cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploring Student Self-Plagiarism.

Student self-plagiarism is a confusing issue for both faculty and students alike. This problem is compounded because both groups perceive the concept very differently. Recent literature regarding these perceptions is reviewed and some brief preliminary results of an exploratory multi-university study of student perceptions of self-plagiarism are presented. Key findings in these preliminary results are compared to a previous study at the same universities which measured faculty perceptions towards self-plagiarism. Approximately 60% of both faculty and students do not truly understand self-plagiarism. In addition, almost 60% of students felt there was no need to cite their previous unpublished works, while approximately 80% of faculty considered this to be self-plagiarism. Some recommendations on ways for faculty and administrators to handle self-plagiarism are discussed, as well as the need to have a specific institutional policies and procedures that address this issue in place. Faculty are becoming more aware of this issue as the use of plagiarism detection programs increase.
Estimation of Dynamic, In Vivo Soft-Tissue Deformation: Experimental Technique and Application in a Canine Model of Tendon Injury and Repair

Outcomes after rotator cuff surgery are typically assessed with measures of strength, joint motion, or pain, but these measures do not provide a direct assessment of tissue function as healing progresses. To address this limitation, this manuscript describes biplane X-ray analysis as a technique for quantifying in vivo soft-tissue deformation. Tantalum beads were implanted in the humerus and infraspinatus tendon in a canine model of tendon injury and repair. Biplane X-ray images were acquired during treadmill trotting and tissue deformation was estimated from the three-dimensional bead positions. Changes over time were characterized by the mean, range, and normalized range (i.e., range/mean) of interbead distance. Intact tendon repair tissue demonstrated significant decreases over time in the mean (p = 0.003), range (p = 0.001), and normalized range (p = 0.001) of interbead distance. Failed tendon repair tissue demonstrated significant decreases over time in the range (p = 0.05) and normalized range (p = 0.04) of interbead distance. In an uninjured control, differences over time in the interbead distance parameters were not detected. This approach is a promising technique for estimating changes over time in soft-tissue deformation. These preliminary data indicate appreciable differences between normal tendons, intact repairs, and failed repairs.
Bifurcation Study of Kinetic Effects in Reactive Distillation

Simple distillation with multiple chemical reactions of arbitrary stoichiometry is described, with emphasis on effects of chemical kinetics. For low and high Damkohler number, the lightest and heaviest boiling components or azeotropes are known or can be found by known methods. In those limits, the products from a distillation can be anticipated and feasible separation structures can be identified. Feasible structures in these cases are not the same, however, and there are one or more transitions so that different structures can appear for different ranges of the Damkohler number. The transition points correspond to bifurcations, and using bifurcation analysis and continuation methods a systematic method that represents these changes was developed. The practical implication is that the feasibility and product purities for a reactive distillation may depend on production rate, catalyst level, and liquid holdup. The approach is illustrated for the production of methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE), where a critical Damkohler number for the disappearance of a distillation boundary is found. The influence of pressure on byproduct reactions in methyl acetate synthesis is also studied. A study of the synthesis of isopropyl acetate illustrates how the bifurcation method captures the essential kinetic effects in reactive distillation, including a critical Damkohler for the birth of a reactive azeotrope.
Role of the α1β1 integrin complex in collagen gel contraction in vitro by fibroblasts

Matrix remodeling, critical to embryonic morphogenesis and wound healing, is dependent on the expression of matrix components, their receptors, and matrix proteases. The collagen gel assay has provided an effective model for the examination of the functional role(s) of each of these groups of molecules in matrix remodeling. Previous investigations have indicated that collagen gel contraction involves the β1 integrin family of matrix receptors and is stimulated by several growth factors, including TGF-β, PDGF, and angiotensin II. In particular, collagen gel remodeling by human cells involves the α2β1 and, to a lesser extent the α1β1 integrin complexes. The present studies were undertaken to determine the role of the α1 integrin chain, a collagen/laminin receptor, in collagen gel contration by rodent and avian fibroblasts. A high degree of correlation was found between the expression of the α1β1 integrin complex and the relative ability of cells to contract collagen gels. Further studies using antibodies and antisense oligonucleotides against the α1 integrin indicated a significant role for this integrin chain in contraction of collagen gels by rat cardiac fibroblasts. In addition, antibodies to the α1 integrin chain inhibited migration of these fibroblasts on a collagen substratum, suggesting that at least one role of this integrin is in migration of cells in collagen gels. These results indicate that the α1β integrin complex plays a significant role in cellular interactions with interstital collagen that are involved in matrix remodeling such as is seen during morphogenesis and wound healing. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
New Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase-Initiated PCR Assay with Single-Copy Sensitivity for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 RNA in Plasma

