cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computer‐based teaching module design: principles derived from learning theories

Context The computer-based teaching module (CBTM), which has recently gained prominence in medical education, is a teaching format in which a multimedia program serves as a single source for knowledge acquisition rather than playing an adjunctive role as it does in computer-assisted learning (CAL). Despite empirical validation in the past decade, there is limited research into the optimisation of CBTM design. This review aims to summarise research in classic and modern multimedia-specific learning theories applied to computer learning, and to collapse the findings into a set of design principles to guide the development of CBTMs. Methods Scopus was searched for: (i) studies of classic cognitivism, constructivism and behaviourism theories (search terms: ‘cognitive theory’ OR ‘constructivism theory’ OR ‘behaviourism theory’ AND ‘e-learning’ OR ‘web-based learning’) and their sub-theories applied to computer learning, and (ii) recent studies of modern learning theories applied to computer learning (search terms: ‘learning theory’ AND ‘e-learning’ OR ‘web-based learning’) for articles published between 1990 and 2012. The first search identified 29 studies, dominated in topic by the cognitive load, elaboration and scaffolding theories. The second search identified 139 studies, with diverse topics in connectivism, discovery and technical scaffolding. Based on their relative representation in the literature, the applications of these theories were collapsed into a list of CBTM design principles. Results Ten principles were identified and categorised into three levels of design: the global level (managing objectives, framing, minimising technical load); the rhetoric level (optimising modality, making modality explicit, scaffolding, elaboration, spaced repeating), and the detail level (managing text, managing devices). Conclusions This review examined the literature in the application of learning theories to CAL to develop a set of principles that guide CBTM design. Further research will enable educators to take advantage of this unique teaching format as it gains increasing importance in medical education.
Geochemical estimates of denitrification in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal during WOCE

High quality World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) data are used in conjunction with an isopycnal mixing model to calculate nitrate deficits due to denitrification in the oxygen minima of both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Basin-scale, integral denitrification rates are estimated by combining the nitrate deficits with water mass ages computed for the same regions based on the chlorofluorocarbon (CFC-11) distributions. Nitrate deficits exceeding 12 µmol; kg−1 are observed for the Arabian Sea during the 1995 southwest monsoon. The estimated basin-scale nitrate deficit integrated over the oxygen minimum layer is 63±20 Tg N, and the annual loss rate is 21±7 Tg N y−1. The basin-scale nitrate deficit is about half other, recent inventory estimates, with most of the discrepancy in the bottom half of the oxygen minimum below the secondary nitrite maximum. No signature of active, water column denitrification was observed in the Bay of Bengal during the 1995 northeast monsoon.
A partial inverse Sturm–Liouville problem: Matching a step function potential to a finite eigenvalue list

Abstract We investigate a certain inverse problem involving the Sturm–Liouville equation. In particular, given a finite list of target values, when can a potential function of a given form be found that produces these numbers as eigenvalues?
Surf zone megaripple orientation: Measurements and models

[1] Two existing models for bed form orientation are tested against measurements of megaripple crest line orientation from Scripps Beach. Optical time-averaged images of the surf zone sand bed at 10 min intervals are processed with an automatic crest line tracing algorithm. Flow measurements concurrent with images of the sand bed collected during 3–7 April and 17–23 July 1999 are used as input to the gross bed form normal transport model (bed forms align to maximize gross transport across crests) predicting steady state crest orientation and the defect model (bed forms reorient at a rate proportional to the differential velocity of crest line ends, or defects) predicting a time-dependent orientation. Generally poor agreement was found between predictions and measurements of crest line orientation. The gross bed form normal transport model predicted crest line normal orientation within 20° of measured orientation for 38% of records, with increased agreement coinciding with longitudinal and oblique bed forms. The defect model predicted crest line normal orientation within 20° of measurements for 22% of records when the ratio between defect and transport event timescales is assumed ≫1 and 14% of the records for the ratio ≪1. Although migration and mean sediment transport direction are assumed to coincide in both models, RMS deviation in bed form migration direction from the calculated 30 min mean sediment transport direction was found to be 38°. Additionally, RMS deviation of megaripple migration direction from crest line normal orientation was 39°.
Mechanisms of tumor promotion: Possible role of inhibited intercellular communication

