cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Explanation of a Selectivity Maximum as a Function of the Material Structure for Organic Gas Separation Membranes

Many previous studies have examined structure-property relationships of both polymeric and carbon molecular sieve gas separation membranes, which show a widely known tradeoff between permeability and selectivity. This work presents an explanation of a lesser-known trend of a selectivity maximum as a function of the material structure for certain rigid polymers and a variety of carbon molecular sieving materials. Interestingly, this surprising trend of a maximum in selectivity over a range of materials is observed for certain gas pairs and not others over the same range of material structures. First-order modeling efforts, which treat molecular sieving membranes as effective heterogeneous composite materials comprising a distribution of selective entities, are used to explain and understand this trend of a maximum in selectivity. Several composite models are considered, and specific examples are demonstrated using both a parallel model and effective medium theory. The modeling results reflect trends in experimental data and suggest that subtle changes in the distribution of selective entities or the size of gas molecules can result in vastly different overall separation properties.
The cogito circa AD 2000

What are we to make of the cogito (cogito ergo sum) today, as the walls of Cartesian philosophy crumble around us? The enduring foundation of the cogito is consciousness. It is in virtue of a particular phenomenological structure that an experience is conscious rather than unconscious. Drawing on an analysis of that structure, the cogito is given a new explication that synthesizes phenomenological, epistemological, logical, and ontological elements. What, then, is the structure of conscious thinking on which the cogito draws? What kind of certainty does the experience of thinking give one about one's thinking and about one's existence? What form of inference is the cogito, and what is the source of its validity and soundness? Does the cogito itself lead to an ontology of mind and body like Descartes's dualism? The discussion begins with Descartes's own careful formulations of some of these issues. Then the cogito is parsed into several different principles, the phenomenological principle emerging as basic...
Civil society and conflict transformation in the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict: accomplishments and challenges

Since the August 2008 war, citizens engaged in Georgian-Abkhaz conflict transformation projects have maintained their resolve to keep open channels of communication across the conflict and continue strengthening fire-proof defenses against violence. These defenses are still fragile, and face challenges from internal and external forces analyzed in this article. This article presents analysis of (1) civil society in Georgian and Abkhaz communities and its role in conflict transformation in the years leading up to the August war of 2008; (2) responses by Georgian and Abkhaz civil society leaders and outside facilitators to events in the months before and during the August war of 2008; and (3) civil society's role in conflict transformation since the August war of 2008 until 2011.
SIRT3 deacetylates and increases pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in cancer cells.

Abstract Pyruvate dehydrogenase E1α (PDHA1) is the first component enzyme of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex that transforms pyruvate, via pyruvate decarboxylation, into acetyl-CoA that is subsequently used by both the citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation to generate ATP. As such, PDH links glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation in normal as well as cancer cells. Herein we report that SIRT3 interacts with PDHA1 and directs its enzymatic activity via changes in protein acetylation. SIRT3 deacetylates PDHA1 lysine 321 (K321), and a PDHA1 mutant mimicking a deacetylated lysine (PDHA1K321R) increases PDH activity, compared to the K321 acetylation mimic (PDHA1K321Q) or wild-type PDHA1. Finally, PDHA1K321Q exhibited a more transformed in vitro cellular phenotype compared to PDHA1K321R. These results suggest that the acetylation of PDHA1 provides another layer of enzymatic regulation, in addition to phosphorylation, involving a reversible acetyllysine, suggesting that the acetylome, as well as the kinome, links glycolysis to respiration.
Comparison of Proportions for Composite Endpoints with Missing Components

Composite endpoints are commonly used in clinical trials. When there are missing values in their individual components, inappropriate handling of the missingness may create inefficient or even biased estimates of the proportions of successes in composite endpoints. Assuming missingness is completely at random or dependent on baseline covariates, we derived a maximum likelihood estimator of the proportion of successes in a three-component composite endpoint and closed-form variance for the proportion, and compared two groups in the difference in proportions and in the logarithm of a relative risk. Sample size and statistical power were studied. Simulation studies were used to evaluate the performance of the developed methods. With a moderate sample size the developed methods works satisfactorily.
Spot-size measurements of a focused cw Nd:YAG laser