More sensitive assays for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA are needed to detect, quantify, and characterize persistent viremia in patients who are receiving antiretroviral therapy and whose plasma HIV-1 RNA levels are suppressed to less than 50 to 75 copies/ml. We therefore developed an internally controlled real-time reverse transcriptase-initiated PCR assay that quantifies HIV-1 RNA concentrations down to 1 copy per ml of plasma. This assay with single-copy sensitivity (the single-copy assay) generates a reproducible linear regression plot of input copy number versus threshold cycle by using HIV-1 RNA transcripts at copy numbers ranging from 1 to 10 6 per reaction mixture. The single-copy assay was compared to the ultrasensitive AMPLICOR HIV-1 MONITOR assay and a more sensitive modification of the ultrasensitive assay by repeatedly testing a low-copy-number panel containing 200 to 0.781 copies of HIV-1 RNA per ml of plasma. This comparison showed that the single-copy assay had a greater sensitivity than the other assays and was the only assay that detected HIV-1 RNA at levels as low as 0.781 copies/ml. Testing of plasma samples from 15 patients who were receiving antiretroviral therapy and who had <75 HIV-1 RNA copies/ml revealed persistent viremia in all 15 patients, with HIV-1 RNA levels ranging from 1 to 32 copies/ml (median, 13 copies/ml). The greater sensitivity of the single-copy assay should allow better characterization of persistent viremia in patients who are receiving antiretroviral therapy and whose HIV-1 RNA levels are suppressed to below the detection limits of present assays.
Investment in Production Resource Flexibility: An Empirical Investigation of Methods for Planning under Uncertainty

We examine several methods for evaluating resource acquisition decisions under uncertainty. Traditional methods may underestimate equipment beneﬁt when part of this beneﬁt comes from decision ﬂexibility. We develop a new, practical method for resource planning under uncertainty, and show that this approach is more accurate than several commonly used methods. We successfully applied our approach to an investment problem faced by a major ﬁrm in the aviation information industry. Our recommendations were accepted and resulted in estimated annual savings in excess of $1 million (US).
VHDL modeling and simulation of a VLSI architecture for 2-D signal processing

The authors describe a processor architecture for 2-D signal processing that uses the VHSOC hardware description language (VHDL). A behavioral-level model and functional-level model are developed and simulated. These models are useful in assessing the system performance before building. In the behavioral level we describe the logic and timing of the architecture, while on the functional level we describe the hardware components of the processor. A VHDL simulator is used to verify the behavior and functioning of the processor. >
The new ultra low noise diplexed X-band microwave feed for NASA 70-m antennas

This paper describes the configuration, detail design, and performance of a new ultra low noise diplexed X-band microwave feed system, called X/X diplexing feed, for the Deep Space Network 70-m antennas. In this microwave feed, the uplink signal is combined with the downlink signal in a diplexing junction placed near the input of a wide-band feedhorn. This configuration allows the majority of the components in the downlink path to be placed in a cryogenically cooled container, resulting in a drastic reduction in the loss (noise temperature) of the feed. Combined with low noise HEMT amplifiers, this feed provides the lowest noise diplexed feed in the DSN. The total noise temperature of the 70-m antennas with this feed is estimated to be 16.1 K.
Indirect effects of earthworms on microbial assimilation of labile carbon

Interactions between earthworms and microorganisms can be important in regulating the rate of soil carbon turnover and maintaining soil fertility in agroecosystems. Despite the significance of earthworms in nutrient cycling in agroecosystems, the indirect influence of earthworms on C assimilation by microorganisms has not been adequately quantified. We assessed microbial assimilation of 13 C-labeled acetate in earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris) middens and surrounding soil collected from maize agroecosystems. Incorporation of 13 C into microbial lipids was used as an indicator of microbial growth rates. Earthworm middens had significantly lower concentrations of microbial phospholipid phosphates and lower natural abundance δ 13 C than the surrounding soil. After incubation with 13 C-labeled acetate, microbial communities in earthworm middens had greater 13 C/ 12 C ratios of microbial lipids than microbial communities from surrounding soil. The 13 C enrichment per unit of microbial phospholipid was much greater in middens than in surrounding soil indicating that: (i) microbial lipid synthesis was significantly higher in the earthworm middens; (ii) microbial assimilation efficiency for 13 C-labeled acetate was greater in midden soil; or (iii) assimilation of 13 C-labeled acetate relative to other C sources was proportionately greater in middens than in the surrounding soil. Our results suggest that there were functional differences between microbial communities in earthworm middens and surrounding soil, probably due to a combination of physical, chemical, and biological changes in the midden microenvironment. The resulting differences in microbial communities or activity increased microbial growth rates and assimilation of readily available C substrates in middens relative to surrounding soil. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Power Distribution in TSV-Based 3-D Processor-Memory Stacks

Three primary techniques for manufacturing through silicon vias (TSVs), via-first, via-middle, and via-last, have been analyzed and compared to distribute power in a 3-D processor-memory system with nine planes. Due to distinct fabrication techniques, these TSV technologies require significantly different design constraints, as investigated in this paper. A valid design space that satisfies the peak power supply noise while minimizing area overhead is identified for each technology. It is demonstrated that the area overhead of a 3-D power distribution network with via-first TSVs is approximately 9% as compared to less than 2% in via-middle and via-last technologies. Despite this drawback, a via-first based power network is typically overdamped and the issue of resonance is alleviated. A via-last based power network, however, exhibits a relatively low damping factor and the peak noise is highly sensitive to the number of TSVs and decoupling capacitance.
Effects of Steady-State Lasofoxifene on CYP2D6- and CYP2E1-Mediated Metabolism