IN THE recent paper by Arenholt et al. (Eur J Cancer Clin Oncoi 1987, 23, 19-29) in vitro observations related to the effects of several structurally unrelated tumor-promoting chemicals were interpreted as implicating the role of gap junctional intcrccllular communication in the cellular mechanism of tumor promotion. They obscrvcd that several tumor-promoting chemicals, but not the non-tumor promoters, caused many cytomorphological effects in primary rat tongue squamous epithclial cells. In this “Commentary”, I USC this series of obscrvations, and those of many diverse fields, such as developmental biology, chemical carcinogcncsis, and molecular oncology, to attempt an integration of several current concepts; namely the concepts of “initiation/promotion”, “ gap juctional intcrccllular communication” and “oncogcncs”. In spite of obvious criticisms that the Arenholt et al. observations were on cells, grown in vitro (tumor promotion is an in vivo operational concept), and derived from rats (an animal not yet shown to be particularly sensitive to skin promotion by the agents used in this study, although rat liver is an excellent species/organ system for promotion studies), I feel their results are consistent with other observations showing that many tumor promoting chemicals do inhibit intercellular communication both in vitro and in vivo. The multi-step nature of carcinogenesis has been, operationally, conceptualized to consist of an “initiation” phase, in which a normal cell has its genome irreversibly altered to form a single pre-
Infections Associated with Tumor Necrosis Factor‐α Antagonists

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a proinflammatory cytokine involved in a wide range of important physiologic processes. This cytokine has a pathologic role in some diseases, and TNF-alpha antagonists are effective in treating inflammatory conditions. Given the putative role of TNF-alpha in host defense against tuberculosis and other infections, the risk of infection with TNF-alpha antagonists is a concern. Therefore, we searched the literature for reports of tuberculosis and other infections associated with TNF-alpha-antagonist therapy. Although tuberculosis was rarely reported in randomized clinical comparisons of these antagonists, case reports and submissions to the MedWatch program of the United States Food and Drug Administration have been numerous. Most instances were associated with infliximab, but etanercept and adalimumab may also be associated with an increased risk of tuberculosis. Histoplasmosis, listeriosis, aspergillosis, coccidioidomycosis, and candidiasis have been associated with TNF-alpha antagonists, but the causative relationship is not clear. Potential recipients of these drugs should be rigorously screened with skin testing, detailed questioning about recent travel and potential tuberculosis exposure, assessment for symptoms such as cough and weight loss, and chest radiography to minimize their risk of acquiring or reactivating tuberculosis. As with other immunosuppressant drugs, TNF-alpha antagonists should not be given to patients with active infection.
A flexible boundary for three‐dimensional dem particle assemblies

An algorithm is presented for creating a flexible boundary to analyse three‐dimensional assemblies of spheres. It can be used to study localization phenomena in particulate materials. The boundary is composed of adjoining triangular plate elements which are connected at their corners to the centres of neighbouring spheres. The applied external boundary stresses create traction forces on the plates, which are distributed among the plates’ particles. The boundary performed favourably in tests on a large assembly of particles when only contact and rotational damping were used. Plane strain compression tests on assemblies with flexible and periodic boundaries revealed a lower strength with the former. This result could be due to the greater restraint on particle movements produced by periodic boundaries or to the early development of a column buckling failure pattern of the assembly with flexible boundaries. No shear bands were observed in the assembly.
A multilocus phylogeny of a major New World avian radiation: The Vireonidae

The family Vireonidae represents one of the most widespread and well-known New World avian radiations, but a robust species-level phylogeny of the group is lacking. Here, we infer a phylogeny of Vireonidae using multilocus data obtained from 221 individuals from 46 of 52 vireonid species (representing all four genera) and five “core Corvoidea” outgroups. Our results show Vireonidae to be monophyletic, consistent with a single colonization of the New World by an Asian ancestor. Cyclarhis and Vireolanius are monophyletic genera that diverged early from the rest of Vireonidae. Hylophilus is polyphyletic, represented by three distinct clades concordant with differences in morphology, habitat, and voice. The poorly known South American species Hylophilus sclateri is embedded within the genus Vireo. Vireo, in turn, consists of several well-supported intrageneric clades. Overall, tropical vireonid species show much higher levels of intraspecific genetic structure than temperate species and several currently recognized species are probably comprised of multiple cryptic species.
Metadiscourse and discourse processes: Interactions and issues

This paper reports the impact of metadiscourse, a rhetorical domain that regulates the communicative function of language, on sixth‐grade students’ learning and attitudes. Metadiscourse directing the reader how to regard the author and the text was divided into two types, informational and attitudinal, and inserted in a social studies textbook chapter in either interpersonal or impersonal voice. Students were placed in high‐vocabulary or low‐vocabulary groups on the basis of test scores; in low‐comfort or high‐comfort groups on the basis of comfort index scores. The significant interaction results showed differential effects of metadiscourse on students’ learning. Low‐comfort students learned more when informational metadiscourse was presented in interpersonal voice, but high‐comfort ones learned less. The results for attitudinal metadiscourse were the opposite. The effect on attitudes was that students who read just one type of metadiscourse were more tolerant of opinions than those who read both types o...
Identity Development From Adolescence to Adulthood: An Extension of Theory and a Review of Research

