cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utilization of Water Utility Lime Sludge for Flue Gas Desulfurization in Coal-Fired Power Plants: Part II. Lime Sludge Characterization and Mercury Re-emission

The feasibility of utilizing lime sludge in the flue gas desulfurization process of coal-fired power plants was evaluated through laboratory-scale studies. Eight lime sludge samples, collected from various water treatment plants, and a high-purity limestone sample were extensively characterized and tested for their ability to capture SO2 from a simulated flue gas, while investigating the mercury re-emission profiles during the scrubbing process. The reactivity of lime sludge samples for acid neutralization was considerably higher than the reactivity of the tested limestone sample. At doses less than that of the limestone sample, the lime sludge materials reduced the SO2 concentration from 2,000 to <0.5 ppm. The residual lime, greater surface area, and more accessible pores in the lime sludge samples were the major factors contributing to their higher reactivity. Concentrations of several elements, including B, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, and Ba, in some of the tested lime sludge samples were considerably ...
The Economic Consequences of Recognition Versus Disclosure: Evidence from Employee Stock Options

I examine how recognition versus disclosure of the fair value of stock compensation affects the compensation decision (the amount and structure of options awarded). The median firm in my sample disclosed fair value option costs equal to about 7% of profits in 1996 and 11% of profits in 2004. When fair value option costs are recognized, I find an average (median) reduction in option grants equal to 9% (0.4%) of absolute net income. The evidence indicates that firms substituted options with restricted stock during fair value recognition; however, I find no evidence of changes in option grants during the fair value disclosure pronouncement. These results suggest that managers and governing boards treat recognition differently from disclosure, such that the inclusion of fair values in summary total figures leads to systematic changes in the structure of contracts, while changes in the valuation method do not lead to such changes.
Calculation of maximal stability domains using an optimality property of kharitonov polynomials

In this paper a very simple algorithm is given to find the largest stability boxes in the coefficient space centered at a stable polynomial. We first establish an optimality property of Kharitonov polynomials [1], namely that the closest point to instability over a stable box lies at one of the Kharitonov vertices. This property naturally leads to the algorithm.
A Microsurgery Simulation System

Computer systems for surgical planning and training are poised to greatly impact the traditional versions of these tasks. These systems provide an opportunity to learn surgical techniques with lower costs and lower risks. We have developed a virtual environment for the graphical visualization of complexsu rgical objects and real-time interaction with these objects using real surgical tools. An application for microsurgical training, in which the user sutures together virtual blood vessels, has been developed. This application demonstrates many facets of our system, including deformable object simulation, tool interactions, collision detection, and suture simulation. Here we present a broad outline of the system, which can be generalized for any anastomosis or other procedures, and a detailed look at the components of the microsurgery simulation.
Biophysical effects on soil crack morphology in a faunally active dryland vertisol

Abstract Faunal behavior in dryland ecosystems may physically influence swelling soil hydrologic and pedologic processes due to its contributions to soil crack formation. In order to provide a physical link between this faunal activity and pedological processes, we use a resin visualization technique and X-ray imaging to characterize the biomechanical influences of biocompaction (mega/meso-herbivores) and bioturbation (termites) on 3D crack morphology and topology in a faunally active dryland vertisol system. Results show increased soil cracking intensity due to faunal influence. However, this increased cracking diverged by faunal influence: bioturbation creates “surficial” (shallow, extensive) crack networks while biocompaction creates “systematic” (deep, narrow) crack networks, compared to a reference soil. Biocompacted soils also exhibit a memory of past wetting and drying events via vertically layered crack morphologies. Despite differences in these crack magnitudes between the faunal influences, crack structures show morphological and topological similarity as a topological network. These persistent differences in field crack systems may potentially create convectively-driven “hotspots” of enhanced water and carbon gas transport in dryland ecosystems as a result of crack formation, highlighting the importance of considering fracture behavior in both an ecological, atmospheric, and pedologic context.
What do we really know about PRN use in agitated children with mental health conditions: a clinical review

What is the evidence that 'pro re nata' (PRN) medication is effective for ending agitated outbursts in children and adolescents in psychiatric emergency rooms or inpatient units? Literature search was performed for studies of PRN medication use in children and adolescents that included an outcome measure. One randomised controlled trial, three prospective studies and six retrospective studies that included some outcome measure were identified. Outcome measures were heterogeneous, and frequently did not use standardised metrics assessing agitation level to measure effectiveness. The single small Randomized Controlled Trial (RTC) does not find a difference between placebo and medication, and outcomes of other studies do not control for potential placebo effect of the intervention itself as opposed to the medication. There is insufficient evidence to support the common practice of PRN medications for the management of acute agitation, and no data with which to inform clinical practice, such as which medicines and doses are helpful for specific populations or situations. Psychiatrists have no evidence-based medication interventions for acutely managing agitated outbursts in children and adolescents.
A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial of Tromethamine (THAM) and its Effect Upon Outcome in Severe Head Injury

