cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accountability in Professional Development: Best Practices in Border Schools

Recently, because of increased concern over students' test scores, educators have placed more empha- sis on professional development as a means of bringing about changes in our nation's classrooms. In the spring of 2001, for example, the Texas A&M Regent's Initiative for Excellence held a two-day Teachers' Forum to exam- ine such issues. One of the major themes resulting from discussions among the participants at this Forum, dealt with the evaluation of the effectiveness of professional development in the schools. Those teachers and adminis- trators who were present, suggested that multiple mea- sures ofgains in srudent learning would be needed for this purpose (Litton, Cono!ey, Mehta, Guffey & Hopkins, 200 I). In other words, accountability should be at the core of the evaluation process in determining effective- ness of professional development. At the same time, student data can provide a useful tool when establishing priorities for professional development programs.
Learning to Execute: Exploring New Process Implementation in a Large Retail Chain

In this paper, I examine the impact of differences in human capital on new process implementation in a large US-based retail chain to understand the extent to which individual stores learn to prope...
Survivorship care plans: Processes, effective strategies, and challenges in a rural state.

47Background: Annually, South Dakota (SD) averages nearly 4,000 new cancer cases with over 40,000 cancer survivors residing in the state. While the cancer incidence and survivorship rates in SD may be similar to the rest of the nation, SD’s unique geographic and demographic landscape offers challenges in cancer survivorship care. The purpose of this presentation is to illustrate the development and implementation of cancer survivorship care plans (SCP) at three health systems in the rural state of SD. Each of these health systems is unique in its history, culture, and infrastructure. Collectively, they serve most cancer patients living in SD. Methods: An observational qualitative design was used. Key players at each health system were interviewed using a structured interview. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. The authors synthesized the transcriptions with member-checking completed for each system. Results: Processes for development and implementation of SCPs similar across health system...
Vaccination prevented secondary hepatitis A virus infection in household contacts

Source Citation Sagliocca L, Amoroso P, Stroffolini T, et al. Efficacy of hepatitis A vaccine in prevention of secondary hepatitis A infection: a randomised trial. Lancet. 1999 Apr 3;353:1136-9. 99...
Evaluation of encapsulated sodium butyrate on growth performance, energy digestibility, gut development, and Salmonella colonization in broilers

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of an encapsulated sodium butyrate (Na-B) with targeted releasing times on broiler performance, energy digestibility, intestinal morphology, and ceca Salmonella colonization. In experiment 1, 3 different Na-B products (CMA, CMP, and CMS) were evaluated following a challenge with a nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella typhimurium (STNAR). Cobb-Cobb male birds were placed 8 per pen into 6 replicates for each treatment. Treatments included 6 Na-B treatments (500 and 1,000 ppm of each product) plus 2 control (non-challenged and challenged). Birds were orally gavaged with 0.1 mL of 107 cfu/mL STNAR on d 4. Ceca and ileal samples were collected on d 11. In experiment 2, CMA and CMP products were evaluated for a full grow-out period without an external challenge. Cobb-Cobb male birds were distributed among 45 floor pens with 24 birds per pen. Treatments included 4 product treatments (500 and 1,000 ppm of each product) plus one control. Feed intake and pen weight were obtained on d 14, 28, and 42. Experiment 1 showed that CMP at 1,000 ppm had the highest value for BW and BWG on d 4 (P = 0.07). Adding CMA and CMP at 500 ppm increased ileal digestibility energy (IDE) compared to the challenged control (P ≤ 0.05). The Salmonella recovery data indicated that the challenge had a significant but mild impact, since it did not affect the performance variables but did result in a significant increase in log10 cfu/g cecal material between the non-challenged and challenged control (1.42 vs 3.72). Experiment 2 showed that both products improved the villus height in the duodenum on d 21 (P = 0.08) and IDE on d 42, relative to the control (P ≤ 0.05). This study demonstrates that Na-B has the potential to improve growth in broilers at an early age. The beneficial effects on intestinal morphology and IDE are affected not only by dosage level, but also by the product's releasing time.
Setting expected rates of return on pension plan assets: New evidence on the influence of audit committee accounting experts

Abstract This study examines whether having accounting experts on audit committees can mitigate the upward bias of expected rates of return (ERR) on pension plan assets documented in prior research. ERRs are found to be lower in firms with accounting expertise on their audit committees. These results are robust after controlling for variables from extant governance and pension research, and they suggest that audit committee accounting experts can help deter managers from setting higher ERRs on pension assets. While extant studies find that opportunistic setting of pension assumptions can be controlled through regulation, this paper provides new evidence on the influence of audit committee accounting experts on critical pension estimates. This newfound governance effect is different from and incremental to the regulation effect previously documented in the pension accounting literature.
Our Father Which Art in Heaven: Parataxic Distortions in the Image of God

One's God-concept, herein referred to as the “image of God,” is a major determinant of the quality of one's personal relationship with God. In addition, the image of God one maintains may be observ...
Genetic rescue of lineage-balanced blood cell production reveals a crucial role for STAT3 antiinflammatory activity in hematopoiesis.