Those aspects of Erikson's theory of psychosocial development concerning the formation of a sense of personal identity are examined in light of research evidence. When the Stage 5 component is considered as a bipolar dimension, the expectation is that the transition from adolescence to adulthood involves a progressive strengthening in the sense of identity. When the identity construct is expanded to include the processes by which an identity is formed, it is hypothesized that over time there will be progressive developmental shifts in identity status, that is, from the identity diffusion status into either the foreclosure or moratorium status, from the foreclosure into the moratorium status, and from the moratorium into the identity achievement status. The circumstances associated with progressive shifts, regressive changes, and reentry into an identity crisis are discussed. The review of the literature focuses on questions of the direction and timing of identity development, sex differences in development, and the identification of antecedent conditions relating to the choice of developmental pathways.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory Wireless Power Transfer Development for Sustainable Campus Initiative

Wireless power transfer (WPT) is a convenient, safe, and autonomous means for electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle charging that has seen rapid growth in recent years for stationary applications. WPT does not require bulky contacts, plugs, and wires, is not affected by dirt or weather conditions, and is as efficient as conventional charging systems. This study summarizes some of the recent Sustainable Campus Initiative activities of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in WPT charging of an on-campus vehicle (a Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid electric vehicle). Laboratory development of the WPT coils, high-frequency power inverter, and overall systems integration are discussed. Results cover the coil performance testing at different operating frequencies, airgaps, and misalignments. Some of the experimental results of insertion loss due to roadway surfacing materials in the air-gap are presented. Experimental lessons learned are also covered in this study.
The Patient's Responsibility for Optimum Healthcare

Although clinicians have an obligation to act in patients’ best interests, patients frequently choose to act in ways that adversely affect health. Consequently, clinicians are often left questioning where the responsibility for optimum care lies. The criteria for determining responsibility (the Jonas criteria) are as follows: causality, control and foresight. Two types of choices lead to health problems — lifestyle and noncompliance. Patients are responsible to themselves and society for unhealthy lifestyles. Patients are subject to the consequences of unhealthy lifestyles in the form of suffering; society’s consequence is increased costs. Providers are not justified to increase an individual’s consequences because the degree of responsibility cannot be specified, and clinicians should not be deciding who deserves care. Society is justified in setting prospective consequences in the form of taxes, education and prevention. Noncompliance challenges the clinician’s duty to respect patient autonomy. Respect for autonomy requires clinicians to actively assist patients in making reasoned decisions about treatment and then to accept such decisions. The clinician must simultaneously assess patients’ competence to make decisions, and take increased responsibility for decisions when competence is impaired. Factors that need to be considered in determining an appropriate level of coercion include: the nature and degree of potential harm to the patient and to society from noncompliance; the likelihood of the harm’s occurrence; the intrusiveness of the planned coercive activity and; the degree to which the intervention is likely to be effective.
CONSUMER PREFERENCES FOR PATHOGEN‐REDUCING TECHNOLOGIES IN BEEF

Two surveys were conducted by mail to evaluate consumers' preferences for beef treated by the steam and hot-water pasteurization technologies, in a comparison with beef treated by irradiation and nontechnology treated regular beef More than 64% of the respondents reported that they preferred ground beef treated by irradiation to that treated by the two pathogen-reducing technologies. More than 87% of the respondents stated that they preferred ground beef treated by the two technologies to nontechnology treated beef. Sixty percent of the respondents reported that they were willing to pay for beef treated by the two pathogen-reducing technologies with an averaged willingness-to-pay of $0.36/lb over nontechnology treated beef. Compared with their counterparts; women, those having a better self-reported health status, and those with children at home (≤ 18 years of age) were more likely to report a preference for beef treated by the two heat-related pasteurization technologies. The income level of the respondents was negatively associated with their preferences for beef treated by the two heat-related pasteurization technologies. The strong consumer preference coupled with willingness-to-pay for beef treated by the two pathogen-reducing technologies, suggest that consumers are willing to bear the cost of using these technologies if beef packers would invest in such technologies as a means of improving the quality of their products. 2 enquetes sont menees pour evaluer quelles sont les preferences du consommateur quant au traitement de la viande hachee: traitement a la vapeur, pasteurisation a l'eau chaude, irradiation, ou sans traitement. Plus de 64% des participants preferent le boeuf hache irradie. Plus de 87% preferent le boeuf hache traite thermiquement au boeuf non traite. 60% sont pret a payer 0,36$/livre pour acheter du boeuf hache traite thermiquement. Les consommateurs sont donc prets a payer si les conditionneurs de viande investissent dans les technologies qui ameliorent la qualite des produits
Cause of the Port Neal ammonium nitrate plant explosion

Abstract In 1994, an explosion in an ammonium nitrate neutralizer of a chemical processing plant in Port Neal, Iowa, resulted in fatalities, injuries, and widespread property damage. A lawsuit was brought by the plant operator against the neutralizer designer, and each party retained a team of scientists and engineers to determine the cause. The key question was whether the explosion initiated within or outside of the sparger that injected nitric acid into the ammonium nitrate solution. After extensive investigations and months of debate, an agreement could not be reached. To resolve this impasse, an independent expert was appointed by the ruling US District Court judge to review the evidence provided by the investigative teams, examine the recovered sparger fragments and test articles, and provide an opinion. This article presents the findings and conclusions from this investigation.
Cloning and Expression of Hydrolase C, a Member of the Rat Carboxylesterase Family