The minimum spotsize, beam quality or M{sup 2}, and Strehl ratio of a focused laser beam provide different measures of the performance of the laser/optic system. Focusing lenses typically used to provide irradiances sufficient to cause melting and/or vaporization of metals or ceramics typically exhibit considerable spherical aberration, and thus limit the minimum spotsize attainable for a given lens at a specific laser power. The purpose of this work is to quantify the increase in the minimum spotsize and decrease in Strehl ratio of a focused materials processing CW Nd:YAG laser caused by laser cavity heating and spherical aberration introduced by the focusing lens. Minimum spotsize was determined by making several measurements of spotsize along the propagation direction using a scanning aperture system, and fitting the data to the laser propagation equation. These measurements were performed for 6 plano-convex lenses of different focal lengths, using laser powers ranging from 500 to 1500 watts. A nonlinear variation of spotsize with laser power and with focal length was observed for the lenses and power levels tested.
Removal of apolipoprotein B from dog whole blood by ex vivo hemoadsorption on antibody-agarose beads.

: Antibody columns for hemoperfusion were prepared by filling 300-ml polycarbonate canisters with 2% agarose gel beads having attached goat antibodies directed toward apolipoprotein B (apo B), the major apoprotein of low and very low density lipoproteins. Blood was withdrawn from the left external jugular vein of dogs, regionally treated with anticoagulant citrate dextrose solution A, pumped through the antibody column, and returned to the right external jugular vein. Immunoreactive apo B decreased by 81% during passage of blood over the column. Adverse effects were not observed during four weekly hour-long perfusions with blank columns (agarose beads without antibody attached) followed by four weekly perfusions with antibody columns. The columns were disinfected and stored in 1 M acetic acid and reused weekly in each animal. Recovery of platelets and white blood cells over the columns was 90 and 102%, respectively, with no significant differences between blank columns and antibody-containing columns. Complement was not consumed during the hemoadsorption procedure. Hemoadsorption on antibody-agarose columns is a promising potential method for removing toxic molecules and cells from whole blood.
Learning Communities as a First Step in an Integrative Learning Curriculum

Norah Shultz describes Arcadia University's unique learning communities that support student interactions with each other and the world outside the classroom.
Statistical properties of some clinical measures of gingivitis and periodontitis.

Various statistical properties of the plaque index, the gingival index, and the wholemouth averages of pocket depth and attachment level measurements were examined using data from a 4-year randomized trial of 80 patients with a history of treated periodontal disease. Departures from normality were assessed by the median of the standardized distribution, by the coefficients of skewness and kurtosis, and by the Kolmogorov goodness-of-fit test. The relative precisions of probing pocket depth and of attachment level were measured, as were correlations between repeated measurements over time for the four clinical measures. The distribution of the plaque index was far from normal, but the distribution of its logarithm was more nearly normal. The distributions of the other clinical measures were effectively normal to varying degrees of approximation. With only rare exceptions, correlations between repeated measurements on the same clinical variable remained relatively constant no matter how far apart in time the...
Design of a biomedical laboratory building, Part I

In the fall of 1981, the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research initiated the design of a laboratory building. It was immediately faced with some fundamental organizational and design issues, the resolution of which would form the basis for the ensuing detailed design. These same questions must be raised and resolved by any other organization designing a laboratory building.
The Relationship of Undifferentiated Mesenchymal Cells to TMJ Articular Tissue Thickness

Undifferentiated mesenchymal (UM) cells, the progenitor cells of the cartilage layer, have been assigned a significant role in TMJ articular tissue maintenance. This was based on reports of UM cell reduction with increased soft-tissue thickness for the condyle and temporal component. However, the strength of this inverse relationship was not presented and remained unclear. The purpose of the present study was to assess the strength of the correlation between UM cell presence and soft-tissue thickness in young adult TMJs at autopsy. Sagittal histological sections from the central thirds of 50 joints were evaluated with respect to articular soft-tissue thickness, histological character, and UM cell presence in the condyle and temporal component. The superior sector of the condyle and the articular eminence showed the greatest variability in soft-tissue thickness and were the only areas to show localized UM cell absence. The eminence was the only location to show an inverse relationship between soft-tissue thickness and UM cell presence, and this was consistent in both an ANOVA (p = 0.0016) and a Spearman correlation analysis. However, the strength of this correlation was only moderate (rho = -0.52), and no such relationship was observed in any other location. This study suggests that the relationship between UM cell presence and soft-tissue thickness is more complex than previously hypothesized and that the contribution of UM cells to articular tissue maintenance has been overstated, while other biological processes were overlooked.
Unraveling the Bastarane and Isobastarane Oximo Amide Configurations and Associated Macrocycle Conformations – Implications of Their Influence on Bioactivities