Tromethamine (THAM) has experimentally proved more effective than bicarbonate in resolving cerebral and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) acidosis [5], which can irreversibly damage otherwise potentially viable brain cells, especially after head trauma [1, 2, 5, 6]. Clinically, THAM has been safely used in a wide variety of applications including head injury studies because it is not metabolized to any extent and is mainly excreted by the kidney. In the current trial, sustained hyperventilation was excluded and a prospective randomized study of THAM vs conventional treatment was implemented to evaluate the effect of THAM in the management of head injured patients using GOS as a primary endpoint. A second objective was to determine the effect of THAM in control of ICP.
Modular imaging system: Rapid scan EPR at 800 MHz.

Abstract An electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) imaging system has been custom built for use in pre-clinical and, potentially, clinical studies. Commercial standalone modules have been used in the design that are MATLAB-controlled. The imaging system combines digital and analog technologies. It was designed to achieve maximum flexibility and versatility and to perform standard and novel user-defined experiments. This design goal is achieved by frequency mixing of an arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) output at the intermediate frequency (IF) with a constant source frequency (SF). Low noise SF at 250, 750, and 1000 MHz are available in the system. A wide range of frequencies from near-baseband to L-band can be generated as a result. Two-stage downconversion at the signal detection side is implemented that enables multi-frequency EPR capability. In the first stage, the signal frequency is converted to IF. A novel AWG-enabled digital auto-frequency control method that operates at IF is described that is used for automatic resonator tuning. Quadrature baseband EPR signal is generated in the second downconversion step. The semi-digital approach of mixing low-noise frequency sources with an AWG permits generation of arbitrary excitation patterns that include but are not limited to frequency sweeps for resonator tuning and matching, continuous-wave, and pulse sequences. Presented in this paper is the demonstration of rapid scan (RS) EPR imaging implemented at 800 MHz. Generation of stable magnetic scan waveforms is critical for the RS method. A digital automatic scan control (DASC) system was developed for sinusoidal magnetic field scans. DASC permits tight control of both amplitude and phase of the scans. A surface loop resonator was developed using 3D printing technology. RS EPR imaging system was validated using sample phantoms. In vivo imaging of a breast cancer mouse model is demonstrated.
Fluid Identity Play: A Case Study of a Bilingual Child’s Ethnic Identity Construction Across Multiple Contexts

Informed by positioning theory as well as a nexus of multimembership, the year-long case study examined how a 7-year-old Korean American bilingual child, Meeso, constructed her ethnic identity acro...
Chapter 23 – Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder of aging that affects both motor and cognitive function. The etiology of PD is mostly unknown, but it likely involves both genetic and environmental factors. In contrast, the network-level pathology of PD is reasonably well understood. There are quite effective medications to treat the motor symptoms of PD. In addition, medication-resistant PD is routinely treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS). Despite the clinical success of DBS in PD, the mechanisms of action of DBS are poorly understood. In this chapter, we will first review the basic clinical aspects of PD, and then we will consider the network-level pathology. Finally, we will discuss the effect of DBS on the diseased networks.
Distinguishing L and H phenotypes of COVID-19 using a single x-ray image

Recent observations have shown that there are two types of COVID-19 response: an H phenotype with high lung elastance and weight, and an L phenotype with low measures1. H-type patients have pneumonia-like thickening of the lungs and require ventilation to survive; L-type patients have clearer lungs that may be injured by mechanical assistance2,3. As treatment protocols differ between the two types, and the number of ventilators is limited, it is vital to classify patients appropriately. To date, the only way to confirm phenotypes is through high-resolution computed tomography2. Here, we identify L- and H-type patients from their frontal chest x-rays using feature-embedded machine learning. We then apply the categorization to multiple images from the same patient, extending it to detect and monitor disease progression and recovery. The results give an immediate criterion for coronavirus triage and provide a methodology for respiratory diseases beyond COVID-19.
The contents of racialized seeing

This paper explores the conscious visual experience of seeing race. In everyday occurrences, racialized seeing involves the capacity for a subject to simply “see” that someone she encounters belongs to a racial category. I bridge research in analytic philosophy of perception and accounts from phenomenologists and critical race theorists on the lived experience of racialized seeing. I contend that we should not trust our visual experiences of racialized seeing because they provide, at best, incomplete information on a target’s racial identity. I make a case for a version of perceptual learning that I think both captures actual experiences of racialized seeing and is empirically plausible. Finally, I follow work of critical race theorists in suggesting that normative constraints surrounding racial identity and privilege are built into our experiences of racialized seeing. Both types of racialized seeing are subject to social norms and practices and, thus, aid in perpetuating racial hierarchies.
Abstract 13933: High Urgency Candidates for Heart Transplantation Does Not Correlate to the Development of Primary Graft Dysfunction

Introduction: Primary Graft Dysfunction (PGD) after Heart Transplantation (HTx) is seen in approximately 7-30% of heart transplant patients as described by the literature. Many of these patients ha...
Using Concept Videos to Teach Predoctoral Dental Students About Intraoral and Extraoral Photography.