Blood cell formation must be appropriately maintained throughout life to provide robust immune function, hemostasis, and oxygen delivery to tissues, and to prevent disorders that result from over- or underproduction of critical lineages. Persistent inflammation deregulates hematopoiesis by damaging hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), leading to elevated myeloid cell output and eventual bone marrow failure. Nonetheless, antiinflammatory mechanisms that protect the hematopoietic system are understudied. The transcriptional regulator STAT3 has myriad roles in HSPC-derived populations and nonhematopoietic tissues, including a potent antiinflammatory function in differentiated myeloid cells. STAT3 antiinflammatory activity is facilitated by STAT3-mediated transcriptional repression of Ube2n, which encodes the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme Ubc13 involved in proinflammatory signaling. Here we demonstrate a crucial role for STAT3 antiinflammatory activity in preservation of HSPCs and lineage-balanced hematopoiesis. Conditional Stat3 removal from the hematopoietic system led to depletion of the bone marrow lineage− Sca-1+ c-Kit+ CD150+ CD48− HSPC subset (LSK CD150+ CD48− cells), myeloid-skewed hematopoiesis, and accrual of DNA damage in HSPCs. These responses were accompanied by intrinsic transcriptional alterations in HSPCs, including deregulation of inflammatory, survival and developmental pathways. Concomitant Ube2n/Ubc13 deletion from Stat3-deficient hematopoietic cells enabled lineage-balanced hematopoiesis, mitigated depletion of bone marrow LSK CD150+ CD48− cells, alleviated HSPC DNA damage, and corrected a majority of aberrant transcriptional responses. These results indicate an intrinsic protective role for STAT3 in the hematopoietic system, and suggest that this is mediated by STAT3-dependent restraint of excessive proinflammatory signaling via Ubc13 modulation.
Performance evaluation of platinum-molybdenum carbide nanocatalysts with ultralow platinum loading on anode and cathode catalyst layers of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Abstract An alternative catalyst platform, consisting of a phase-pure transition carbide (TMC) support and Pt nanoparticles (NPs) in the range of subnanometer to
Auto-ignition study of FACE gasoline and its surrogates at advanced IC engine conditions

Abstract Robust surrogate formulation for gasoline fuels is challenging, especially in mimicking auto-ignition behavior observed under advanced combustion strategies including boosted spark-ignition and advanced compression ignition. This work experimentally quantifies the auto-ignition behavior of bi- and multi-component surrogates formulated to represent a mid-octane (Anti-Knock Index 91.5), full boiling-range, research grade gasoline (Fuels for Advanced Combustion Engines, FACE-F). A twin-piston rapid compression machine is used to achieve temperature and pressure conditions representative of in-cylinder engine operation. Changes in low- and intermediate-temperature behavior, including first-stage and main ignition times, are quantified for the surrogates and compared to the gasoline. This study identifies significant discrepancies in the first-stage ignition behavior, the influence of pressure for the bi- to ternary blends, and highlights that better agreement is achieved with multi-component surrogates, particularly at lower temperature regimes. A recently-updated detailed kinetic model for gasoline surrogates is also used to simulate the measurements. Sensitivity analysis is employed to interpret the kinetic pathways responsible for reactivity trends in each gasoline surrogate.
Vital Accounts: Quantifying Health and Population in Eighteenth-Century England and France

Why did Europeans begin to count births and deaths? How did they collect the numbers and what did they do with them? Through a compelling comparative analysis, Vital Accounts charts the work of the physicians, clergymen and government officials who crafted the sciences of political and medical arithmetic in England and France during the long eighteenth-century, before the emergence of statistics and regular government censuses. Andrea A. Rusnock presents a social history of quantification that highlights the development of numerical tables, influential and enduring scientific instruments designed to evaluate smallpox inoculation, to link weather and disease to compare infant and maternal mortality rates, to identify changes in disease patterns and to challenge prevailing views about the decline of European population. By focusing on the most important eighteenth century controversies over health and population, Rusnock shows how vital accounts - the numbers of births and deaths - became the measure of public health and welfare.
Review of Schwegler, Armin, John McWhorter & Liane Ströbel, Edited by (2016) The Iberian Challenge: Creole languages beyond the plantation setting

This article reviews The Iberian Challenge: Creole languages beyond the plantation setting $39.60
Western Europe and the collapse of Bretton Woods

This article contends that Western Europe played a crucial and overlooked role in the collapse of Bretton Woods. Most scholars highlight the role of the United States, focusing on the impact of US ...
Recovery after volleyball: a narrative review.