Abstract Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we have isolated a cDNA that encodes a rat liver carboxylesterase. This novel enzyme, designated hydrolase C, is structurally very similar to hydrolase B, a microsomal carboxylesterase expressed in rat liver and kidney. Hydrolase B and C are 96% identical in nucleotide sequence and 93% identical in deduced amino acid sequence. Both enzymes have an 18-amino-acid signal peptide at the N-terminus. The C-terminus of hydrolase B and C contains an HXEL consensus sequence for retaining proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. As expected, when the cDNA encoding hydrolase C was expressed in a baculovirus/Sf21 cell system, the recombinant enzyme was localized in the endoplasmic reticulum. Hydrolase B and C both have putative N-linked glycosylation sites at Asn 1 and Asn 61 . The active site of hydrolase B and C appears to be composed of a nucleophile, Ser 203 , a basic residue, His 448 , and an acidic residue, either Asp 97 or Glu 228 . Based on cloning experiments, restriction endonuclease mapping and Northern blotting, hydrolase B is expressed in both rat liver and kidney, whereas hydrolase C is expressed predominantly, perhaps exclusively, in liver. When expressed in Escherichia coli , hydrolase C was catalytically inactive and unstable, but when expressed in the baculovirus/Sf21 cell system hydrolase C it was stable and catalytically active toward 1-naphthylacetate and esters of para -nitrophenol. Hydrolase C is the fourth member of the rat carboxylesterase family to be cloned and sequenced. In terms of nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence, hydrolase C is highly similar to hydrolase B, but differs from hydrolase B in terms of its catalytic activity and tissue distribution. Recombinant hydrolase C has properties similar to those described for esterase RL2, which was purified from rat liver microsomes by Hosokawa et al . ( Arch. Biochem. Biophys . 277, 219-227, 1990), although additional studies will be required to establish conclusively the identity of this enzyme. The high degree of sequence identity (96%) between hydrolase B and C, particularly in the 3′ untranslated region, suggests that the genes encoding these two carboxylesterases evolved by duplication and divergence of a common ancestral gene.
Income Maintenance Experimentation and Welfare Policy The Role of Value Conflict in Research Utilization

The Seattle and Denver income maintenance experiment culminated the most ambitious policy analytic experiment undertaken in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. After 12 years of research and $110 million spent, the Carter Administration sat down to reform welfare policy with the initial experimental findings in hand. Its experience underscores the difficulty of using analysis for policymaking when the policy arena exhibits high value conflict. In such contexts analysis becomes primarily a symbolic or forensic tool that has little impact on policy. Value conflict and several dimensions of individual belief systems—development and intensity—mediate the utilization and impact of analysis. Regardless of the effect of analysis on policy, it generally influences the decision process, shapes thinking, legitimates partisan positions, and is a vehicle for substantial material gain. All of these impacts of analysis are relevant to the conceptualization and understanding of ulilization.
The Interaction of 1,2,3‐benzotriazole Hydrochloride with Certain Negative Cyano‐Complexes of the Transition Metals. III

The chemistry of the interaction of 1,2,3-benzotriazole hydrochloride and negative cyanocomplexes of certain transition metals is reported and discussed. Es wird uber die Bildung und Zusammensetzung schwerloslicher Verbindungen berichtet, die durch Reaktion von 1,2,3-Benzotriazolhydrochlorid mit Cyanokomplexen von Ubergangsmetallen entstehen.
An assessment of atmospheric mercury in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model at an urban site and a rural site in the Great Lakes Region of North America

Abstract. Quantitative analysis of three atmospheric mercury species – gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0), reactive gaseous mercury (RGHg) and particulate mercury (PHg) – has been limited to date by lack of ambient measurement data as well as by uncertainties in numerical models and emission inventories. This study employs the Community Multiscale Air Quality Model version 4.6 with mercury chemistry (CMAQ-Hg), to examine how local emissions, meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, and deposition affect mercury concentration and deposition the Great Lakes Region (GLR), and two sites in Wisconsin in particular: the rural Devil's Lake site and the urban Milwaukee site. Ambient mercury exhibits significant biases at both sites. Hg0 is too low in CMAQ-Hg, with the model showing a 6% low bias at the rural site and 36% low bias at the urban site. Reactive mercury (RHg = RGHg + PHg) is over-predicted by the model, with annual average biases >250%. Performance metrics for RHg are much worse than for mercury wet deposition, ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), or sulfur dioxide (SO2). Sensitivity simulations to isolate background inflow from regional emissions suggests that oxidation of imported Hg0 dominates model estimates of RHg at the rural study site (91% of base case value), and contributes 55% to the RHg at the urban site (local emissions contribute 45%).
Petrography and Diagenesis of Cherts From Lake Magadi, Kenya