Our rigorous re-examination of the conformational properties of bastadins that comprise the isobastarane and bastarane-type macrocycle has generated some interesting new insights. We determined that these macrocycles are flexible and possess a surprising degree of reflection symmetry that generates enantiomeric conformations. The macrocycle symmetry arises from its ability to twist in a disrotatory fashion, providing one set of conformers, and then twists with the opposite disrotation to generate a corresponding set of enantiomers. Overall, the isobastarane conformations for (E,E)-bastadin 19 (1a) are complex and can access several distinct ring conformations. In contrast, the bastarane macrocycle in bastadin 5 (2) and bastadin 6 (3) maintains a similar overall shape. We postulate that the short-term stability of the (Z)-oximo amide, an uncommon configuration found in bastadins and psammaplins, is due to the existence of conformers with intramolecular hydrogen bonds involving the (Z)-oxime, and hydrogen bonding impedes oxime isomerization to the more stable (E)-oximo amide in solution. Finally, the modeling results provided insights toward understanding the different antiproliferative activity against endothelial cells as well as Ca(2+) channel modulation activities attributed to bastaranes 2 and 3 versus isobastarane 1a.
Blazed phase liquid crystal beam steering

In this paper we describe a novel liquid crystal device for rapidly steering laser beams for high-power and large-aperture applications. The device consists of an array of optical phase modulators that contain a thin, active, liquid crystal layer sandwiched between two substrates. The unique aspect of the device is that each phase modulator can produce a linear (blazed) phase gradient, rather than the constant phase profile typical of other liquid crystal beam- steering devices. It is designed for use over a wide range of wavelengths and is particularly well suited for the deflection of short-wavelength laser beam. In this paper, we will describe device design, theoretical performance (diffraction efficiency and time response), and present experimental results of a device built to deflect a 1.064-micrometers laser beam.
A high-order fast direct solver for singular Poisson equation

We present a fourth order numerical solution method for the singular Neumann boundary problem of Poisson equations. Such problems arise in the solution process of incompressible Navier‐Stokes equations and in the time-harmonic wave propagation in the frequence space with the zero wavenumber. The equation is first discretized with a fourth order modified Collatz difference scheme, producing a singular discrete equation. Then an efficient singular value decomposition (SVD) method modified from a fast Poisson solver is employed to project the discrete singular equation into the orthogonal complement of the null space of the singular matrix. In the complement of the null space, the projected equation is uniquely solvable and its solution is proven to be a solution of the original singular discrete equation when the original equation has a solution. Analytical and experimental results show that this newly proposed singular equation solver is efficient while retaining the accuracy of the high order discretization. c ∞ 2001 Academic Press
Central Nervous System Manifestations of Sarcoidosis in Children Case Report and Review

We report a case of central nervous system (CNS) sarcoidosis in a young girl and review the literature on the CNS manifestations of sarcoidosis in 23 cases occurring in children.
t-kernel: providing reliable OS support to wireless sensor networks

The development of a reliable large-scale wireless sensor network (WSN) is very difficult because of resource constraints, energy budget, and demanding application requirements. Three OS features-OS protection, virtual memory, and preemptive scheduling-can significantly improve the reliability of WSN systems and facilitate developing complex WSN software. However, due to the lack of hardware support for privileged execution and address translation, it is impossible to implement these features with traditional OS design techniques. To solve this problem, we design a new OS kernel, the t-kernel, to perform extensive code modification at load time. The modified code and the OS work in a collaborative way supporting the aforementioned features. Having implemented the t-kernel on MICA2 motes, we evaluate its performance by measuring the overhead and execution speed. We analyze the CPU utilization of sensor network applications, and verify that, though CPU-bound tasks execute 1.5-3 times as long as in native mode, application performance under typical workloads does not noticeably degrade. The t-kernel significantly enhances developers' ability to design reliable and sophisticated sensor networks, and includes several new design techniques, such as efficient binary translation on highly constrained sensor nodes, differentiated virtual memory without repeatedly writable swapping devices, and the protection of the OS from application errors without privileged execution hardware.
A Si/SiGe BiCMOS mixer with 3rd-order nonlinearity cancellation for WCDMA applications (student paper)