Volleyball is a popular sport, but there has been little research to date investigating the recovery process. Volleyball involves short bouts of high intensity exertion, often with limited time to ...
Design Of Emulsion-Templated Mesoporous–Macroporous Polyurea Gels and Aerogels

A sol–gel process is used in this work to obtain porous materials with three-dimensional, chemically cross-linked solid networks from polyurea with their meso- and macropores filled with a liquid a...
Discovery of small molecule antagonists of chemokine receptor CXCR6 that arrest tumor growth in SK-HEP-1 mouse xenografts as a model of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract The chemokine system plays an important role in mediating a proinflammatory microenvironment for tumor growth in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The CXCR6 receptor and its natural ligand CXCL16 are expressed at high levels in HCC cell lines and tumor tissues and receptor expression correlates with increased neutrophils in these tissues contributing to poor prognosis in patients. Availability of pharmacologcal tools targeting the CXCR6/CXCL16 axis are needed to elucidate the mechanism whereby neutrophils are affected in the tumor environment. We report the discovery of a series of small molecules with an exo-[3.3.1]azabicyclononane core. Our lead compound 81 is a potent (EC50 = 40 nM) and selective orally bioavailable small molecule antagonist of human CXCR6 receptor signaling that significantly decreases tumor growth in a 30-day mouse xenograft model of HCC.
Target Eccentricity and Form Influences Disparity Vergence Eye Movements Responses: A Temporal and Dynamic Analysis.

This study sought to investigate whether stimulation to the fovea or the parafovea with different color combinations influenced the temporal and dynamic features of 4° disparity vergence step responses. Twelve unique types of stimuli were displayed within a haploscope presented along the participant's midsagittal plane. Vergence eye movement responses from fifteen naive participants were recorded using video-based infrared eye tracking instrumentation. Latency and peak velocity from left and right eye movement responses were quantified. Results show that the type of stimulus projection (foveal versus parafoveal) significantly (p<0.001) influences the vergence response latency but did not impact peak velocity. Vergence responses to eccentric circles with 6° eccentricity targeting the parafovea resulted in a significantly faster response latency compared to vergence responses to a cross with 2° eccentricity stimuli targeting the fovea. Results have implications for the stimulus design of a variety of applications from virtual reality to vision therapy interventions.
FIFTEEN – VECTORS IN THE PLANE

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a new subject in the study of calculus—the study of vectors and vector functions. It discusses the history of the study of vector. Today, nearly all branches of classical and modern physics are represented using the language of vectors. Vectors are also used with increasing frequency in the social and biological sciences. The chapter discusses the properties of vectors in the plane. It should be kept in mind that, like most important discoveries, vectors have been a source of great controversy—a controversy that was not resolved until well into the twentieth century. In many applications of mathematics to the physical and biological sciences and engineering, scientists are concerned with entities that have both magnitude (length) and direction. Examples include the notions of force, velocity, acceleration, and momentum. It is frequently useful to express these quantities geometrically. The chapter discusses vectors and vector operations. It discusses how a vector could be multiplied by a scalar. There are several ways to define the product of two vectors. The chapter discusses one of them that is a second product operation called the dot product. The dot product is useful in a wide variety of applications. The chapter presents a simple application of the dot product. It discusses some elementary applications of vectors. Instead of attempting to give a set of rules for solving problems involving vectors, it gives a variety of examples.
Why Karen Carpenter Matters: by Karen Tongson, Austin, University of Texas Press, 2019, 152pp., £13.13 (paperback), 978-1477318843

Names can be especially meaningful to children who struggle to enact the received wisdom of a loved one’s essence or legacy. In August 1973, Karen Tongson was born to the Katindigs, a Filipino musi...
Frequency and prediction of non-medical opioid use behaviors (NMOU) among advanced cancer patients referred to a supportive care center (SCC).

12086Background: One of the methodological barriers to conducting research on interventions for NOMU (Aberrant Opioid Use Behaviors) among cancer patients is the lack of data on the frequency of th...
The Sexual Victimization of College Students: A Test of Routine Activity Theory:

This study examines the applicability of theoretically-relevant routine activity variables to understand the risk of sexual victimization among college students. Analyses assess if routine activity...
Far-Infrared Spectra, Conformational Stability, Barriers to Internal Rotation, Ab Initio Calculations, r0 Structural Parameters, and Vibrational Assignment of Ethyl Methyl Ether