Introduction Clinical photography in dentistry has become a vital part of dental education and clinical practice. Dental students seek demonstrations that help them visualize and understand new con...
Automated classification of signal sources in mesoscale calcium imaging

Functional imaging of neural cell populations is critical for mapping intra- and inter-regional network dynamics across the neocortex. Recently we showed that an unsupervised machine learning decomposition of densely sampled recordings of cortical calcium dynamics results in a collection of components comprised of neuronal signal sources distinct from optical, movement, and vascular artifacts. Here we build a supervised learning classifier that automatically separates neural activity and artifact components, using a set of extracted spatial and temporal metrics that characterize the respective components. We demonstrate that the performance of the machine classifier matches human identification of signal components in novel data sets. Further, we analyze control data recorded in glial cell reporter and non-fluorescent mouse lines that validates human and machine identification of functional component class. This combined workflow of data-driven video decomposition and machine classification of signal sources will aid robust and scalable mapping of complex cerebral dynamics.
Stakeholder-engaged process for refining the design of a clinical trial in home hospice.

Clinical trials in home hospice settings are important to build the evidence base for practice, but balancing the burden and benefit of clinical trial conduct for clinicians, patients, and family caregivers is challenging. A stakeholder-engaged process can help inform and refine key aspects of home hospice clinical trials. The aim of this study was to describe a stakeholder-engaged process to refine, design, and implement aspects of an educational intervention trial in home hospice, including recommendations for refining intervention content and delivery, recruitment and enrollment strategies, and content and frequency of outcome measurement. A panel of interprofessional (1 hospice administrator, 3 nurses, 2 physicians, 2 pharmacists) and 2 former family caregiver stakeholders was systematically selected and invited to participate based on expertise, representing 2 geographically distinct hospices who were participating in the clinical trial. Teleconferences followed a predetermined procedural sequence: 1. pre-meeting materials distribution and review; 2. pre-meeting email solicitation of concerns in response to materials; 3. teleconference with structured and guided discussion; and 4. documentation and distribution of minutes for accuracy review and future meeting guidance. Discussion topics were distinct for each panel meeting. Written reflections on the stakeholder engagement process were collected from panel members to further refine our process. Five initial biweekly teleconferences resulted in recommendations for recruitment strategy, enrollment process, measurement frequency, patient inclusion, and primary care physician notification of the patient’s trial involvement. The panel continues to participate in quarterly teleconferences to review progress and unexpected questions and concerns. Panelist reflections reveal personal and professional benefit from participation. An interprofessional stakeholder process is feasible and invaluable for developing home hospice intervention studies, contributing to better science, successful trial implementation, and relevant, valid outcomes. Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03972163 , Registered June 3, 2019.
Maintaining School Foodservice Operations During COVID-19: The Case of Ohio

Objectives COVID-19-related school closures hindered the provision of meals to school-age youth nationwide, risking deficits in nutrition, health, and development. Foodservice staff faced substantial difficulties in their efforts to maintain foodservice operations. The state of Ohio, in which the prevalence of child food insecurity exceeds the national average (18.9% versus 15.2%), offers an illustrative case for exploration of these adaptations. The objective of this study was to characterize COVID-19-related foodservice adaptations, including impacts on both summer and school year meal provision.
Virtual Reality, Haptic Simulators, and Virtual Environments

Traditional, ineffective forms of passive education are crumbling under the demands of learners who have grown up digital. Computer and communication capabilities, critical to so many of our simulation tools, are expanding rapidly. These technological advances will usher in a new age of learning technologies for simulation and beyond. This chapter focuses on simulation capabilities enabled by rapidly advancing computer and gaming technologies including virtual reality, haptics, and virtual environments. Ultimately, we believe these emerging technologies will profoundly alter the way we learn in healthcare.
Comparing Etest and Broth Microdilution for Antifungal Susceptibility Testing of the Most-Relevant Pathogenic Molds