Background:Lasofoxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator, may be coadministered with other drugs, raising the issue of drug–drug interactions.Objective:Using a 7-day, open-label, sequential study to determine whether lasofoxifene at steady-state concentration affects cytochrome P450–mediated drug metabolism.Methods:Lasofoxifene was tested in 18 postmenopausal women with probe drugs for CYP2E1 and CYP2D6. Changes in CYP2E1 metabolism were measured by the formation clearance of 6-hydroxychlorzoxazone (6-OHCLZ; Clf,6-OHCLZ) following a 250 mg dose of chlorzoxazone in the absence (day 1) and presence (day 6) of lasofoxifene. Changes in the dextromethorphan/dextrorphan urine metabolic ratio (MRDX) measured the effect on CYP2D6 metabolism following a 30 mg dose of dextromethorphan in the absence and presence of lasofoxifene (days 2 and 7).Results:Steady-state lasofoxifene did not affect the formation clearance of 6-OHCLZ or the urinary MRDX. For 6-OHCLZ, the lower boundary (87.12%) of the 90% confidence...
Effect of interference on amperometric glucose biosensors with cellulose acetate membranes

A new enzyme electrode concept featuring glucose oxidase (GOD) immobilized on fine carbon powder in a fluid state and a cross-linked GOD enzyme layer has been developed. This enzyme electrode has been tested in vitro at 37°C and has a lifetime of 3 months after which it can be recharged with fresh enzyme. In vitro interference tests carried out on this sensor used with cellulose acetate membranes are described. Sulfur-free EDTA-treated cellulose acetate membranes (molecular weight cutoff at 1000) were used, some of which were coated with positively and negatively charged hydrogel layers. The sensors showed a stable and linear response to glucose concentrations >300 mg/dL, in the presence of glucose alone in the phosphate buffer medium and in the presence of interferences. The effects of ascorbic acid, bilirubin, creatinine, L-cysdne, glycine, uric acid, and urea on the amperometric signal of the sensor were studied. The cellulose acetate membrane coated with the negatively charged hydrogel layer provided good protection for the enzyme electrode, especially in the presence of uric acid, bilirubin, and L-cystine.
Assessing treatment satisfaction in patients treated with pramlintide as an adjunct to insulin therapy

ABSTRACTObjective: This study was designed to assess treatment satisfaction in patients using pramlintide who had not previously achieved glycemic targets with insulin therapy alone. Assessment included the association between treatment satisfaction and clinical outcomes (changes in post-prandial glucose [PPG], glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c], weight, and insulin requirements).Research design and methods: In this open-label study 240 participants with type 1 diabetes and 160 participants with type 2 diabetes added pramlintide to their established insulin regimen. Mealtime insulin doses were subsequently adjusted to optimize glycemic control.Main outcome measures: Seven-point glucose profiles, weight, and insulin requirements were obtained at baseline and months 1, 3, and 6; HbA1c levels were obtained at baseline and months 3 and 6. Participants completed a treatment satisfaction questionnaire (TSQ) at months 1, 3, and 6.Results: Participants rated the study treatment regimen including pramlintide signific...
Effects of stage of the estrous cycle and steroid treatment on uterine immunoglobulin content and polymorphonuclear leukocytes in cattle.

Studies were performed to determine 1) cyclic changes in uterine immune function that could be responsible for the increased susceptibility of the diestrous uterus toinfection and 2) whether these changes are mediated by progesterone or estradiol-17#. The number and functional activity (cytochrome c reduction) of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) collected from the uterus after oyster glycogen infusion was not statistically affected by stage of the cycle or steroid treatment. While not significant, the number of PMNL tended to be higher at diestrus than at estrus. The number of PMNL also tended to be higher for ovariectomized cows treated with progesterone than with estradiol-17/3 or vehicle. For cows given oyster glycogen, uterine IgG was not sitmificantly affected by treatment and uterine IgA was undetectable. For ovariectomized cows not given oyster glycogen, IgA was detectable in uterine flushings and was higher after 30 d of progesterone treatment than after 12 d of progesterone or vehicle. Additionally, the ability of uterine fluid from ovariectomized cows to inhibit mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation was greater (P < 0.01) for uterine fluid collected from cows treated with progesterone for 12 and 30 d than for cows treated with vehicle. It is concluded that alterations in migration of PMNL are unlikely to be the cause of decreased resistance of the uterus to infection during diestrus. Lowered resistance might, in part, be due to the secretion of uterine factors that inhibit lymphocyte function.
Closed-Loop Insulin Therapy Improves Glycemic Control in Children Aged <7 Years A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE To assess the possibility of improving nocturnal glycemic control as well as meal glycemic response using closed-loop therapy in children aged <7 years. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This was a randomized controlled crossover trial comparing closed-loop with standard open-loop insulin pump therapy performed in an inpatient clinical research center. Ten subjects aged 6 months treated with insulin pump therapy were studied. Closed-loop therapy and standard open-loop therapy were compared from 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 p.m. on 2 consecutive days. The primary outcome was plasma glucose time in range (110–200 mg/dL) during the night (10:00 p.m.–8:00 a.m.). Secondary outcomes included peak postprandial glucose levels, incidence of hypoglycemia, degree of hyperglycemia, and prelunch glucose levels. RESULTS A trend toward a higher mean nocturnal time within target range was noted for closed- versus open-loop therapy, although not reaching statistical significance (5.3 vs. 3.2 h, P = 0.12). There was no difference in peak postprandial glucose or number of episodes of hypoglycemia. There was significant improvement in time spent >300 mg/dL overnight with closed-loop therapy (0.18 vs. 1.3 h, P = 0.035) and the total area under the curve of glucose >200 mg/dL ( P = 0.049). Closed-loop therapy returned prelunch blood glucose closer to target (189 vs. 273 mg/dL on open loop, P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS Closed-loop insulin delivery decreases the severity of overnight hyperglycemia without increasing the incidence of hypoglycemia. The therapy is better able to reestablish target glucose levels in advance of a subsequent meal. Younger children with type 1 diabetes may reap significant benefits from closed-loop therapy.
An investigation of document partitions