The far-infrared spectra (350–35 cm−1) of gaseous ethyl methyl ether-d 0 and ethyl methyl-d 3-ether have been recorded at a resolution of 0.10 cm−1. For the d 0 species, the fundamental asymmetric torsion of the more stable trans conformer (two methyl moieties are trans to one another) has been observed at 115.40 cm−1 with four upper state transitions falling to lower frequency, whereas, for the gauche form, it has been observed at 93.56 cm−1 with two excited states falling to lower frequency. the corresponding series for the d 3 species start from 106.00 and 87.10 cm−1, respectively. From these data, the asymmetric torsional potential coefficients for the d 0 species have been determined to be: V 1 = 572 ± 30; V 2 = 85 ± 8; V 3 = 619 ± 30; V 4 = 175 ± 18, and V 6 = −28 ± 3 cm−1. The trans to gauche and gauche to gauche barriers were calculated to be 958 cm−1 (11.5 kJ/mol) and 631 cm−1 (7.55 kJ/mol), respectively, with an energy difference of 550 ± 6 cm−1 (6.58 ± 0.07 kJ/mol). Utilizing three conformer pairs, variable temperature studies (−105 to −150°C) of the infrared spectra of the d 0 sample dissolved in liquid krypton gave an enthalpy difference of 547 ± 28 cm−1 (6.54 ± 0.33 kJ/mol) with the trans conformer the more stable rotamer. It is estimated that there is only 4% of the gauche conformer present at ambient temperatures. The structural parameters, conformational stabilities, barriers to internal rotation, and fundamental vibrational frequencies, which have been determined experimentally, are compared to those obtained from ab initio gradient predictions from RHF/6-31G* and with full electron correlation at the MP2 level with three different basis sets. The adjusted r 0 structural parameters have been obtained for the trans conformer from combined ab initio MP2/6-311+G** predictions and previously reported microwave rotational constants. The reported distances should be accurate to 0.003 A and the angles to 0.5°. These results are compared to the corresponding quantities obtained for some similar molecules.
Are All Hot Subdwarf Stars in Close Binaries

We discuss whether the hypothesis that “all (or most) subdwarfs are in close binaries” is supported by the frequently reported observations of photometrically or spectroscopically composite character of many hot subdwarf stars. By way of a possible counter-argument, we focus on resolved companions (optical pairs) of hot subdwarf stars. On a statistical basis, many of these are physically associated with the hot subdwarfs, i.e. they are common proper motion pairs. These resolved pairs make a several percent contribution to the catalog of hot subdwarf stars per decade in projected separation. If they are just the relatively wide members of a binary population similar to the local G-dwarf binary population (A&A, 248, 485), which has a very wide distribution of orbital separations, then many of the unresolved but composite hot subdwarf binaries may not be “close” in the astrophysical sense. In that case, binary channels for hot subdwarf formation may be less important than expected, or must involve companions (white dwarfs) that do not result in a composite spectrum system.
Clinical impact of compound sarcopenia in hospitalized older adult patients with heart failure.

Objectives Skeletal muscle loss or sarcopenia is a frequent complication in heart failure (HF) and contributes to adverse clinical outcomes. We evaluated if age (primary) and chronic disease (secondary) related sarcopenia, that we refer to as compound sarcopenia, impacts clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with HF. Design Cross-sectional study using hospitalized patient data. Setting Data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality through the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). Participants Hospitalized adult patients with a primary or secondary diagnosis of HF (n = 64,476) and a concurrent random 2% sample of general medical population (GMP; n = 322,217) stratified by age ( 65y) from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database (years 2010-2014). Measurements In-hospital mortality, length of stay (LoS), cost of hospitalization per admission (CoH), comorbidities and discharge disposition, with and without muscle loss phenotype, were analyzed. Muscle loss phenotype was defined using a comprehensive code set from international classification of diseases-9 (ICD-9). Results Muscle loss phenotype was observed in 8673 (13.5%) patients with HF compared to 5213 (1.6%) GMP across all age strata. In patients with HF, muscle loss phenotype was associated with higher mortality, LoS, and CoH. Patients with HF (>65y) and muscle loss phenotype had higher mortality (adjusted OR: 1.81; 95% CI 1.56-2.10), CoH (adjusted OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.44-1.1.52), and LoS (adjusted OR 1.40; 95% CI 1.37-1.43) compared to >65y GMP with muscle loss phenotype. Conclusion Muscle loss phenotype is more commonly associated with increasing age in hospitalized patients with HF. Clinical outcomes were significantly worse in patients with HF aged >65y compared to younger patients with HF and all age strata in GMP with and without a muscle loss phenotype.
A rare appearance of the trigeminocardiac reflex during resection of posterior parasagittal meningioma

Background Although a well-recognized phenomenon of the tentorium and posterior fossa, the trigeminocardiac reflex (TCR) has been rarely reported during surgery involving the posterior falx cerebri. Case description We present the case of a 63-year-old woman who underwent repeat resection of an atypical parasagittal meningioma involving the posterior falx. During resection, TCR was repeatedly elicited during manipulation and coagulation of the falx. Air embolism and cardiac etiologies were initially considered while TCR was not suspected, given the location. Ultimately, TCR was recognized when asystole self-resolved upon cessation of stimulus and due to its reproducibility. Conclusion Awareness by the anesthesiologist and neurosurgeon of the possibility of TCR during falcine procedures can help with rapid identification to avoid a potentially catastrophic outcome.
The EAS approach to variable selection for multivariate response data in high-dimensional settings

In this paper, we extend the epsilon admissible subsets (EAS) model selection approach, from its original construction in the high-dimensional linear regression setting, to an EAS framework for performing group variable selection in the high-dimensional multivariate regression setting. Assuming a matrix-Normal linear model we show that the EAS strategy is asymptotically consistent if there exists a sparse, true data generating set of predictors. Nonetheless, our EAS strategy is designed to estimate a posterior-like, generalized fiducial distribution over a parsimonious class of models in the setting of correlated predictors and/or in the absence of a sparsity assumption. The effectiveness of our approach, to this end, is demonstrated empirically in simulation studies, and is compared to other state-of-the-art model/variable selection procedures.
German decompounding in a difficult corpus