Pleistocene cherts from alkaline Lake Magadi, Kenya, are believed to have formed inorganically from sodium silicate precursors (magadiite--NaSi 7 O 13 (OH) 3 .3H 2 O and/or kenyaite--NaSi 11 O (sub 20.5) (OH) 4 .3H 2 O). They have been cited as "modern" analogs for cherts found in both ancient lacustrine deposits and Precambrian iron-formations, but few criteria exist to distinguish Magadi-type chert from other cherts in the geological record. We studied approximately twenty chert samples and one magadiite sample from Lake Magadi to develop such criteria and to shed light on the mechanism of the magadiite-quartz conversion. Characteristics of the type Magadi cherts are 1) a groundmass mosaic of fine quartz crystals that vary in orientation from random to rectilinear; 2) finely disseminated inclusions of silicate clays, zeolites, and/or carbonates (predominantly calcite); 3) large crystal molds (probably after trona) concentrated near sample margins; and 4) inward-directed shrinkage cracks and/or more irregular internal voids filled with chalcedony, silicate clays, zeolites, and/or carbonates (predominantly calcite). Shrinkage cracks, which define surface reticulation patterns, are frequently cited as evidence of a Magadi-type origin for ancient lacustrine cherts, but they are not unique to alkaline lake cherts. Based on a reconnaissance of ancient cherts of various origins, no single characteristic appears to be unique to Magadi-type chert, with the possible exception of the rectilinear or grid-work orientation of the quartz crystals. This texture appears to be inherited from the precursor magadiite, which displays a similar extinction pattern due to the presence of 10-20 mu m spherical aggregates of plate-like crystals. This pseudomorphing implies direct volume-for-volume replacement of magadiite by quartz. Void-filling chalcedony and the high densities of the cherts, however, indicate that silica was added during and after the conversion from magadiite to chert. Petrographic observations suggest the magadiite-quartz conversion takes place in multiple stages, with early conversion in brines and later leaching by more dilute meteoric water. A reconnaissance of 35 chert samples from 16 different formations, ranging in age from Pleistocene to Archean, yielded only two samples with convincing grid-work fabrics, both of which had already been interpreted as Magadi-type chert on the basis of other characteristics. This suggests that the distinctive textures which characterize the type Magadi cherts may be useful for recognizing other inorganic alkaline lake cherts in the stratigraphic record.
Molecular C2H2 and HCN lasers pumped by an optical parametric oscillator in the 1.5-microm band.

Lasing of HCN and C2H2 in the 3-micron region was demonstrated with a ns pump emitting in the telecommunication C band (1.5 micron region). The observed laser lines correspond to transitions from the terminal pump vibration-rotation state to a combination vibrational state.
Interface states in high-temperature gas sensors based on silicon carbide

Silicon carbide (SiC)-based metal-insulator-semiconductor devices are attractive for gas sensing in automotive exhausts and flue gases. The response of the devices to reducing gases has been assumed to be due to a reduced metal work function at the metal-oxide interface that shifts the flat band capacitance to lower voltages. We have discovered that high temperature (700 K) exposure to hydrogen results not only in the flat-band voltage occurring at a more negative bias than in oxygen, but also in the transition from accumulation (high capacitance) to inversion (low capacitance) occurring over a relatively narrow voltage range. In oxygen, this transition is broadened, indicating the creation of a high density of interface states. We present a model of the hydrogen/oxygen response based on two independent phenomena: a chemically induced shift in the metal-semiconductor work function difference and the passivation/creation of charged states at the SiO/sub 2/-SiC interface that is much slower than the work function shift. We discuss the effect of these results on sensor design and the choice of operating point.
The Role of Concussion History and Gender in Recovery from Soccer-Related Concussion:

BackgroundThis study was designed to investigate differences in recovery in male and female soccer athletes.HypothesesSoccer players with a history of concussion will perform worse on neurocognitive testing than players without a history of concussion. Furthermore, female athletes will demonstrate poorer performance on neurocognitive testing than male athletes.Study DesignCohort study (prognosis): Level of evidence, 2.MethodsComputer-based neuropsychological testing using reaction time, memory, and visual motor-speed composite scores of the ImPACT test battery was performed postconcussion in soccer players ranging in age from 8 to 24 years (N = 234; 141 females, 93 males). A multivariate analysis of variance was conducted to examine group differences in neurocognitive performance between male and female athletes with and without a history of concussion.ResultsSoccer players with a history of at least 1 previous concussion performed significantly worse on ImPACT than those who had not sustained a prior con...
Comparative Antiatherogenic Effects of Intravenous AAV8- and AAV2-Mediated ApoA-IMilano Gene Transfer in Hypercholesterolemic Mice

