stochastic switched systems under average dwell-time switching.
Numerical analysis and the scientific method

The computer has given rise to a new mode of scientific practice, and today computational science stands beside theory and experiment as a fundamental methodology. The impact of the computer revolution on science can be projected from current trends. The demands to be made on computing methodologies will be reviewed. One of the demands is an ongoing need for excellence in computational methodologies. Generic difficulties encountered in meeting these challenges will be discussed. Recent work of the authors and others will be reviewed in this context.
Inhibitors of elastase and pulmonary emphysema

Pulmonary emphysema is characterized by the progressive uninhibited proteolysis of lung tissue by enzymes such as elastase which are released from leukocytes. Synthetic elastase inhibitors are tools for the study of the role of elastase and other proteases in the course of the disease. In the future they may have a use in therapy.
Fuel and hormone regulation of phospholipase C β1 and δ1 overexpressed in RINm5F pancreatic beta cells

The mechanism by which glucose and other fuels stimulate phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) in pancreatic islet beta cells is not known. Previous studies have suggested that glucose may couple to PLC beta 1 and PLC delta 1. To determine directly if fuels activate these PLC isozymes, clones stably overexpressing PLC beta 1 or PLC delta 1 were generated in the fuel-sensitive beta cell line RINm5F, and secretagogue regulation of these PLC isoforms was determined. Overexpression of PLC beta 1 or PLC delta 1 significantly increased PLC activity in isolated cell fractions, consistent with overexpression of active PLC isoforms in these clones. In paired experiments, stimulation of inositol phosphate (IP) accumulation by the fuel glyceraldehyde was enhanced in clones overexpressing PLC beta 1, in parallel with the G-protein alpha subunit activator, AlF(4)(-), suggesting a coupling between glyceraldehyde and this PLC isoform. In contrast, overexpression of PLC delta 1 had no effect on glyceraldehyde- or AlF(4)(-)-stimulated IP accumulation. Similarly, IP accumulation stimulated by ionomycin was enhanced in PLC beta 1, but not PLC delta 1 clones, indicating that increases in intracellular free calcium [Ca(2+)](i) can regulate PLC beta 1 but not PLC delta 1 overexpressed in this cell line. Interestingly, [Arg(8)] vasopressin-stimulated, but not carbachol-stimulated, IP accumulation was significantly increased in clones overexpressing either PLC beta 1 or PLC delta 1. These studies illustrate unique pathways coupling diverse secretagogues to specific PLC isoforms in islet beta cells, and demonstrate that glyceraldehyde can activate PLC beta 1 but not PLC delta 1; whereas, vasopressin, but not carbachol, can stimulate either isoform.
Cardiac Length Dependence of Force and Force Redevelopment Kinetics with Altered Cross-Bridge Cycling

We examined the influence of cross-bridge cycling kinetics on the length dependence of steady-state force and the rate of force redevelopment (ktr) during Ca2+-activation at sarcomere lengths (SL) of 2.0 and 2.3 μm in skinned rat cardiac trabeculae. Cross-bridge kinetics were altered by either replacing ATP with 2-deoxy-ATP (dATP) or by reducing [ATP]. At each SL dATP increased maximal force (Fmax) and Ca2+-sensitivity of force (pCa50) and reduced the cooperativity (nH) of force-pCa relations, whereas reducing [ATP] to 0.5 mM (low ATP) increased pCa50 and nH without changing Fmax. The difference in pCa50 between SL 2.0 and 2.3 μm (ΔpCa50) was comparable between ATP and dATP, but reduced with low ATP. Maximal ktr was elevated by dATP and reduced by low ATP. Ca2+-sensivity of ktr increased with both dATP and low ATP and was unaffected by altered SL under all conditions. Significantly, at equivalent levels of submaximal force ktr was faster at short SL or increased lattice spacing. These data demonstrate that the SL dependence of force depends on cross-bridge kinetics and that the increase of force upon SL extension occurs without increasing the rate of transitions between nonforce and force-generating cross-bridge states, suggesting SL or lattice spacing may modulate preforce cross-bridge transitions.
SEQUENTIAL MONITORING OF CLINICAL TRIALS WITH MULTIPLE SURVIVAL ENDPOINTS