Splitting compound words has proved to be useful in areas such as Machine Translation, Speech Recognition or Information Retrieval (IR). In the case of IR systems, they usually have to cope with noisy data, as user queries are usually written quickly and submitted without review. This work attempts at improving the current approaches for German decompounding when applied to query keywords. The results show an increase of more than 10% in accuracy compared to other state-of-the-art methods.
How Many Bottles Make a Case Against Prohibition? Online Wine and Virginia's Direct Shipment Ban

This study investigates the effects of the Commonwealth of Virginia's ban on direct wine shipments from out-of-state sellers on wine prices and variety available to consumers in the greater McLean, Virginia area. Our results indicate that Virginia's direct shipment ban reduces the varieties of wine available to consumers and prevents consumers from purchasing some premium wines at lower prices online. Using a sample of 83 wines judged to be "highly popular" in Wine and Spirits magazine's annual restaurant poll, we find that 15 percent of wines available online were not available from retail wine stores within 10 miles of McLean during the month the data were collected. The fact that local wine stores may not carry certain wines may result, in part, from other Virginia regulations that affect the structure of the wholesale market. We also find that the lowest quoted online price offered significant cost savings over the lowest local retail price in our survey for many types of wine during the month the data were collected. The extent of any cost savings depends on the price per bottle, the quantity of wine ordered, and the shipping method chosen. For wines costing $20/bottle or more, online purchase of a 12-bottle case could save, on average, 13 percent if shipped via ground. Average savings of up to 21 percent are available on a 12-bottle case of wines costing more than $40/bottle, and purchasers of these wines can save money regardless of the shipping method. Such savings, however, are not consistent for all types of wine; for bottles costing less than $20, consumers would pay an additional 8-83 percent per bottle online. In addition, some individual wines priced below $40 were less expensive in local retail stores.
How Girls and Boys Expect Disclosure About Problems Will Make Them Feel: Implications for Friendships

Although girls disclose to friends about problems more than boys, little is known about processes underlying this sex difference. Four studies (Ns = 526, 567, 769, 154) tested whether middle childhood to mid-adolescent girls and boys (ranging from 8 to 17 years old) differ in how they expect that talking about problems would make them feel. Girls endorsed positive expectations (e.g., expecting to feel cared for, understood) more strongly than boys. Despite common perceptions, boys did not endorse negative expectations such as feeling embarrassed or worried about being made fun of more than girls. Instead, boys were more likely than girls to expect to feel “weird” and like they were wasting time. Sex differences in outcome expectations did help to account for girls’ greater disclosure to friends.
Combined administration of secretin and oxytocin inhibits chronic colitis and associated activation of forebrain neurons.

Background The pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease is unknown; however, the disorder is aggravated by psychological stress and is itself psychologically stressful. Chronic intestinal inflammation, moreover, has been reported to activate forebrain neurons. We tested the hypotheses that the chronically inflamed bowel signals to the brain through the vagi and that administration of a combination of secretin (S) and oxytocin (OT) inhibits this signaling. Methods Three daily enemas containing 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS), which were given to rats produced chronic colitis and ongoing activation of Fos in brain neurons. Key Results Fos was induced in neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, basolateral amygdala, central amygdala, and piriform cortex. Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy failed to inhibit this activation of Fos, suggesting that colitis activates forebrain neurons independently of the vagi. When administered intravenously, but not when given intracerebroventricularly, in doses that were individually ineffective, combined S/OT prevented colitis-associated activation of central neurons. Strikingly, S/OT decreased inflammatory infiltrates into the colon and colonic expression of tumor necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ. Conclusions & Inferences These observations suggest that chronic colonic inflammation is ameliorated by the systemic administration of S/OT, which probably explains the parallel ability of systemic S/OT to inhibit the colitis-associated activation of forebrain neurons. It is possible that S and OT, which are endogenous to the colon, might normally combine to restrict the severity of colonic inflammatory responses and that advantage might be taken of this system to develop novel means of treating inflammation-associated intestinal disorders.
Pre- and postexposure efficacy of fully human antibodies against Spike protein in a novel humanized mouse model of MERS-CoV infection

Traditional approaches to antimicrobial drug development are poorly suited to combatting the emergence of novel pathogens. Additionally, the lack of small animal models for these infections hinders the in vivo testing of potential therapeutics. Here we demonstrate the use of the VelocImmune technology (a mouse that expresses human antibody-variable heavy chains and κ light chains) alongside the VelociGene technology (which allows for rapid engineering of the mouse genome) to quickly develop and evaluate antibodies against an emerging viral disease. Specifically, we show the rapid generation of fully human neutralizing antibodies against the recently emerged Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and development of a humanized mouse model for MERS-CoV infection, which was used to demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of the isolated antibodies. The VelocImmune and VelociGene technologies are powerful platforms that can be used to rapidly respond to emerging epidemics.
Modeling the Response of Marine Boundary Layer Clouds to Global Warming: The Impact of Subgrid-Scale Precipitation Formation