Apolipoprotein A-IMilano (ApoA-IM), a naturally occurring Arg173 to Cys mutant of ApoA-I, has been shown to reduce atherosclerosis in animal models and in a small phase 2 human trial. We have shown superior atheroprotective effects of ApoA-IM gene compared with wild-type ApoA-I gene using transplantation of retrovirally transduced bone marrow in ApoA-I/ApoE null mice. In this study, we compared the antiatherogenic efficacy of ApoA-IM gene transfer using Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) 2 or rAAV8 as vectors in ApoA-I/ApoE null mice. Mice received a single intravenous injection of 1.2 × 1012 vector genomes of AAV2 or AAV8 vectors expressing ApoA-IM or control empty vectors (12 mice/group). Circulating levels of ApoA-IM were higher in recipients of AAV8 compared with AAV2 at 4, 12, and 20 weeks postinjection. Qualitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of RNA collected from different tissues showed that the AAV8-mediated gene transfer resulted in a more efficient transgene expression in the hear...
Do we need a better mouse trap

This editorial refers to ‘Primary percutaneous coronary intervention by magnetic navigation compared with conventional wire technique’[†][1], by M.S. Paterson et al. , on page 1472 and ‘Randomized comparison of the magnetic navigation system vs. standard wires in the treatment of bifurcations’[‡][2], by S. Ramcharitar et al. , on page 1479 Interventional cardiology continues to evolve in response to the challenges encountered in treating increasingly complex anatomy and often higher risk patients. There have been many giant steps forward in the field including steerable guide wires, over the wire, and monorail balloons, bare metal stents, and then drug-eluting stents to name but a few. Against this collage of giant steps, the application of magnetic guidance for procedural performance must be placed in perspective. As is true with any new technology, a crucial question to be addressed is what is the magnitude of the problem that the new technology tries to solve, and what is the outcome of applying this new technology. The articles by Patterson et al. 1 and Ramcharitar et al. 2 explore the application of a unique magnetic navigation system in two separate populations. This system has been described in other publications.3–5 This system has two external magnets with appropriate user interface for varying the magnetic field. A touchscreen control … [1]: #fn-2 [2]: #fn-3
Failure analysis of an automobile valve spring

Abstract This paper presents the failure analysis of an automobile valve spring which failed in service. The fractured surfaces as well as the surface of the spring material close to the fractured surface were examined in a scanning electron microscope at suitable magnifications. Optical microscopy was performed to evaluate the basic microstructure of the as-received material. Detailed electron microscopic studies have indicated that the failure was due to the presence of non-metallic inclusions near the surface of the spring material.
A general-purpose target-aware pointing enhancement using pixel-level analysis of graphical interfaces

We present a general-purpose implementation of a target aware pointing technique, functional across an entire desktop and independent of application implementations. Specifically, we implement Grossman and Balakrishnan's Bubble Cursor, the fastest general pointing facilitation technique in the literature. Our implementation obtains the necessary knowledge of interface targets using a combination of pixel-level analysis and social annotation. We discuss the most novel aspects of our implementation, including methods for interactive creation and correction of pixel-level prototypes of interface elements and methods for interactive annotation of how the cursor should select identified elements. We also report on limitations of the Bubble Cursor unearthed by examining our implementation in the complexity of real-world interfaces. We therefore contribute important progress toward real-world deployment of an important family of techniques and shed light on the gap between understanding techniques in controlled settings versus behavior with real-world interfaces.
Additives and Compounding

Polymers per se do not fulfill all technological demands made on them; they are plastics raw materials, but not yet plastics. They only become economically viable on addition of additives. These additives may be physically dispersed in the polymer matrix, or dissolved in the polymer, or they may be predominantly found on the polymer surface. Thus, additives do not affect the constitution or the configuration of the macromolecules, but they can influence the conformations available, the superstructure, or the surface structure. Plastics without additives are only used in the rarest cases, for example, poly(ethylene) film for food packaging.
The Cultural Bounds of Maternal Accommodation: How Chinese and American Mothers Communicate With Deaf and Hearing Children

Children with special needs typically require family accommodation to those needs. We explore here the extent to which cultural forces shape the accommodations mothers make when communicating with young deaf children. Sixteen mother-child dyads (8 Chinese, 8 American) were videotaped at home. In each culture, 4 mothers interacted with their deaf children, and 4 interacted with their hearing children. None of the deaf children knew sign language, nor spoke at age level. We found that mothers adjusted their communicative behaviors to their deaf children, but in every case, those adjustments were calibrated to cultural norms. American mothers, for example, increased their use of gesture with deaf children but stopped far short of the Chinese range—despite the obvious potential benefits of gesturing to children who cannot hear. These findings provide the first cross-cultural demonstration that children are, first and foremost, inculcated into their cultures and, only within that framework, then treated as spe...
The Efiect of Property Tax Limitations on Residential Private Governments