Many clinical trials follow patients for several different types of survival endpoints, such as mortality, disease progression, and time until dose-limiting toxicity. Conduct of such trials often requires that the accumulating data be reviewed periodically to protect the safety of participating patients and possibly identify early treatment differences. This paper proposes a group sequential method for assessing multiple survival endpoints using repeated confidence intervals. Counting processes for each survival endpoint are used to estimate both the correlation between outcomes and between times of interim analysis. The methods are illustrated using a clinical trial comparing two treatments for PCP prevention in AIDS patients. The operating characteristics of three strategies for constructing confidence intervals are assessed and compared in a simulation study.
Comparison of Management Faculty Perspectives on Quizzing and Its Alternatives.

In this study, the author compares the views of faculty members who give quizzes and those who do not regarding (a) the potential drawbacks of quizzing and (b) the viability of various quiz alternatives such as graded homework. The results suggest that quizzers and nonquizzers have much in common and that quizzing is simply one of a variety of potentially effective techniques for boosting student preparation. The author also presents data on typical quiz practices.
Use of a biplane transrectal ultrasound probe in hepatic cryosurgery: Technical note

The success of hepatic cryosurgery is related to the visualization of the lesions and the monitoring of both the cryoprobe placement and the actual freezing procedures. This article describes the importance of a biplanar trans-rectal ultrasound probe in accomplishing these three things. After visualizing the liver with three different ultrasound probes (3.5 MHz convex, 5.0 MHz convex, and 5.0 linear array), the transrectal ultrasound probe is used. The two transducers in this probe provide a unique view of the liver. More importantly, the transrectal ultrasound probe provides the best imaging for placing the cryoprobes and monitoring the freezing process.
Dexamethasone nonsuppression and EEG abnormalities.

The Jlexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) has received considerable attention as a possible biological marker of endogenous depression, yet it has been associated with other factors, such as medications and illness (Carroll et al. 1981), age (Feinberg and Carroll 1984; Nelson et al. 1984; Halbreich et al. 1985), serum sodium levels (Tollefson et al. 1986), weight loss (Edelstein et al. 1983: Targum 1983; Feinberg and Carroll 1984; Berger et al. 1985), and acute alcohol withdrawal (Abou-Saleh et al. 1984; Dackis et al. 1984). In the course of evaluating the DST as a diagnostic tool, we observed an apparent relationship between positive DST results and electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities, which, to our knowledge, has not been previously described.
Extent of sympathetic blockade after stellate ganglion block with bupivacaine.

A study of the extent of sympathetic blockade after stellate ganglion block was assessed using liquid crystal thermography. Two volumes (10 and 20 ml) of bupivacaine 0.5% plain were used. Irrespective of the volume used cranial sympathetic block always occurred and thoracic sympathetic block never occurred. While upper cervical block was present in all patients, lower cervical sympathetic block was present only in the 20-ml group (P < 0.05). The larger volume was associated with a significant incidence of hoarseness due to spread of local anaesthetic onto adjacent laryngeal nerves.
Spatial queries in sensor networks

Recent advances in low-power sensing devices coupled with the widespread availability of wireless ad-hoc networks have fueled the development of sensor networks. These are typically deployed over wide areas to gather data in the environment and monitor events of interest. The ability to run spatial queries is extremely useful for sensor networks. Spatial query execution has been extensively studied in the context of centralized spatial databases; however because of the energy and bandwidth limitation of sensor nodes these solutions are not directly applicable to the sensor network. In this paper we propose a scalable and distributed way of spatial query execution in sensor networks. We develop a distributed spatial index over the sensor nodes that is used in processing spatial queries in a distributed fashion. We evaluate the behavior of our approach and show that our mechanism provides an efficient and scalable way to run spatial queries over sparse and dense sensor networks.