AbstractAn important parameter often adjusted to achieve agreement between simulated and observed radiative fluxes in climate models is the rain formation efficiency. This adjustment has been justified as accounting for the effects of subgrid-scale variability in cloud properties, but this tuning approach is rather arbitrary. This study examines results from a regional climate model with precipitation formation schemes that have been conventionally tuned, and it compares them with simulations employing a recently developed scheme that uses satellite observations to explicitly account for the subgrid-scale variability of clouds (“integral constraint method”). Simulations with the International Pacific Research Center’s Regional Atmospheric Model (iRAM) show that the integral constraint method is capable of simulating cloud fields over the eastern Pacific that are in good agreement with observations, without requiring model tuning. A series of global warming simulations for late twenty-first-century conditi...
Pulmonary function in freely diving Weddell seals, Leptonychotes weddelli.

Abstract Minute volume, tidal volume, dead space volume (E, VT, VD), and diving lung volume were measured in adult, unrestrained Weddell seals, Leptonychotes weddelli, whose mean weight was 425 kg. The effects of oxygen ventilation on dive duration were observed in four adult seals. E ranged from 19.5 L/min while resting to 224 L/min after a dive, VT was 5.4 L to 15.2 L, the average VD for two animals was 1.6 L, and lung volumes ranged from 5 L during a dive to 21 L after inspiration. Dive durations of 66 min and probably 87 min were observed after oxygen ventilation. The results indicate that the ability to increase ventilation rate above the resting value, is less than that in terrestrial mammals. Diving lung volumes are large enough that blood and tissue inert gas tensions could increase to several atmospheres during deep dives if small airways closed at low pressures and most of the gases were trapped in the lungs. Blood oxygen tensions may play a primary role in influencing the length of the dive.
Energy expenditure determined by self-reported physical activity is related to body fatness.

BUCHOWSKI, MACIEJ S., KAREN M. TOWNSEND, KONG Y. CHEN, SARI A. ACRA, AND MING SUN. Energy expenditure determined by self-reported physical activity is related to body fatness. Obes. Res. 1999;7:23–33. Objective: Activity self-reports are a commonly used tool in assessing daily physical activity (PA) and associated energy expenditure (EE). This study examined the effect of relative body fatness (%BF) on differences between self-reported and measured duration and associated EE in healthy adults. Research Methods and Procedures: Men and women (n= 115, age 38±9 years), ranging in %BF from 7.9% to 58.9%, spent two separate days (normal and exercise) in a whole-room indirect calorimeter where EE was measured. While in the room calorimeter, subjects reported the type, intensity, and duration of each performed PA. The Compendium of Physical Activity was used to calculate the energy cost of each reported activity. The EE of all self-reported activities (EEr) was categorized into four intensity levels, synchronized, and compared with EE from the room calorimeter (EEm). Results: With increasing %BF, subjects significantly overestimated duration of more strenuous activities (≥4.5), while underestimating moderate activities (2.5 to 4.4 metabolic equivalents (METs)). Misreporting of duration and/or intensity caused an overestimation or underestimation of PA-associated EE at these levels. Reported EE sleep was lower than measured EE sleep, although both had similar durations. As a result, total EEr was similar to EEm. Discussion: Individual variability of daily total PA and associated EE generated from self-reports in adults is high. Persons with a higher %BF report duration and/or intensity of moderate to high levels of PA with lower accuracy than leaner individuals. We conclude using the Compendium of Physical Activity is not suitable for the accurate estimation of self-reported EE of AA in adults with a higher %BF.
Early family context and development of adolescent ruminative style: Moderation by temperament

We know very little about the development of rumination, the tendency to passively brood about negative feelings. Because rumination is a risk factor for many forms of psychopathology, especially depression, such knowledge could prove important for preventing negative mental health outcomes in youth. This study examined developmental origins of rumination in a longitudinal sample (N=337; 51% girls) studied in preschool (ages 3½ and 4½ years) and early adolescence (ages 13 and 15 years). Results indicated that family context and child temperament, assessed during the preschool period, were risk factors for a ruminative style in adolescence. Specifically, early family contexts characterised by over-controlling parenting and a family style of negative-submissive expressivity predicted higher levels of later rumination. These associations were moderated by children's temperamental characteristics of negative affect and effortful control. Further, the interaction of these temperament factors exerted an additional influence on later rumination. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts are discussed.
New Associate Editor

The Editor-in-Chief welcomes Prof. Brian Otis to the Journal's editorial board as an Associate Editor. He comes with extensive experience in low-power wireless chip design, sensor interfaces, MEMS, and chips for wearable computing and biomedical interface systems. A brief biography of Prof. Otis is given highlighting his professional achievements. Dr. Roland Thewes has retired from serving as an Associate Editor. We thank him for his work for the Journal.
BCR-ABL1INS35 is not uncommon in CML patients and is related to resistance and sensitivity to inhibitors in CML treatment - Response