This paper presents a general analysis of the 3rd-order nonlinearity of a differential common-emitter (CE) radio frequency (RF) amplifier and an improved way to cancel the 3rd-order nonlinearity. A SiGe BiCMOS mixer is designed, based on the 3rd-order cancellation scheme. The mixer achieves +6 dBm IIP3, 15 dB gain and 7.7 dB DSB NF with only 2.2 mA current at 2.1 GHz. This performance exceeds that of previously reported active mixers in this frequency range.
Layout driven synthesis of multiple scan chains

In this paper, we investigate the problem of assigning scan cells to multiple scan chains based on physical placement. We formulate a new multichain assignment (MA) problem and discuss its complexity and relationship to partitioning and traveling salesman problems. We show that MA is not adequately solved by approaches based on the traveling salesman methods alone and present two new algorithms for MA based on partitioning and stable marriage (SM) problems. We demonstrate that even though partitioning-based methods offer significant improvements compared to previous methods, the SM-based algorithm offers the best results. We compare our algorithms with previous work based on preplacement and greedy assignments in terms of total scan net lengths and maximum load capacitance of scan cells. Experiments with ISCAS89 benchmarks indicate that our algorithms improve the chain lengths 50%-90%, while reducing the maximum load capacitance by 30%-50%.
Does severe teratozoospermia affect blastocyst formation, live birth rate, and other clinical outcome parameters in ICSI cycles?

Objective To determine if strict morphology correlates with outcome parameters in couples undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Design Retrospective review. Setting Academic nonprofit IVF center. Patient(s) Couples undergoing IVF/ICSI. Intervention(s) In vitro fertilization and ICSI. Main Outcome Measure(s) Samples were evaluated for total sperm count, motlity, progression, and morphology using Kruger's strict criteria. The ICSI cycle outcome parameters included fertilization, clinical pregnancy, implantation, live birth, and blastulation rates and blastocyst quality. Result(s) Fertilization rates were high (74%–77%), and clinical pregnancy rates ranged from 60% (subgroup with 0% normal sperm) to 56% (subgroup with ≥7% normal forms). The highest pregnancy and live birth rates were observed in eggs fertilized with sperm from specimens with the most severe teratozoospermia. The blastulation rate was similar among subgroups. The percentage of high-quality blastocysts was significantly greater in the severely teratozoospermic patients compared with patients with ≥5% normal sperm (37% vs. 28%). This is likely because in the lower morphology subgroups, female factors are less prevalent and the primary infertility problem is male factor. Conclusion(s) These data suggest that we reconsider the diagnostic value of strict morphology in assisted reproductive technology cycles involving ICSI. Sperm morphology assessed by Kruger's strict criteria had little prognostic value in ICSI cycle outcomes. Sperm morphology did not appear to influence blastocyst development or blastocyst morphology. Microscopic selection of sperm with "normal" morphology during the ICSI procedure allowed excellent outcomes even in samples with severe teratozoospermia.
Remote acculturation: The “Americanization” of Jamaican Islanders:

Twenty-first century globalization forces of technology and trade transport cultures across territorial borders. Cultural exchange now occurs in the absence of first-hand continuous contact that ac...
Gain dynamics and spectral hole-burning in In(Ga)As self-organized quantum dots