The growth in the formation of residential private governments to fund and deliver public flnances coincided with a period in which local governments faced voter-imposed property tax limitations. Popular commentary suggests that part of the popularity of private governments, found in planned developments, condominiums and cooperatives, is due to a deterioration in public services arising from these limitations. This paper asks whether the imposition of a property tax limitation can lead to the formation and proliferation of residential private governments. The paper proposes a theoretical model that demonstrates how a property tax limit on a local government can lead to increased private government membership. The theoretical implications are then tested with data from California in the era of Proposition 13. In 1978, Proposition 13 efiectively constrained all residential property to a one per cent property tax rate, resulting in drastic reductions in local government revenue. Using panel data methods, the empirical model tests whether or not cities that were more property-tax constrained experienced higher rates of private government formation. The study controls for changes in demographic composition and the importance of state aid and user charges in city budgets. Results are consistent with property tax decreases being a driving force in increasing the level of private government membership and the number of incorporations of private governments in a city.
VARIATIONS IN THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF SEED-STORAGE LIPIDS.

▪ Abstract In many plants lipids represent up to 80% of dry weight of storage tissues. In seeds, lipids accumulate as triacylglycerols (TAGs), which are formed by an extension of the membrane-lipid biosynthetic pathway common to all plant tissues. In contrast to the conserved fatty acid (FA) composition of membrane lipids, the observed divergence in seed oil acyl chains among different species is very high. The acyl groups of seed TAGs can vary in their chain length (from 8 to 24) as well as in their degree of unsaturation. In addition to methylene-interrupted double bonds, many seeds contain TAGs that have unusual functional groups in their FAs, such as hydroxyl, oxirane, or acetylene groups. All of the major steps in the biosynthetic pathway to TAG are now known and sequence information for genes encoding most of the enzymes involved is available. Here we present the current knowledge of the metabolic mechanisms involved in the divergence from the membrane-lipid biosynthetic pathway during storage lipid...
Comparison of agar dilution, microtitre broth dilution and tube macrodilution susceptibility testing of ciprofloxacin against several pathogens at two different inocula

The susceptibility of six different genera of organisms to ciprofloxacin was determined by the tube macrodilution, broth microdilution and the agar dilution methods. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of ciprofloxacin determined by the broth microdilution and the agar dilution methods correlated well with each other, but in general the tube macrodilution technique gave somewhat higher results. Raising the initial inoculum of the tested organisms from 1 X 10(5) to 1 X 10(7) cfu/ml did not result in a significant increase in the minimal inhibitory or bactericidal concentrations of ciprofloxacin.
Updating the 2001 National Land Cover Database land cover classification to 2006 by using Landsat imagery change detection methods

The recent release of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Land Cover Database (NLCD) 2001, which represents the nation's land cover status based on a nominal date of 2001, is widely used as a baseline for national land cover conditions. To enable the updating of this land cover information in a consistent and continuous manner, a prototype method was developed to update land cover by an individual Landsat path and row. This method updates NLCD 2001 to a nominal date of 2006 by using both Landsat imagery and data from NLCD 2001 as the baseline. Pairs of Landsat scenes in the same season in 2001 and 2006 were acquired according to satellite paths and rows and normalized to allow calculation of change vectors between the two dates. Conservative thresholds based on Anderson Level I land cover classes were used to segregate the change vectors and determine areas of change and no-change. Once change areas had been identified, land cover classifications at the full NLCD resolution for 2006 areas of change were completed by sampling from NLCD 2001 in unchanged areas. Methods were developed and tested across five Landsat path/row study sites that contain several metropolitan areas including Seattle, Washington; San Diego, California; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Jackson, Mississippi; and Manchester, New Hampshire. Results from the five study areas show that the vast majority of land cover change was captured and updated with overall land cover classification accuracies of 78.32%, 87.5%, 88.57%, 78.36%, and 83.33% for these areas. The method optimizes mapping efficiency and has the potential to provide users a flexible method to generate updated land cover at national and regional scales by using NLCD 2001 as the baseline.
The Effects of Scandalous Information on Recall of Policy-Related Information

Political observers often criticize the news media 's focus on scandalous activities of candidates as distracting voters from the "real issues. " However, the extent to which such a fondness for scandal influences voters remains unclear. The present study examines whether exposure to scandalous information about a candidate interferes with memory for policy-related information. Two possibilities are considered. One possibility is that scandalous information attracts substantial attention and processing from individuals thereby interfering with previously stored campaign information. A second possibility argues that conceiving of memory as organized in associative networks suggests that scandalous information facilitates, rather than interferes with, recall of policyrelated campaign information. Based on data from a longitudinal experiment, I conclude that exposure to scandalous information is less hazardous to voters than is often suggested by political observers.
Repeatability estimates do not always set an upper limit to heritability