Santamaria et al. report the detection of the BCR-ABL1INS35 in 27% of 18 patients with CML being treated with imatinib. This is consistent with our finding of 2 of 21 (10%) at 3 months, 1 of 20 (5%) at 6 months, 4 of 25 (16%) at 9 months, and 6 of 23 (26%) at 12 months of imatinib therapy (1). However, it is important to point out that the relative level of expression of the BCR-ABL1 INS35 as compared with the wild-type fusion BCR-ABL1 transcript is very low in these patients (<20%). As we discussed in our article and based on additional data that we generated, the level of resistance is “dose-dependent”.[1][1] In that, the level of resistance to imatinib is dependent on the level of the BCR-ABL1INS35 expression as compared with the wild-type BCR-ABL1 and not with any other control, such as GUS as reported by Santamaria et al. Our data show that the longer the patients are on therapy, the higher the percentage of patients expressing low levels of BCR-ABL1INS35. For these patients, becoming overtly resistant to therapy requires either a substantial increase in the level of expression of the BCR-ABL1INS35 or the development of additional mutations in BCR-ABL1 or somewhere else in the genome. As for the detection of alternative splicing in normal ABL1 transcript, we have detected the presence of low levels of this alternatively spliced ABL1 transcript in normal tissue using a primer set that amplifies only the ABL1.[1][1] This has also been reported by others (2). We think that this low expression of the ABL1INS35 in normal tissue may provide some protection to normal tissue against the effects of imatinib. Therefore, in the quantification of the BCR-ABL1INS35, it is important to be careful and not amplify the native ABL1 from normal cells. As we have described in our article, we used a nested assay in which the fusion BCR-ABL1 transcript was first amplified, then we took the fusion transcript in the next step of the nested PCR and quantified the BCR-ABL1INS35, so we prevented the amplification of the normally expressed ABL1INS35. In our hands, using our procedure, we could not detect ABL1INS35 in normal tissue. If this procedure is not stringent enough, the ABL1INS35 transcript from the normal cells may contaminate final product of the BCR-ABL1INS35 and this may confuse results. Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed. [1]: #fn-1
Parental Experiences: Care of Children With High and Intermediate Imperforate Anus

In this study parental experiences of care of children with high and intermediate imperforate anus were evaluated. A group of 45 parents of children with high and intermediate imperforate anus and two control groups participated. Data collection with individual questionnaires concerning the child's hospital care, information to the parent and the child, and involvement in the care of the child were performed. Parents of children with imperforate anus reported being less satisfied with the care of their child, and they were less content with information about their child's treatment compared with the control groups. The parents had been extremely involved in the follow-up treatment. Constipation and fecal incontinence are common and involve suffering for the children and their parents. Parents have to be motivated and supportive and have a great deal of patience to be able to put up with caring for these children, and it seems as if health care professionals have underestimated their problems.
Gas-liquid mass-transfer and hydrodynamic parameters in a soybean oil hydrogenation process under industrial conditions

This paper presents some experimental data on the volumetric gas−liquid mass-transfer coefficient (kLa), liquid-side mass-transfer coefficient (kL), gas−liquid interfacial area (a), bubble Sauter m...
Preparation of 5-substituted benzylbarburituric acids and investigation of the effect of the benzyl and substituted benzyl groups on the acidity of barbituric acid

The acidity of 5-benzylbarbituric acid and a series of 5-substituted benzylbarbituric acids has been determined in 50% ethanol/water and they were found to be more acidic than barbituric acid. The pKas of these derivatives obey Hammett's equation indicating that their acidity is affected by substituents in the same manner as the benzoic acid ionization constants. A synthesis of these acids is described.
A Field-Based Testing Protocol for Assessing Gross Motor Skills in Preschool Children: The Children's Activity and Movement in Preschool Study Motor Skills Protocol

The purpose of this study was to develop a valid and reliable tool for use in assessing motor skills in preschool children in field-based settings. The development of the Children's Activity and Movement in Preschool Study Motor Skills Protocol included evidence of its reliability and validity for use in field-based environments as part of large epidemiological studies. Following pilot work, 297 children (3–5 years old) from 22 preschools were tested using the final version of the Children's Activity and Movement in Preschool Study Motor Skills Protocol and the Test of Gross Motor Development (2nd Edition). Reliability of the Children's Activity and Movement in Preschool Study Motor Skills Protocol and interobserver reliability were determined using intraclass correlation procedures (intraclass correlation coefficients; ANOVA). Concurrent validity was assessed using Pearson correlation coefficients to compare the Children's Activity and Movement in Preschool Study Motor Skills Protocol to the original Tes...
Comparison of In Vitro Activity of Undecylenic Acid and Tolnaftate against Athlete’s Foot Fungi