Summary form only given. Recent investigations of carrier relaxation dynamics in self-organized QDs have revealed that at low carrier density, the relaxation of geminately captured electrons and holes occurs on picosecond time-scale due to Coulomb scattering; however, nongeminately captured electrons relax are trapped in the dot excited state by phonon bottleneck. For understanding laser modulation dynamics, however, it is necessary to consider carrier dynamics at high density, under population inversion. Fast gain recovery due to carrier-carrier scattering is observed in an electrically pumped InAs/InGaAs QD active waveguide at room temperature. We report experiments probing the dynamics of entire gain spectrum, directly showing spectral hole-burning in ground and excited states, and revealing the relaxation due to intradot scattering and carrier-capture from continuum.
MicroRNA expression in ileal carcinoid tumors: downregulation of microRNA-133a with tumor progression

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis and can function as tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes. The role of miRNAs in neuroendocrine tumors such as ileal carcinoids is largely unknown. We examined the differential expression of 95 miRNAs by RT-PCR using the QuantiMir System in eight matching primary and metastatic carcinoid tumors from the ileum. All miRNAs chosen for the QuantiMir System array were based on their potential functions related to cancer biology, cell development, and apoptosis. The expression of miRNAs for the samples was normalized to miRNA-197, and the matching primary and metastatic tumors were compared. There was downregulation of miRNA-133a, -145, -146, -222, and -10b in all samples between the primary and matching metastatic tumors and upregulation of miRNA-183, -488, and -19a+b in six of eight metastatic carcinoids compared to the primary tumors. miRNA-133a was further analyzed by TaqMan real-time RT-PCR and northern hybridization using six additional matching primary and metastatic samples, which supported the PCR array findings. There were significant differences in miRNA-133a expression with downregulation in the metastasis compared to the primary in the eight original cases (P<0.009) and in the six additional cases used for validation (P<0.014). Laser capture microdissection and real-time RT-PCR analysis using normal ileum found miRNA-133a expression in normal enterochromaffin cells. In situ hybridization in normal ileum showed that some of the mucosal endocrine cells expressed miRNA-133a. Both primary and metastatic ileal carcinoid tumors expressed miRNA-133a by in situ hybridization. These results provide information about novel marker miRNAs that may be used as biomarkers and/or therapeutic targets in intestinal carcinoid tumors.
Complex problems: What makes them complex and difficult to solve?

This paper discusses the topics of complex systems, complex adaptive systems, and complex problems. For network-centric warfare (NCW) using complex systems, it is necessary to develop collaborative technological systems that function within a cybernetic organismic network (CON) according to holistic systems engineering and nonlinear stochastic processes. Consequently, there are differences between how issues and problems are processed. Issues are people-oriented problems that interfere with technology development. Problems are related to technology itself and can be more easily resolved. To develop collaborative technology systems that function within a CON and perform NCW requires holistic systems engineering and nonlinear reasoning about agents thinking, learning, and adapting accordingly.
The Coming of Post-Standardization in Education: What Role for the German Didaktik Tradition?

Recent reforms intended to raise academic achievement in the United States have resulted in a narrowing of the curriculum, ethically dubious strategies of targeting some students and neglecting others, and teachers’ loss of professional discretion and control. These perverse consequences of the standards and accountability movements are leading to a new age of “ post-standardization“ in which educators will re-assert their pedagogical autonomy and appropriate philosophical and normative legacies that can restore dignity and integrity to their profession. This task is complicated in the Anglo-American context because of the lack of a dynamic pedagogical canon. Given its signature themes of Allgemeinbildung, humanism, and the integrity of the disciplines (Fachdidaktik), the German Didaktik tradition provides a valuable resource for ensuring that international discussions and debates about education can proceed with full awareness of the complexities and richness of the pedagogical encounter.
Biomedical micro and nanotechnology: From lab-on-chip to building with cells

Biomedical applications of micro and nanotechnology hold tremendous promise in diagnostics, therapeutic, and tissue engineering. Lab on chip devices can be used for the rapid and sensitive detection of biological entities including cells, bacteria, proteins and DNA. These microfluidic devices can provide for the sensitive and selective detection of CD4+ T cells for detection of HIV/AIDs for global health at point of care. Significant opportunities exist for rapid point-of-care detection of nucleic acid molecules from bacterial or viral agents of infection, for food borne pathogens. Tremendous opportunities also exist in the development of cell-based bio-actuators, autonomous biological micro robots and cellular machines for a wide range of applications.
Nest-site selection in the barn swallow, Hirundo rustica: What predicts seasonal reproductive success?