Abstract In this paper, the empirical significance of document partitions is investigated as a function of term-weight and similarity thresholds. The term-weight threshold selects a particular level of indexing exhaustivity and specificity for the document representation and the similarity threshold selects a specific level of the associated single-link hierarchy. The results show that the same empirically “preferred” partitions can be detected by two independent strategies; an analysis of cluster-based retrieval effectiveness and an analysis of regularities in the underlying structure of the document graph. These results represent the first step in an investigation designed to determine if the statistical significance of document partitions can explain the empirical significance of the same partitions.
Effect of the presence of a male on the sexual maturation of female mice.

Three experiments were designed to examine the influence of an adult male on the rate of sexual maturation of female albino mice. Small groups of immature female mice were exposed to: 1) an adult male at various ages after weaning, 2) either an adult male or an adult female after weaning, and 3) an adult male either for 20 days before weaning or for 20 days after weaning. In each case control groups of immature females were raised in the absence of an adult. Female maturation as measured by age at vaginal opening, first vaginal estrus and first mating was accelerated in proportion to the length of exposure to an adult male. Exposure to an adult female advanced first estrus considerably less than did exposure to an adult male. Both preand post-weaning exposure to an adult male accelerated first estrus; however, post-weaning exposure was somewhat more effective. Accelerated sexual maturation was not accompanied by a more rapid increase in body weight. (Endocrinology 81: 345, 1967)
Multimodal signals enhance decision making in foraging bumble-bees.

Multimodal signals are common in nature and have recently attracted considerable attention. Despite this interest, their function is not well understood. We test the hypothesis that multimodal signals improve decision making in receivers by influencing the speed and the accuracy of their decisions. We trained bumble-bees ( Bombus impatiens ) to discriminate between artificial flowers that differed either in one modality, visual (specifically, shape) or olfactory, or in two modalities, visual plus olfactory. Bees trained on multimodal flowers learned the rewarding flowers faster than those trained on flowers that differed only in the visual modality and, in extinction trials, visited the previously rewarded flowers at a higher rate than bees trained on unimodal flowers. Overall, bees showed a speed–accuracy trade-off; bees that made slower decisions achieved higher accuracy levels. Foraging on multimodal flowers did not affect the slope of the speed–accuracy relationship, but resulted in a higher intercept, indicating that multimodal signals were associated with consistently higher accuracy across range of decision speeds. Our results suggest that bees make more effective decisions when flowers signal in more than one modality, and confirm the importance of studying signal components together rather than separately.
Highly sensitive detection of the carrier-envelope phase evolution and offset of femtosecond mode-locked oscillators

We demonstrate use of a lock-in detection method that is capable of highly sensitive detection of carrier-envelope-phase-sensitive phenomena. This method can measure static offsets to the carrier-envelope phase. To demonstrate the ability to measure static offsets in the phase, the change in carrier-envelope phase caused by extracavity dispersion is measured. Unavoidable offsets in measurement of the carrier-envelope phase by the standard ν-to-2ν self-referencing scheme is analyzed.
A unified approach to the Viterbi algorithm state metric update for shift register processes

A unified approach to the scheduling of the Viterbi algorithm state metric update is proposed for single and multiple input shift register processes of arbitrary radix. Using a systematic recursive procedure, the trellis iteration is decomposed into smaller independent subtrellises. The decomposition is organized using a matrix framework, from which in-place and constant geometry schedules can be generated. Iteration of the trellis corresponds to iteration of the subtrellis within each column of a state metric matrix. This leads to the classification of architectures as column sequential or column concurrent, depending on the assignment of add-compare-select processors to columns. Based on different initial partitions of the state metric matrix a family of architectures is derived, including a new class of parallel cascaded Viterbi decoders, which extend the throughput of existing cascaded decoders. >
First Report of a Leaf Spot Caused by Cladosporium oxysporum on Greenhouse Tomato.