Invasive mold infections are life-threatening diseases for which appropriate antifungal therapy is crucial. Their epidemiology is evolving, with the emergence of triazole-resistant Aspergillus spp. and multidrug-resistant non-Aspergillus molds. Despite the lack of interpretive criteria, antifungal susceptibility testing of molds may be useful in guiding antifungal therapy. The standard broth microdilution method (BMD) is demanding and requires expertise. We assessed the performance of a commercialized gradient diffusion method (Etest method) as an alternative to BMD. The MICs or minimal effective concentrations (MECs) of amphotericin B, voriconazole, posaconazole, caspofungin, and micafungin were assessed for 290 clinical isolates of the most representative pathogenic molds (154 Aspergillus and 136 non-Aspergillus isolates) with the BMD and Etest methods. Essential agreements (EAs) within ±2 dilutions of ≥90% between the two methods were considered acceptable. EAs for amphotericin B and voriconazole were >90% for most potentially susceptible species. For posaconazole, the correlation was acceptable for Mucoromycotina but Etest MIC values were consistently lower for Aspergillus spp. (EAs of 16 μg/ml) strains. However, MEC determinations lacked consistency between methods for strains exhibiting mid-range MECs for echinocandins. We concluded that the Etest method is an appropriate alternative to BMD for antifungal susceptibility testing of molds under specific circumstances, including testing with amphotericin B or triazoles for non-Aspergillus molds (Mucoromycotina and Fusarium spp.). Additional study of molecularly characterized triazole-resistant Aspergillus isolates is required to confirm the ability of the Etest method to detect voriconazole and posaconazole resistance among Aspergillus spp.
Adults with pediatric-onset spinal cord injury: part 2: musculoskeletal and neurological complications.

AbstractObjective: To determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal and neurological complications of adults with pediatric-onset spinal cord injuries (SCI), and their association with demographic, impairment, and functional limitation factors.Method: Structured interview including standardized measures.Participants: Individuals who sustained SCI at age 24 years at interview.Outcome measures: Prevalence of musculoskeletal and neurological complications: fractures during the past 3 years; scoliosis; heterotopic ossification; hip dislocation or contractures; ankle contractures or pain; shoulder pain; elbow contractures or pain; pain at other sites; neurological deterioration; syringomyelia; and spasticity since injury.Results: The 21 6 individuals who were interviewed had mean age at injury of 1 4 years and mean age at follow-up of 29 years. Most common complications were pain at any site (69%), spasticity (57%), shoulder pain (48%), scoliosis (40%), hip contractures (23%), and back ...
The ties that bind: perceived social support, stress, and IBS in severely affected patients.

Background This study assessed the association between social support and the severity of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms in a sample of severely affected IBS patients recruited to an NIH-funded clinical trial. In addition, we examined if the effects of social support on IBS pain are mediated through the effects on stress. Methods Subjects were 105 Rome II diagnosed IBS patients (F = 85%) who completed seven questionnaires which were collected as part of a pretreatment baseline assessment. Key Results Partial correlations were conducted to clarify the relationships between social support and clinically relevant variables with baseline levels of psychopathology, holding constant number of comorbid medical diseases, age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, and education. Analyses indicated that social support was inversely related to IBS symptom severity. Social support was positively related with less severe pain. A similar pattern of data was found for perceived stress but not quality of life impairment. Regression analyses examined if the effects of social support on pain are mediated by stress. The effects of social support on bodily pain were mediated by stress such that the greater the social support the less stress and the less pain. This effect did not hold for symptom severity, quality of life, or psychological distress. Conclusions & Inferences This study links the perceived adequacy of social support to the global severity of symptoms of IBS and its cardinal symptom (pain). It also suggests that the mechanism by which social support alleviates pain is through a reduction in stress levels.
Coding theory: tutorial & survey

Coding theory has played a central role in the theoretical computer science. Computer scientists have long exploited notions, constructions, theorems and techniques of coding theory. More recently, theoretical computer science has also been contributing to the theory of error-correcting codes in particular in making progress on some fundamental algorithmic connections. Here we survey some of the central goals of coding theory and the progress made via algebraic methods. We stress that this is a very partial view of coding theory and a lot of promising combinatorial and probabilistic approaches are not covered by this survey.
Type I insulin-like growth factor receptor over-expression induces proliferation and anti-apoptotic signaling in a three-dimensional culture model of breast epithelial cells

Introduction Activation of the type I insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGFIR) promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in a variety of cell types. Transgenic mice expressing a constitutively active IGFIR or IGF-I develop mammary tumors and increased levels of IGFIR have been detected in primary breast cancers. However, the contribution of IGFIR activation in promoting breast cancer progression remains unknown. Mammary epithelial cell lines grown in three-dimensional cultures form acinar structures that mimic the round, polarized, hollow and growth-arrested features of mammary alveoli. We used this system to determine how proliferation and survival signaling by IGFIR activation affects breast epithelial cell biology and contributes to breast cancer progression.
Factors Influencing Expression of Mammary Ductal Dysplasia in Cell Dissociation-derived Murine Mammary Outgrowths