Despite hundreds of studies, we know very little about the causes and fitness-related consequences of nest-site selection. For example, it is not typically known whether the rarely reported fitness consequences of site selection are the result of nest, individual, or nest-site variables or combinations of these factors. Reuse of previously constructed nest sites is a prevalent behavior in many animals and offers the opportunity to experimentally tease apart whether seasonal reproductive success is a function of nest, individual, or nest-site characteristics. I used observational and experimental data to test three hypotheses related to these factors in association with barn swallow (Hirundo rustica L., 1758) nest reuse. While both nest and individual characteristics explain variation in seasonal reproductive success, nest location per se is not an important factor defining the outcome of nest-site selection. Whereas traits related to habitat and individual characteristics are likely confounded in correlat...
Metabolism in the F344 Rat of 4-(N-Methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone, a Tobacco-specific Carcinogen

Abstract The metabolism of the tobacco-specific carcinogen, 4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), was studied in the F344 rat, in which it induces tumors of the nasal cavity, liver, and lung. When NNK was incubated with rat liver microsomes and a reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-generating system, metabolites resulting from α-hydroxylation, carbonyl reduction, and N-oxidation were isolated. α-Hydroxylation at the methylene carbon gave 4-oxo-4-(3-pyridyl)butanal, whereas α-hydroxylation at the methyl carbon gave myosmine and 4-hydroxyl-1-(3-pyridyl)butan-1-one. The formation of these products involved the intermediacy of electrophilic diazohydroxides or carbonium ions which may be proximate or ultimate carcinogens of NNK. Carbonyl reduction gave 4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)butan-1-ol and N-oxidation yielded 4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl-N-oxide)-1-butanone. When rats were gavaged with NNK, the microsomal products of α-hydroxylation were not detected in the 48-hr urine. Compounds which presumably resulted from further oxidation or reduction of these products, 4-oxo-4-(3-pyridyl)butyric acid, 4-hydroxy-4-(3-pyridyl)butyric acid, and 4-hydroxy-1-(3-pyridyl)butan-1-ol, were isolated. 4-(N-Methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)butan-1-ol and 4-(N-methyl-N-nitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl-N-oxide)-1-butanone were also urinary metabolites.
DiscoTect: a system for discovering architectures from running systems

One of the challenging problems for software developers is guaranteeing that a system as built is consistent with its architectural design. In this paper, we describe a technique that uses run time observations about an executing system to construct an architectural view of the system. With this technique, we develop mappings that exploit regularities in system implementation and architectural style. These mappings describe how low-level system events can be interpreted as more abstract architectural operations. We describe the current implementation of a tool that uses these mappings, and show that it can highlight inconsistencies between implementation and architecture.
The Ora Serrata in the Adult Human Eye

THE SECTION on Ophthalmology, initially combined with otology and laryngology, was established in 1878 and held its first scientific assembly the following year. 1 Meeting virtually annually thereafter, the Section has convened under a total of 86 previous chairmen, ranging chronologically from Herman Knapp, MD, the first chairman, to A. Edward Maumenee, MD, the most recent. In the planning and conduct of the Section meetings, each elected presiding officer has undoubtedly had most adequate cooperation from the officers and members. I am confident, however, that none could have exceeded my good fortune in the privilege of association with Robison D. Harley, MD, Vice-Chairman; Goodwin M. Breinin, MD, and Ronald E. Carr, MD, the Secretary and the Acting Secretary; Harold F. Falls, MD, and George S. Tyner, MD, Section Delegate and Alternate Delegate; and Frederick C. Blodi, MD, Representative to the Scientific Exhibits. To these colleagues and to the membership
Average case analysis of Greedy algorithms for Kelly's triangle problem and the independent set problem

Greedy algorithms for two elementary graph-theoretic problems are studied for large random problem instances by showing that the behavior of the algorithms is asymptotically deterministic when the problem size tends to infinity. The first problem is the triangle problem posed by F. Kelly and is related to the problem of finding alternate routes in a circuit-switched communication network. The other problem is the well-known problem of finding large sets of nodes in a graph so that no two of the nodes are neighbors. Greedy algorithms are, by definition, short-sited and they therefore typically use limited amounts of information. They are thus often suitable for concurrent implementation.
Student classroom software development projects: a practitioners perspective: panel discussion