In a commercial greenhouse in upstate New York, dark brown, angular lesions were first observed in April on lower, older leaves of 4-month-old tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. ‘Jumbo’). Chlorosis frequently developed around the lesions. Removal of the infected leaves reduced the rate of epidemic development. However, by July, lesions were present throughout the plant canopy, up to 2 m. The irregularly shaped lesions varied in size from 1 to 5 mm, frequently with tan-colored centers initially. Conidia developed in the center of the lesions, primarily on the outer, or adaxial side of the leaf, but were infrequent on the abax-ial surface. This contrasts with Cladosporium leaf mold caused by Fulvia fulva, in which the conidia develop as a velvety brown patch in lesions on the abaxial, or underside of the leaf, accompanied by chlorosis on the upper side of the leaf (1). The conidia ranged in shape from oval or li-moniform (5 to 6 μm in diameter) to cylindrical (5 to 6 μm wide, 7 to 20 μm long). The...
Non-emergent Hospital Emergency Department Use and Neighborhood Poverty in Rhode Island, 2008-2012.

The hospital emergency department (ED) becomes the ultimate destination for vulnerable populations without primary care.1 Researchers from the New York University (NYU) Center for Health and Public Service Research and the United Hospital Fund of New York jointly developed a profiling algorithm for ED use, which is well known as the NYU ED classification algorithm. Based on the patient’s age, symptoms, complaint, vital signs, medical history, and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis codes, the NYU algorithm identifies nine categories of patients: non-emergent, emergent/primary care treatable, emergent/ED care needed, but preventable/avoidable; emergent/ED care needed, not preventable/avoidable; injury, mental health related, alcohol related, drug related (excluding alcohol), not in a special category, and not classified.2,3 If immediate medical care would not be required within 12 hours, an ED visit was classified as non-emergent.4 The NYU algorithm provided us with an opportunity to study the quality of ED care to improve health care efficiency. Non-emergent ED visits unnecessarily crowd ED use and compromise the efficacy and quality of ED services.4 Previous findings have shown that people at low-income level and who are without a regular source of primary care are more likely to visit the ED compared to those with higher incomes.2,4-6 Our objective was to determine who uses hospital ED for non-emergent visits, which is an indicator of primary care-sensitive ED services. By using the NYU ED classification algorithm, Rhode Island ED database and American Community Survey (ACS) data, we describe characteristics of patients in Rhode Island who use ED for non-emergent visits and examine whether ED non-emergent use is associated with neighborhood poverty, how those patients are distributed geographically, and how the distribution is correlated with neighborhood poverty status.
Pragma: an infrastructure for runtime management of grid applications

This paper presents an overview of Pragma, an adaptive runtime infrastructure capable of reactively and proactively managing and optimizing application execution using current system and application state, predictive models for system behavior and application performance, and an agent based control network. The overarching motivation for this research is to enable the next generation of very large-scale dynamically adaptive scientific and engineering simulations on widely distributed and highly heterogeneous and dynamic execution environments such as the computational "grid". Pragma combines 4 key components: system characterization and abstraction component, application characterization component, active network control, and policybase. The design of Pragma is driven by three astrophysical simulations chosen to be representative of a wide variety of important simulations and to expose many of the problems presently encountered (and currently unsolved) by computational physicists. The design, prototype implementation, and preliminary evaluations of Pragma components are presented.
As the Pirates Become CEOs: The Closing of the Open Internet

The early Internet witnessed the flourishing of a digitally networked public sphere in which many people, including dissidents who had little to no access to mass media, found a voice as well as a place to connect with one another. As the Internet matures, its initial decentralized form has been increasingly replaced by a small number of ad-financed platforms, such as Facebook and Google, which structure the online experience of billions of people. These platforms often design, control, influence, and “optimize” the user experience according to their own internal values and priorities, sometimes using emergent methods such as algorithmic filtering and computational inference of private traits from computational social science. The shift to a small number of controlling platforms stems from a variety of dynamics, including network effects and the attractions of easier-to-use, closed platforms. This article considers these developments and their consequences for the vitality of the public sphere.
Microcrystalline and Nanocrystalline Silicon: Simulation of Material Properties

We have simulated nano-crystalline silicon and microcrystalline silicon structures with varying crystallite volume fractions, using molecular dynamics simulations. The crystallite regions reside in an amorphous matrix. We find the amorphous matrix is better ordered in nanocrystalline-Si than in the homogenous amorphous silicon networks, consistent with the observed higher stability of H-diluted films. There is a critical size above which the crystallites are stable and may grow. Sub-nm size crystallites in the protocrystalline phase are found to reduce the strain of the amorphous matrix. We simulated micro-crystalline silicon with a substantial crystallite volume fraction. Microcrystalline structures exhibit a crystalline core surrounded by an amorphous shell with similarities to silicon nanowires. We find a relatively uniform H distribution in the amorphous region and a crystal-amorphous phase boundary that is not well-defined.
[In situ PCR: its applications and problems].