The expression of mammary ductal dysplasia has been shown to be enhanced in mammary outgrowths derived from enzymatically dissociated mammary cells and influenced by the number of cells used to derive the outgrowths. The present study was designed to examine this cell dose effect further and to determine if the developmental state of the outgrowths or the time between carcinogen administration and cell dissociation affects the expression and persistence of the ductal dysplasias. Mammary outgrowths were derived by injecting 10(4) or 10(5) enzymatically dissociated mammary cells into gland-free fat pads of 3-week-old female BALB/c mice. Donor animals were untreated or were exposed to either 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene or gamma-ray irradiation. The outgrowths were examined at 4.5, 8, 10, or 16 weeks after transplantation, depending on the experiment, and classified as having normal or dysplastic growth. The data indicated that expression of ductal dysplasia was greater in outgrowths derived from 10(4) than from 10(5) cells regardless of the developmental state of the outgrowths. When 24 hr elapsed between carcinogen exposure and cell dissociation, expression of lesions in outgrowths derived from 10(4) cells required active ductal growth, in that lesions that were present in developing outgrowths remodeled and were no longer detectable when the outgrowths completely filled the fat pad. When second-transplant-generation outgrowths were derived from cells of full (non-growing) first-generation outgrowths, ductal dysplasias were reexpressed but, once again, only within developing outgrowths. Increasing the time between carcinogen treatment and cell dissociation, i.e., 6 days or longer, resulted in both increased frequencies of ductal dysplasias and substantial numbers of lesions which persisted within full outgrowths. These results suggested that the acquisition of the altered growth potential which resulted in ductal dysplasias and the ability of these lesions to gain some autonomy from growth-regulatory mechanisms were separate events that occurred at different times after carcinogen treatment.
Detector Developments for Small Telescopes

We describe the performance expected from a new generation of CCD imagers being developed by Tektronix, and we indicate the types of applications, instruments, and computer systems that can best take advantage of these devices on telescopes both large and small. Since these new detectors will be able to reach very faint limits even on small telescopes, we also describe cost-effective television viewing systems suitable for object acquisition and guiding.
Qualitative Case Study Research Design

Qualitative case study research can be a valuable tool for answering complex, real-world questions. This method is often misunderstood or neglected due to a lack of understanding by researchers and...
Smoothed estimation of unknown inputs and states in dynamic systems with application to oceanic flow field reconstruction

Author(s): Fang, H; de Callafon, RA; Franks, PJS | Abstract: Forward-backward smoothing based unknown input and state estimation for dynamic systems is studied in this paper, motivated by reconstruction of an oceanographic flow field using a swarm of buoyancy-controlled drifters. The development is conducted in a Bayesian framework. A Bayesian paradigm is constructed first to offer a probabilistic view of the unknown quantities given the measurements. Then a maximum a posteriori is established to build a means for simultaneous input and state smoothing, which can be solved by the classical Gauss–Newton method in the nonlinear case. Application to reconstruction of a complex three-dimensional flow field is presented and investigated via simulation studies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley a Sons, Ltd.
A Literary Collage: Martin Walser's Brandung

The literary device of a play within a play has been used with some frequency, but fiction which employs the literary work of other authors to develop its theme and plot must be considered exceptional. Martin Walser's novel Brandung (Breakers or Surf), published in 1985, therefore stands apart, not only because it has this feature, but also because it contains a multiplicity of such excisions and allusions. In essence, Brandung is a collage of references to and quotations from the works of Rilke, Heine, Shakespeare, and William Faulkner; in addition, it places great emphasis on the retelling of a story written by one of the characters. Kirk Elrod, with the result that Walser is able, by creating a fictitious novel within Brandung itself, to comment on his own fiction. This convoluted structuring is also intended, so I would suggest, to provide an analysis of the nature of literature, which, according to Walser, affords a means of defining and crystallizing the self.
Deliberate surgical control of mandibular growth. I. A biomechanical theory.

Abstract It has been an interest of investigators and clinicians for many years to deliberately alter, to a biologically reasonable degree, facial growth. The current state of the art with respect to an understanding of facial growth, biomechanical influences on facial growth, and recent data from a series of 15 growing individuals who underwent surgical advancement of the mandible suggests a possible surgical means by which mandibular growth can be predictably redirected.
Towards a (new) objectivity: Hermann Muthesius, photography and the English house