The development of software involves the strategic integration of processes. These sorts of projects are integrative at all stages of the system development life cycle and concern issues of available technology services, infrastructure, components, as well as people. Uncertainty in the outcome and scope of the project can be very high during the inception stage. Being systematic at the outset and throughout a software development project provides for a better understanding of the scope of the problem to be addressed, a more applicable vision for a solution, and an empirical estimate of the overall project feasibility and success. Due to these and other issues encountered when developing software, adopting a software engineering approach has become an increasingly important topic of debate in the computer science and software engineering literature [3, 4, 5, 6]. This debate has a direct impact on the application of model curriculum and ideological principles advocated as "best-practice" in CS and SE education.
Hearing aid quality judgments in reverberant and nonreverberant environments using a magnitude estimation procedure.

Speech discrimination performance utilizing CID W-22 word lists and patient preferences for hearing aids were investigated. Preference judgments were made using the magnitude estimation procedure. 10 experienced hearing aid users served as subjects. Results revealed that speech discrimination using CID W-22 words was unable to differentiate among hearing aids which possessed similar electroacoustic characteristics. In contrast, the magnitude estimation quality judgment procedure was quite effective and reliable at differentiating among the hearing aids. Further, the magnitude estimation quality judgment procedure is able to provide numerous preference judgments about each hearing aid in a relatively short time. In addition, the magnitude estimation procedure has a major advantage over the paired-comparison quality judgment procedure in that the patient is able to actually wear the hearing aid during the magnitude estimation procedure.Appreciation de la qualite d'une prothese auditive dans des environnemen...
Aberrant expression of Twist1 in diseased articular cartilage and a potential role in the modulation of osteoarthritis severity

The bHLH transcription factor Twist1 has emerged as a negative regulator of chondrogenesis in skeletal progenitor cells and as an inhibitor of maturation in growth plate chondrocytes. However, its role in articular cartilage remains obscure. Here we examine Twist1 expression during re-differentiation of expanded human articular chondrocytes, the distribution of Twist1 proteins in normal versus OA human articular cartilage, and its role in modulating OA development in mice. High levels of Twist1 transcripts were detected by qPCR analyses of expanded de-differentiated human articular chondrocytes that had acquired mesenchymal-like features. The induction of hallmark cartilage genes by Bmp-2 mediated chondrogenic differentiation was paralleled by the dramatic suppression of Twist1 in vitro. In normal human articular cartilage, Twist1-expressing chondrocytes were most abundant in the superficial zone with little to no expression in the middle and deep zones. However, our analyses revealed a higher proportion of deep zone articular chondrocytes expressing Twist1 in human OA cartilage as compared to normal articular cartilage. Moreover, Twist1 expression was prominent within proliferative cell clusters near fissure sites in more severely affected OA samples. To assess the role of Twist1 in OA pathophysiology, we subjected wild type mice and transgenic mice with gain of Twist1 function in cartilage to surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus. At 12 weeks post-surgery, micro-CT and histological analyses revealed attenuation of the OA phenotype in Twist1 transgenic mice compared to wild type mice. Collectively, the data reveal a role for Twist in articular cartilage maintenance and the attenuation of cartilage degeneration.
The IARC monographs: critics and controversy

The monograph program of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which relies on the efforts of volunteer Working Groups, uses a transparent approach to evaluate the carcinogenicity of agents for which scoping has determined that there is sufficient evidence to warrant a review. Because of the potentially powerful implications of the conclusions of the monographs and the sometimes challenging nature of the evidence reviewed, the monographs and the IARC process have been criticized from time to time. This commentary describes the IARC monograph process and addresses recent criticisms of the program, drawing on a recent defense of the program authored by 124 researchers. These authors concluded that the IARC processes are robust and transparent and not flawed and biased as suggested by some critics.
Hydrogen Bonding Interactions in Amorphous Indomethacin and Its Amorphous Solid Dispersions with Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) and Poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) Studied Using (13)C Solid-State NMR.