In situ polymerase chain reaction (ISPCR)の方法,応用,問題点について検討した. In situ PCRは目的とするDNAを組織, cytospin, またはcell suspensionのなかで増幅させる方法であり,感度を上げるだけでなく,その局在がわかるという利点がある.しかし,非特異的反応という問題点がある. Direct ISPCRは,目的とする核酸に直接標識した核酸を取り込ませていくものであるが, DNAおよびTaq DNA polymerase依存性でprimer非依存性の非特異的反応が認められる. Direct ISPCRでは, no primerまたはirrelevant primerによるコントロールが必要である. Indirect ISPCRは, PCRとin situ hybridization (ISH)を組み合わせたものであるが, Taq DNA polymeraseをPCRのステップで除くコントロールとISHの条件をきちんと設定することが重要である. Reverse ISPCRは, reverse transcriptaseを用いて, mRNAからcDNAをin situで作製しPCRを行うものであるが, DNase処理のコントロールとirrelevant primerのコントロールが必要である. In situ PCRの結果を記載するときには,非特異的反応の可能性を除くために,コントロールの結果が記載されるべきである. Direct ISPCRで認められるこの非特異的反応の原因は,まだはっきりしていない.われわれは,これを解決するためにdideoxy dNTPs, DNA ligase, nuclease S 1, T 7 exonucleaseによる前処理やPCRにおいてTaq DNA polymerase Stoffel fragmentを用いる処理を単独または組み合わせて行ったが,解決できなかった.したがって,非特異性の機序として,目的とする核酸にnickがあるためという可能性や組織中にあるDNAの小断片がprimerのように働いて生じるという可能性以外の原因を考える必要がある. In situ PCRは非常に感度のよい方法なので,多くのことに応用が可能であると思われる.特に臨床材料から病原微生物を検出することはコントロールもおきやすく,よい適応と思われる.しかしながら,その実施に当たっては,非特異性の除去のために十分なコントロールがおかれるべきである.
Extended Longevity of the Pre-emerged Adult Cat Flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) and Factors Stimulating Emergence from the Pupal Cocoon

After the pupal-imaginal molt, the pre-emerged adult cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis felis (Bouche), remains quiescent inside the cocoon for varying periods of time. It has a lower respiratory demand than the emerged adult and its survival is considerably longer. Pressure and heat stimulate rapid emergence from the cocoon. In the absence of these stimuli adults emerge gradually over several weeks, depending on ambient temperature, with the length of time spent in the cocoon related to prepupal weight. This pharate stage facilitates flea-host contact by maximizing the active life span of the adult flea and minimizing nonhost-induced emergence.
Evaluating Game-Based Learning Environments for Enhancing Motivation in Mathematics

During the middle school years, students frequently show significant declines in motivation toward school in general and mathematics in particular. One way in which researchers have sought to spark students’ interests and build their sense of competence in mathematics and in STEM more generally is through the use of game-based learning environments. Yet evidence regarding the motivational effectiveness of this approach is mixed. Here, we evaluate the impact of three brief game-based technology activities on students’ short-term motivation in math. A total number of 16,789 fifth to eighth grade students and their teachers in one large school district were randomly assigned to three different game-based technology activities, each representing a different framework for motivation and engagement and all designed around an exemplary lesson related to algebraic reasoning. We investigated the relationship between specific game-based technology activities that embody various motivational constructs and students’ engagement in mathematics and perceived competence in pursuing STEM careers. Results indicate that the effect of each game-based technology activities on students’ motivation was quite modest. However, these effects were modified by students’ grade level and not by their demographic variables. In addition, teacher-level variables did not have an effect on student outcomes.
Effects of polarization direction on laser-assisted free-free scattering

This work will detail the effects of laser polarization direction (relative to the momentum transfer direction) on laser-assisted free–free scattering. Such processes play a role in the gas breakdown that occurs in electric discharges as well as providing a method for the laser heating of a plasma (Musa et al 2010 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 43 175201, Mason 1993 Rep. Prog. Phys. 56 1275). Experimental results will be presented for electron-helium scattering in the presence of an Nd:YAG laser field ($h\nu =1.17$ eV) where the polarization direction was varied in a plane that is perpendicular to the scattering plane. To date, all of our experimental results are well described by the Kroll–Watson approximation (KWA) (Kroll and Watson 1973 Phys. Rev. A 8 804). The good agreement between our experiments and calculations using the KWA includes the case where the polarization is perpendicular to the momentum transfer direction, for which the KWA predicts vanishing cross section; other workers have found that the KWA tends to be inaccurate for cases where it predicts small cross sections (e.g. Musa et al 2010 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 43 175201). We also present simulations of the effects that multiple scattering might have on experimental measurements. In particular, we examine conditions that are expected to be similar to those of the experiments reported by Wallbank and Holmes (Wallbank and Holmes 1993 Phys. Rev. A 48 R2515).
151 SELF-EFFICACY AS A PREDICTOR OF HEALTH-COMPROMISING BEHAVIORS: SEX, RACE, AND GEOGRAPHIC REGION AS MODERATING VARIABLES.