At the turn of the twentieth century, the binding of photography to architectural debates in Germany was symptomatic of a larger fascination with the aesthetic potential of machine culture that had developed even before 1900. The public deployment and exchange of ideas through polemical texts, propagandist journals and touring exhibitions by founding members of the German Werkbund in the pre-war years celebrated the potential of mass production, which was publicised in part to serve larger societal aims.The Werkbund founding member Hermann Muthesius’ early writings incorporate numerous specifically commissioned photographs in a polemical way to present English Aestheticism as a precursor to modernism, reflecting his progressive approach to both practice and pedagogy. This essay examines Muthesius’ use of photographs in his early publications, which reflect his enthusiasm for photography as a ‘pertinent’ medium for instituting reform.While The English House (1904–05) remains his best-known and most-cited w...
Efficacy of video laboratory guides for undergraduate anatomy education: a longitudinal study (534.4)

This study was undertaken to assess student performance when using video laboratory guides in the anatomy portion of an undergraduate course taught to sophomore nursing and dental hygiene majors. T...
Correlations between body length and otolith size in smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu Lacépède, 1802 with implications for retrospective growth analyses

Summary Reconstructing individual growth history from analysis of increments in otoliths, scales, or spines can provide information on past growth responses to environmental variation, which in turn can be useful for predicting population-level response to climate change. The objective of this study was to examine correlations between body length and different metrics of otolith size for Micropterus dolomieu. Three metrics corresponding to commonly-used microstructural and ultrastructural otolith dimensions were measured using image analysis of digital micrographs from a sample of 214 M. dolomieu ranging from 115 to 438 mm total length collected in 2011–2013. It was found that anteroposterior length of whole otoliths provided much improved regression relationships with body size as well as ease of data collection and faster sampling throughput compared with microstructural measures from polished sections. When applying these metrics to reconstruct growth history the biological intercept model generally produced more reasonable back-calculated estimates of length-at-age, although this was not consistent across all otolith metrics. Results suggest that whole otolith measures should be employed due to efficiency of data collection and greater reliability for reconstructing growth history in M. dolomieu.
Beam energy evolution of HBT systematics at the AGS

Abstract We present preliminary results of the first π interferometry (HBT) excitation function at intermediate AGS energies. The beam energy evolution of the correlations' dependence on mT, centrality, and emission angle with respect to the reaction plane are discussed. Comparisons with predictions of the RQMD cascade model are made.
Binding of cysteine synthase to the STAS domain of sulfate transporter and its regulatory consequences.

The sulfate ion (SO42−) is transported into plant root cells by SO42− transporters and then mostly reduced to sulfide (S2−). The S2− is then bonded to O-acetylserine through the activity of cysteine synthase (O-acetylserine (thiol)lyase or OASTL) to form cysteine, the first organic molecule of the SO42− assimilation pathway. Here, we show that a root plasma membrane SO42− transporter of Arabidopsis, SULTR1;2, physically interacts with OASTL. The interaction was initially demonstrated using a yeast two-hybrid system and corroborated by both in vivo and in vitro binding assays. The domain of SULTR1;2 shown to be important for association with OASTL is called the STAS domain. This domain is at the C terminus of the transporter and extends from the plasma membrane into the cytoplasm. The functional relevance of the OASTL-STAS interaction was investigated using yeast mutant cells devoid of endogenous SO42− uptake activity but co-expressing SULTR1;2 and OASTL. The analysis of SO42− transport in these cells suggests that the binding of OASTL to the STAS domain in this heterologous system negatively impacts transporter activity. In contrast, the activity of purified OASTL measured in vitro was enhanced by co-incubation with the STAS domain of SULTR1;2 but not with the analogous domain of the SO42− transporter isoform SULTR1;1, even though the SULTR1;1 STAS peptide also interacts with OASTL based on the yeast two-hybrid system and in vitro binding assays. These observations suggest a regulatory model in which interactions between SULTR1;2 and OASTL coordinate internalization of SO42− with the energetic/metabolic state of plant root cells.
The sound of a fast parton in QCD

The spacetime distribution of energy and momentum deposited by a fast parton traversing a weakly coupled quark-gluon plasma is calculated by treating the fast parton as the source of an external color field perturbing the medium. When the result is used as a source term in the linearized hydrodynamical equations of the medium, the solution is found to contain a sonic Mach cone and a dissipative wake if the parton moves at supersonic speed.
Behavioral and associative effects of differential outcomes in discrimination learning

The role of the reinforcer in instrumental discriminations has often been viewed as that of facilitating associative learning between a reinforced response and the discriminative stimulus that occasions it. The differential-outcome paradigm introduced by Trapold (1970), however, has provided compelling evidence that reinforcers are also part of what is learned in discrimination tasks. Specifically, when the availability of different reinforcing outcomes is signaled by different discriminative stimuli, the conditioned anticipation of those outcomes can provide another source of stimulus control over responding. This article reviews how such control develops and how it can be revealed, its impact on behavior, and different possible mechanisms that could mediate the behavioral effects. The main conclusion is that differential-outcome effects are almost entirely explicable in terms of the cue properties of outcome expectancies—namely, that conditioned expectancies acquire discriminative control just like any other discriminative or conditional stimulus in instrumental learning.
Designs of Discrete Choice Set Experiments for Estimating Both Attribute and Availability Cross Effects