Undecylenic acid and tolnaftate were tested in an in vitro test system to evaluate their relative "killing time" efficacy against Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Trichophyton rubrum, and Epidermophyton floccosum. Commercial products containing these active agents were tested similarly. The pure active agents were equivalent in activity. The commercial product containing undecylenic acid appeared to be more effective against the test organisms than did the product containing tolnaftate.
OM ForumThe Best Things in Life Were Free: On the Technology of Transactions

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology will reduce the costs of transactions to both customers and providers. This is a good thing, mostly. But it will be harder than people suppose, and it may have some adverse consequences. There are numerous technical and policy problems, including privacy and security issues. All these likely will be resolved, but only with time, experience, and money. Thus, it is unclear just how RFID will be used, just when various applications will become feasible. Also, as transaction costs decline, providers will be inclined to charge for things that are now free, such as public parks and congested roads. We may wait less at each transaction point, but such points may proliferate. Rather than obsess about this one technology, we should aim to think creatively about transactions and ways to improve them. Transactions affect our lives in many ways. A transaction is a process, not just an event. When people are involved, the process becomes intertwined with other intricate processes---product choice, social interaction, and the expression of power relations. RFID certainly offers the potential for improvement, but there are some lower-tech methods worth considering. This is not a systematic survey, but rather an essay, a sketch in broad strokes of an immense and varied landscape. Many topics are touched on lightly. The goal is to stimulate thought and discussion. More questions are raised than answered. In places the tone is personal, some might say eccentric.
Age-Specific Incidence Rates Of Endometrial Cancer

To the Editor.— I am writing to supportthe conclusions of Proudfit and Austin in LETTERS (237:958-959, 1977) that the incidence of uterine corpus cancer, an age-specific disease, should be reported in age-specific rates. An earlier analysis of data generated by the Connecticut Tumor Registry (CTR) showed no change in the age-adjusted rates of endometrial cancer between 1935 and 1969. 1 Because we felt that age-adjusted rates may not realistically reflect an actual change in the incidence of a disease that experience has shown to be most commonly diagnosed in specific older age groups, we used the Yates modification of chi-square analysis to examine the incidence rates of corpus cancer reported to the CTR between 1953 and 1973. We found a most significant ( P
An Experiment on Laser-Generated Stress Waves in a Circular Elastic Ring

A circular, magnesium fluoride ring was irradiated with a Q-switched, neodymium-doped glass laser. The sudden absorption of laser energy by the ring produced an internal temperature distribution which could be closely approximated by a cosine function over half the circumference of the ring. The ensuing membrane strains were measured with semiconductor strain gages. Measured strain-time histories were found to be in close agreement with theoretical predictions.
Dialysis By the Numbers: The False Promise of Kt/V

One cannot escape the feeling that these marhematical formulae have an independent existence and an intelligence of their own, that they are wiser than we are, wiser even than their discoverers, that we get more out of them than was originally put into them.
Sex Differences in High School Students' Causal Attributions of Performance in Mathematics.

been more visible than females in mathematics-related activities. Although research on cognitive factors related to mathematics achievement is inconclusive, the study of noncognitive factors has yielded some interesting results (Fox, 1977). Among these is the finding that much of the variance in adult achievement in mathematics can be accounted for by differential course taking in high school and college (Perl, 1979; Wise, Note 1). Once the studying of mathematics becomes elective, the ratio of male to female enrollment increases sharply (Fennema, 1977). This differential in the studying of mathematics contributes to sex differences in mathematics achievement beginning in high school and increasing after the high school
Cellulose dialysis tubing for the sterile storage of dental instruments.

Abstract This article describes a technique using cellulose dialysis tubing for the sterile storage of dental instruments. This material possesses certain physical characteristics that make it particularly useful: 1. 1. It is transparent, so that positive identification of sterile instruments is possible. 2. 2. It effectively maintains a sterile atmosphere for instruments in storage. 3. 3. It makes possible the simple transfer of instruments from storage to surgery. 4. 4. It permits a wide latitude in choice of storage facilities. 5. 5. It is adaptable to routine dental sterilization procedures.
Flight-Test Results of Autonomous Airplane Transitions Between Steady-Level and Hovering Flight

Linear systems can be used to adequately model and control an aircraft in either ideal steady-level flight or in ideal hovering flight However, constructing a single unified system capable of adequately modeling or controlling an airplane in steady-level flight and in hovering flight, as well as during the highly nonlinear transitions between the two, requires the use of more complex systems, such as scheduled-linear, nonlinear, or stable adaptive systems. This paper discusses the use of dynamic inversion with real-time neural network adaptation as a means to provide a single adaptive controller capable of controlling a fixed-wing unmanned aircraft system in all three flight phases: steady-level flight, hovering flight, and the transitions between them. Having a single controller that can achieve and transition between steady-level and hovering flight allows utilization of the entire low-speed flight envelope, even beyond stall conditions. This method is applied to the GTEdge, an eight-foot wingspan, fixed-wing unmanned aircraft system that has been fully instrumented for autonomous flight. This paper presents data from actual flight-test experiments in which the airplane transitions from high-speed, steady-level flight into a hovering condition and then back again.