Introduction It has been estimated that over one-third of all Americans die from diseases that are, in part, brought on by behaviors that compromise their health. Mokdad, Mark, Stroup & Gerberding (2000) recently reported that tobacco, poor diet, and physical inactivity were the three leading behaviorally related causes of death in the United States. It is well understood that many of these health-compromising behaviors begin in adolescence. As a result, promoting healthy lifestyles has become a national priority and is an integral component of the recommendations outlined in Healthy People 2010. Understanding why people engage in behaviors that are harmful to their health and what protective factors discourage engagement in health-compromising behaviors is the first step in developing effective intervention, education, and prevention programs. One construct that has shown predictive value with regard to health-compromising behaviors is self-efficacy. Method Data analyzed for this project are part of a larger data set collected during "Goals for Health, " a longitudinal study funded by the National Cancer Institute. This study examined self-report data collected from 938 rural adolescents in the eighth grade (54% Caucasian and 46% African American) to determine the roles of tobacco and nutritional self-efficacy as predictors of tobacco use, exercise behavior, and dietary fat intake. In addition, this study examined the roles of sex, race, and geographic region as moderating the relationships between self-efficacy and these health-compromising behaviors. Results Tobacco and nutritional self-efficacy were identified as significant predictors of these health-compromising behaviors. These results indicate that self-efficacy may not be a domain specific as previous research has indicated. For example, results indicate that tobacco self-efficacy predicted not only tobacco use behavior but dietary fat consumption as well. The results of this study indicate that self-efficacy may have less domain specificity when predicting behaviors that are related (eg, health behaviors). Results also indicate that sex, race, and geographic region affect the involvement in and maintenance of these health-compromising behaviors and moderate the relationship between self-efficacy and these behaviors. For example, tobacco self-efficacy was identified as a stronger predictor of tobacco use behavior for boys than it was for girls. The results of this study suggest that prevention programming should be designed with these demographic variables in mind to ensure the program9s success.
Present Situation Investigation of Dust Pollution in Ore Loading Workplaces of Railway Station Yard

[Objective]To analyze the dust pollution and protection in ore loading workplaces of 7 railway station yards of Huaihua area,and provide evidence for prevention of pneumoconiosis and other occupational hazards.[Methods]On-site occupational health survey and the dust concentration monitoring were performed.[Results]Monitoring 7 stations yard time-weighted concentration of total dust,the total number of monitoring points,only 4% met the national standard,fluctuations in the range of total dust concentration of 9.6～341.8 mg/m3.Total dust concentration of each station yard exceeded standard for 2.75～28.78 times.[Conclusion]Dust pollution is very serious in loading workplace of each station yard,measures for controlling dust concentration needs to be implemented urgently.It is necessary to configure a certain number of high-pressure rotating spray faucets in loading workplace,to spray droplets at point source fugitive dust and emissions in the air,and to recycle use of water through the establishment of underground infiltration system.
Trends in Health and Physical Education

(1938). Trends in Health and Physical Education. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 9, No. 1, pp. 20-62.
French and Belgian Prevarication

France, on the basis of African Francophonia, and Belgium, on the basis of being the former colonial power, had direct interests in the Rwandan situation. Both countries had provided military support for the Rwandan government in the past but when the mass killings were taking place during the spring of 1994, France opted (rather belatedly) for large-scale armed intervention while Belgium decided upon withdrawal of its UN peacekeepers. Tensions between the two European states were evident throughout the crisis, as was an evolving competition between France and its perceived Anglophone rivals.
All PBL Starts Here: The Problem

One essential piece of implementing of PBL is the problem. There have been calls from practitioners in the PBL field for a systematic process for designing effective PBL problems. Yet, the research efforts to explore, develop, and test PBL problem design methods or processes are still sparse. From an instructional designer and researcher’s perspective, I deem problem design to be the first step to ensure not only the proper affordance of the learning goal but also the students’ overall learning process in PBL implementation. PBL problem design is the area I have studied most consistently and passionately. In this paper, I share my continuing study of PBL problem design, from the original 3C3R model and the 9-step design process, to an examination of the cognitive components of PBL problems such as problem difficulty structure and levels, to my recent focus on the affective components of PBL problems.
ON THE “BIOCHEMICAL IMPRINTING” OF METABOLIC EXPERIENCE IN LIVER CELLS

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on metabolic control. One aspect of metabolic control that has received increasing attention recently is that which can be characterized by the phrase “biochemical imprinting.” The chapter describes an earlier study in which increases in the activity of microsomal drug-detoxifying enzyme systems were reported by phenobarbital treatment that was associated with increases in activity of the HMP dehydrogenases. It is well-known that the fatty acid composition of liver fatty acids shows a characteristic pattern in animals fed on essential fatty acid deficient diet. The identification of signals, modulators, and intimate mechanisms of enzyme increase and decrease will no doubt occupy the attention of many for a long time. Changes in enzyme pattern constitute a long-range metabolic control device, which is superimposed on other regulatory mechanisms that operate within a much shorter time scale.
The Urban Water–Energy Nexus: Building Resilience for Global Change in the “Urban Century”