Probabilistic discrete choice experiments are frequently applied in strategic policy, management, and marketing problems to model and predict consumer choice behavior. The authors consider the cons...
Immunohistochemical Characterization of Leukocytic Subpopulations in Chronic Endometritis

Objective: We analyzed the histologic and immunohistochemical changes in the endometrial leukocytic subpopulations to determine which of them are characteristic of chronic endometritis.
Another piece of the globin-switching puzzle

Comment on Zhao et al, page [2138][1] A novel isoform of the erythroid-specific NF-E4 protein contributes to fetal globin gene silencing by sequestering the CP2 transcriptional activator away from the γ-globin gene promoter. During the embryonic, fetal, and adult stages of hematopoiesis, distinct
What's Theory Got to Do with It? Applying Educational Theory and Research to Revamp Freshman Library Workshops

Although librarians’ increasingly important role as teachers is among the most significant shifts and trends that have been reshaping academic libraries over the past few decades, most academic librarians have not received formal training in pedagogy and teaching. The authors describe how becoming familiar with educational theory and research enabled them to revamp freshmen library workshops. They provide a theoretical overview and present practical classroom applications of learning styles theory, active learning techniques, learning by analogies, collaborative learning, and group work. Learning theories and educational research findings, the authors suggest, can be readily translated into practice and inform the teaching of information literacy to freshmen.
CD103 Deficiency Prevents Graft-versus-Host Disease but Spares Graft-versus-Tumor Effects Mediated by Alloreactive CD8 T Cells

Background: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains the main barrier to broader application of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) as a curative therapy for host malignancy. GVHD is mediated by allogeneic T cells directed against histocompatibility antigens expressed by host tissues. Based on previous studies, we postulated that the integrin CD103 is required for CD8-mediated GVHD, but not for graft-versus-tumor effects (GVT). Methodology/Principal Findings: We herein provide evidence in support of this hypothesis. To circumvent the potentially confounding influence of donor CD4 T cells, we developed an alloSCT model in which GVHD mortality is mediated by purified CD8 T cells. In this model, host-reactive CD8 T cells receive CD4 T cell help at the time of initial activation but not in the effector phase in which mature CD8 T effectors migrate into host tissues. We show that donor CD8 T cells from wildtype BALB/c mice primed to host alloantigens induce GVHD pathology and eliminate tumors of host origin in the absence of host CD4 T cells. Importantly, CD103 deficiency dramatically attenuated GVHD mortality, but had no detectable impact on the capacity to eliminate a tumor line of host origin. We provide evidence that CD103 is required for accumulation of donor CD8 T cells in the host intestinal epithelium but not in the tumor or host lymphoid compartments. Consistent with these data, CD103 was preferentially expressed by CD8 T cells infiltrating the host intestinal epithelium but not by those infiltrating the tumor, lamina propria, or lymphoid compartments. We further demonstrate that CD103 expression is not required for classic CD8 effector activities including cytokine production and cytotoxicity. Conclusions/Significance: These data indicate that CD103 deficiency inhibits GVHD pathology while sparing anti-tumor effects mediated by CD8 T cells, identifying CD103 blockade as an improved strategy for GVHD prophylaxis.
Preconditioning techniques for large linear systems: a survey

This article surveys preconditioning techniques for the iterative solution of large linear systems, with a focus on algebraic methods suitable for general sparse matrices. Covered topics include progress in incomplete factorization methods, sparse approximate inverses, reorderings, parallelization issues, and block and multilevel extensions. Some of the challenges ahead are also discussed. An extensive bibliography completes the paper.
Transformation optics designed general optical Luneburg lens with flattened shapes

It is well-known that the conventional lens design suffers from the aberration, which will lead to imperfect imaging. One way to solve this problem is to use gradient index (GRIN) lenses such as Luneburg lens. However, the spherical geometry of Luneburg lens imposes difficulty for manufacturing. Also, it is desired to design the Luneburg lens with arbitrary focal length. To address these issues, in this paper, we propose to apply the transformation optics techniques to the general Luneburg lens design. In this way, the spherical lens surface will be transformed to flattened shapes, which can be practically fabricated on a flat substrate. Specifically, three-dimensional (3D) Luneburg lenses with different focal lengths will be studied. Moreover, discussion on the fabrications of proposed lens has been included. It is desired to ensure that the modified design lies within the available material properties of various polymer photoresists.
Effect of Complex Curatives on the Properties for Ethylene Propylene Diene Rubber/Polypropylene Blends