Summary 1 The concept of repeatability, the measurement of consistent individual differences, has become an increasingly important tool in evolutionary and ecological physiology. Significant repeatability facilitates the study of selection acting on natural populations and the concept has several practical implications for identifying traits. 2 When properly defined and measured, repeatability can set the upper limit to heritability. This is potentially a very useful interpretation of the repeatability of traits measured on natural populations because often, estimates of heritability cannot be obtained. Many recent reports of repeatability of individual differences for traits have made this interpretation. 3 However, repeatability estimates may not set an upper limit to heritability if: (a) measured traits are not genetically identical, (b) common environmental effects work in opposition to direct genetic effects, (c) the temporary environments for each trait are negatively correlated, (d) significant genotype–environment interaction is present, or (e) the traits are influenced by maternal effects. 4 The quantitative genetic theory that defines the concept of repeatability is reviewed and implications of violations of the five assumptions are discussed in the context of interpreting repeatability as an upper estimate to heritability.
PECTINATE CLAWS IN DECAPOD CRUSTACEANS: CONVERGENCE IN FOUR LINEAGES

Decapod crustaceans bearing major claws with long, slender fingers armed with pectinate (comblike) denticles have been described in six genera arrayed within three families (Polychelidae, Nephropidae, and Ctenochelidae) in three infraorders (Palinura, Astacidea, and Anomura, respectively). Only one or a few genera in each infraorder exhibit this claw form. The pectinate claw form is confidently interpreted as having evolved independently in four lineages: once in the Polychelidae, once in the Ctenochelidae, and twice in the Nephropidae. Three of the lineages are known from both the fossil record and modern seas; the polychelid form is known only from Jurassic rocks. Convergence in this claw form developed to the extent that isolated fossil claws (i.e., claws without associated bodies) have commonly been misidentified at high taxonomic levels. The fossil record confirms what seems intuitively reasonable: that claw morphology is prone to convergence and should not, by itself, be given a high degree of taxonomic importance.
A Tale of Two Surges: Comparing the Politics of the 2007 Iraq Surge and the 2009 Afghanistan Surge

This manuscript compares and contrasts the political obstacles faced by Bush and Obama when they sought to deepen U.S. involvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I compare their efforts in th...
How can nurse educators perform patient simulation efficiently

Simulation use in nursing programs has increased dramatically, and the benefits of simulation have now been demonstrated in multiple studies. However, simulation is a time-consuming teaching method. This article provides recommendations for performing simulation activities efficiently, including faculty training and support, in-class simulation, scenario and manikin choice, equipment organization, simulation mapping in the curriculum, and preprogrammed scenario use. Implementing these recommendations may help faculty members use simulation both effectively and efficiently.
Obituary Nathan Wendell Riser (1920–2006)

Professor Nathan Wendell Riser died at his home in Swampscott, Massachusetts on Wednesday July 26, 2006 at the age of 86. He was known to his colleagues as “Pete” and to his graduate students as “Doc.” He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1920 where he completed secondary school in 1937. After attending the University of Utah for three years he transferred to the University of Illinois, Champagne, where he earned his B.S. degree in zoology in 1941. He enlisted in the military in 1942 and served as a Navy Corpsman in the Navy Medical Corp where he saw action in the Pacific Theater of WWII. He was discharged in 1945 and entered graduate school at Stanford University where he conducted research at the Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove, California. He earned an M.S. degree in 1948 and a Ph.D. in 1949 on the biology of tetraphyllidean cestodes associated with sharks and rays (“The morphology and systematic position of some little known Tetraphyllideans”) under the direction of Prof. Tage Skogsberg.
Evidence of CCR2-independent transmigration of Ly6Chi monocytes into the brain after permanent cerebral ischemia in mice

Previously we showed that INCB3344, a CCR2 antagonist, inhibits transmigration of Ly6C(hi) monocytes into the brain after ischemia-reperfusion. Here we tested the effect of CCR2 inhibition during permanent cerebral ischemia. Mice were administered either vehicle (dimethyl sulfoxide/carboxymethylcellulose) or INCB3344 (30 or 100mg/kg IP) 1h before middle cerebral artery occlusion and at 2 and 6h after the initiation of ischemia. After 24h, we assessed functional outcome, infarct volume and quantified immune cells in blood and brain. The increase in circulating bone marrow-derived Ly6C(hi) monocytes, but not the infiltration of those cells into the brain, was blocked by the CCR2 antagonist. INCB3344 had no effect on either neurological deficit or infarct volume. Our data confirm that cerebral ischemia triggers a CCR2-dependent increase in circulating Ly6C(hi) monocytes, but suggest that in the absence of reperfusion these cells may transmigrate into the ischemic brain in a CCR2-independent manner.
Images of popular computing in the Eastern Mediterranean: an exhibit

An exhibit of posters and a slide show of covers of popular computing magazines from Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, and Bulgaria accompanied the 2010 ItiCSE conference. This exhibit, supported by a SIGCSE Special Projects grant, provided one look at computing history in the eastern Mediterranean through the representations of covers of popular magazines for hobbyists and other computer users.