The urban water–energy nexus is defined as the interlinkages among water, energy, and attendant infrastructure, coupled with the populations that rely on them and the institutions for their governance. Because these interlinkages shape the future trajectory of cities – their form, function, and footprint – the nexus can be harnessed as a holistic policy tool to incorporate a holistic approach to build societal and ecosystem resilience to global change. Resource attributes of water and energy along with the large infrastructure systems conventionally used to source, transport, and distribute them, plus recover waste, make water and energy the core resources to consider for urban planning in a nexus framework. Urbanization drives the nexus in unique ways due to (a) political/economic power and demographic concentration in cities, (b) reliance on infrastructure, (c) global change forces, and (d) unique urban social vulnerabilities. In the face of multiple global change uncertainties, cities are experiencing increasing pressures as a result of climate change and economic globalization. Resilience provides a guiding principle for multi-scalar urban planning and management to increase urban adaptive capacity. Research gaps and next steps in urban water–energy nexus research and practice are centered on more robust analysis of waste and resource recovery, including the opportunities and limits to efficiency gains.
Comorbidities and prognosis of myelodysplastic syndromes

7086 Background: Cancer patients often experience comorbidities that may affect their therapeutic plan, prognosis, and outcome. Few studies have evaluated comorbidities in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). The aim of our study was to determine the effect of comorbidity on the survival of patients with MDS. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of consecutive adult MDS patients who presented to our comprehensive cancer center in 2002. The Adult Comorbidity Evaluation-27 (ACE-27), a validated 27-item comorbidity index for cancer patients, was used to assess the severity of comorbid conditions. For each patient, we obtained demographic data and specific staging information based on the International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS). We also collected information on bone marrow transplantation (BMT), mortality and survival. Kaplan-Meier methods and log-rank tests were used to assess survival. Results: Of the 55 patients included in this preliminary report, 41 (74.5%) were male, and 47 (85.5%) were white; me...
ICT for Children of Immigrants: Indirect and Total Effects via Self-Efficacy on Math Performance.

This study compared the direct, indirect, and total effects of information, communication, and technology (ICT) variables on math achievement for second-generation immigrant, first-generation immig...
Anti-Windup and Guaranteed Relative Stability Margin Controllers for Systems with Input Nonlinearities

Abstract An absolute stabilization framework based on classical notions of absolute stability is developed to design anti-windup and guaranteed relative stability margin controllers for systems with input time-varying nonlinearities. The approach is directly applicable to systems with saturating actuators and provides fixed-order (i.e., full-and reduced-order) dynamic controllers with a guaranteed domain of attraction. The proposed framework can also be used to design fixed-order controllers with guaranteed gain and phase margins for multiloop feedback systems. A numerical algorithm based on a discrete homotopy is developed to design absolute stabilization controllers.
Sur les spectres d'absorption et d'émission de nucléosides, purines et pyrimidines

On a decele un nouvel epaulement d'absorption vers 350 mμ dans la queue de la bande caracteristique d'absorption a 260-285 mμ dans les solutions aqueuses concentrees d'adenine, adenosine, inosine, thymidine, uridine, uracile, cytosine, thymine et hypoxanthine, en presence ou en absence de glucose. L'excitation optique de cette bande donne une fluorescence visible vers 450 mμ dans la plupart de ces systemes. Les intensites des bandes d'emission et d'absorption sont beaucoup plus grandes avec l'adenosine, l'inosine et l'uracile qu'avec les autres systemes. On attribue ces nouvelles bandes d'absorption et d'emission a la formation de complexes moleculaires du type transfert de charge dans les solutions concentrees de ces substances.
FLOWERING PHENOLOGY AND FLORAL BEHAVIOR OF Scutellaria discolor Colebr. AND S. slametensis Sudarmono & B.J. Conn (Lamiaceae) [Fenologi dan Perilaku Pembungaan pada Scutellaria discolor Colebr. dan 5. Slametensis Sudarmono & B.J. Conn (Lamiaceae)]

The flowering phenology and floral behavior of Scutellaria discolor and S. slametensis were investigated. S. discolor is distributed over a wider range of habitats but S. slametensis is distributed over a restricted area on Mt. Slamet. Observations of flowering phenology and floral behavior were almost the same and pollination of cleistogamous flowers did not occur in both species.Based on our observations on floral and pollinator behavior, we consider both S. discolor and S.slametensis to have chasmo- and cleistogamous flowers.
Geography of WWI Sites Along the Italian Front by Means of GIS Tools

In the framework of the commemorations for the First World War, a GIS project was started in order to identify, archive and disseminate the places involved by the war along the Italian front. The GIS operates through a set of raster layers represented by more than 500 raster maps and a set of vector layers dealing with places, catchment basins, front lines, deployment areas. Particular attention has been paid to all the occurrences of place names in order to univocally associate one place name to a set of geographic coordinates, thus creating a specific geodatabase. An online GIS version is available for data search and visualization.