This study investigates the effects of different types of curatives at polypropylene (PP) and ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) blend ratios (100 : 40 phr) in dynamically vulcanized products. The thermoplastic vulcanizates are prepared by batch melt mixing of PP with EPDM, using pheolic resin, dicumyl peroxide, hydrosilyation, and complex systems as curatives. Observed changes in curing characteristics and mechanical properties of blends have been correlated with phase morphology, as attested by scanning electron micrographs. On the basis of the obtained results, different curative systems control final vulcanizing characteristics, mechanical properties, morphology, intermolecular interaction, and thermal properties of EPDM/PP blends.
Teaching Well: A Guide For Undergraduate Teaching???Particularly for New Engineering and Technology Faculty

Quality in engineering and technology education has always been a major concern for higher education. This has become even more important now as we become increasingly technology-oriented as a culture and as an economy. Both government and industry have taken steps to increase the number of Ph.D. graduates in engineering and technology in anticipation of faculty shortages in the years to come. But very little has been done to improve the teaching performance of our sparse Ph.D. population entering academe. Of the few Ph.D. graduates in engineering who enter the teaching field, most lack classroom teaching experience because the graduate training they received usually emphasized research rather than teaching skills. Furthermore, of the Ph.D.'s who join academic faculties, many are foreign nationals; in addition to differences in culture, the language problems of these foreign faculty members often present obstacles. The problem is compounded at publish-or-perish institutions where research work impinges on time devoted to teaching. This paper is designed to alleviate the problems of new teaching faculty, particularly those in undergraduate engineering and technology programs. It may also prove useful to those teaching in other fields. In discussing the lecture course, the paper first outlines the general and obvious concerns, followed by a discussion of preparation through paperwork. A discussion of psychological preparation and classroom techniques is presented. The paper then proceeds with teaching laboratory courses. Scheduling, pedagogical techniques, equipment, and security are addressed, followed by a discussion of student evaluations and tests.
THE MECHANISM OF CORTISOL ACTION IN CULTURED RAT HEART CELLS Effects on RNA and Protein Synthesis

Heart cells growing as monolayer cells in tissue culture have the ability to beat (1) . After several day in culture these same cells cease functioning and lose the morphology characteristic of beating cells . This process by which heart cells lose their ability to beat in culture has been described as dedifferentiation (2) . While studying the effect of steroids on beating, McCarl et al . (3) demonstrated that cortisol not only will enhance the per cent of beating in heart cell cultures, but also will re-initiate beating in those cells which have ceased to function . Thus, cortisol restores and maintains the functionally differentiated state of the heart cell in culture . Since cortisol is instrumental in maintaining the differentiated state of heart cells in culture, studies were performed to determine how the hormone controls the beating phenomenon in heart cells . This report is concerned with the effects of cortisol on RNA and protein synthesis in heart cells and their relationship to beating.
The Myriad-Source Model of Cosmic Rays. I. Steady State Age and Path Length Distributions

We have developed a source model for calculating the age and path length distributions of cosmic rays reaching the solar system as the summation of the diffusive contributions of a myriad of spatially and temporally discrete sources. This new model enables us to consider the spatial distribution of Galactic OB associations and their subsequent supernovae, which appear to be the major shock energy for cosmic-ray acceleration, together with the Galactic spatial distribution of the multiphase interstellar medium. With this model we can explicitly study the local cosmic-ray path length distributions, essential to understanding the recent Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) measurements. In this paper we apply the myriad-source model only to the spatially and temporally averaged source distribution in order to compare the resulting cosmic-ray age and path length distributions with those determined in the "leaky box" and standard steady state models. These average source calculations also provide a basis for comparison of the effects of the spatial and temporal clustering of Galactic supernovae on the local cosmic rays, which we explore in our next paper. Here we also use these average age and path length distributions to calculate the secondary- to primary-abundance ratios of key stable and radioactive nuclei in the local cosmic rays. Comparisons of these calculated ratios with recent ACE and other measurements enable us to greatly constrain the range of viable diffusion mean free paths and effective escape boundaries. We find that the resulting cosmic-ray path length distributions calculated with this model are very different from the simple exponential distributions of the common leaky box model.
A common pathway for chemical-induced tissue injury and immune responses leading to hypersensitivity and/or carcinogenesis

A common requirement for chemical-induced allergy, carcinogenesis and certain forms of liver injury appears to be the ability of the chemical to react with protein and/or nucleic acid to form covalent conjugates. Tests to detect immune responses to such conjugates can provide useful information concerning the propensity of an individual to convert normally innocuous chemicals to immuno-reactive forms under physiological conditions and may provide an indicator of the risk for developing one of the above disorders. They will enable offending substances and their active metabolites to be identified, the status of diseases which they induce determined, and the degree to which exposure has been avoided monitored. Very few studies have been published relating to this important problem. Implications of this approach are discussed.