Hydrogen bonding interactions in amorphous indomethacin and amorphous solid dispersions of indomethacin with poly(vinylpyrrolidone), or PVP, and poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate), or PVP/VA, ...
Kinetic and equilibrium lithium acidities of substituted toluenes: semitheoretical Brönsted correlations.

Semitheoretical Bronsted correlations are compared between previously measured experimental rates of hydrogen isotope exchange of substituted toluenes labeled in the α-position and relative equilibrium acidities computed at several theory levels. The Bronsted correlations show less scatter at the Hartree–Fock level than at higher theory levels. This effect is rationalized on the basis of enhanced steric effects in the more constrained structures of the higher theory levels.
Unusual Nesting Colony of Polistes Fuscatus (Fabr.)

Rau, in a series of papers (1928, '29, '30, and '31), has drawn attention to various nesting sites of several species of Polistes wasps. I am not well acquainted with this group, but had some occasion to delve into the literature concerning their nesting habits when I happened onto an unusual colony of P. fuscatus (Fabr.) in the winter of 1932. Bequaert (1929) included in his article a quotation by J. M. Jones which mentions nests of P. fuscatus attached to twigs of trees in Bermuda. I was unable to find, however, any references to a nesting colony of this species of such proportions as the one here described, so I record the following observations.
The dielectric strength of epoxy embedding compounds

Miniaturization has become a prime design goal especially for airborne electronic components. Generally, this means increased electrical stresses which require both redesign of the insulation system and the introduction of improved materials. To meet these dielectric strength requirements, there has been increased reliance on epoxy embedding compounds. As in the case of any relatively new insulation concept, there is a tremendous need for additional design data. This is especially true in the case of dielectric strength since much of the available data is difficult to relate to a completely solid insulation system.
Dramatic regression of macular and peripheral retinoschisis with dorzolamide 2 % in X-linked retinoschisis: a case report

X-linked retinoschisis is one of the more frequently encountered inherited macular retinal disorders affecting young males, causing loss of vision. Patients exhibit macular schisis and peripheral schisis, which can mimic retinal detachment, a very different entity that requires surgical intervention. An 8-month-old African-American boy was presented to our hospital with severe X-linked retinoschisis involving symmetrical bullous peripheral retinoschisis in both eyes, mimicking retinal detachment. One eye received multiple surgeries for retinal detachment repair that were complicated by proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Later, portable optical coherence tomography was used to confirm absence of retinal detachment despite a corrugated fundus appearance in the fellow eye. Following treatment with topical dorzolamide 2 % for 18 months, there was dramatic regression of both macular and peripheral schisis cavities in the nonoperative eye. Severe bullous peripheral schisis in infants with severe X-linked retinoschisis may produce posterior corrugations that mimic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Clinical suspicion for retinal detachment in infants with X-linked retinoschisis should be confirmed by portable optical coherence tomography before surgical intervention. Bullous peripheral schisis can remain clinically stable over time, but topical dorzolamide 2 % may facilitate collapse.
Comparative effects of methylglyoxal-bis (guanylhydrazone), phenformin, and insulin upon the metabolism of glucose and acetate by rat epididymal fat pads in vitro.

Methylglyoxal-bis (guanylhydrazone) (CH 3 -G) increased the total uptake of glucose by epididymal fat pads of rats in vitro under aerobic, but not anaerobic, conditions. The following effects of CH 3 -G upon glycolytic pathways of adipose cells were found: (1) increased incorporation of radioactivity from glucose- 14 C into CO 2 and lipid; (2) decreased incorporation of radioactivity from glucose- 14 C into glycogen; (3) increased incorporation of radioactivity from glucose- 14 C into released lactate; (4) decreased incorporation of radioactivity from acetate-1- 14 C into CO 2 and lipid. Under the same experimental conditions, CH 3 -G had no effect upon the rate of incorporation of radioactivity from glucose- 14 C into CO 2 and lipid by epididymal fat pads of nfice. The effects of phenformin upon glycolytic pathways of epididymal fat pads of rats in vitro were similar in some respects to CH 3 -G, but differed from the later in depressing incorporation of radioactivity from glucose- 14 C into CO 2 and lipid. In addition, total glucose uptake was depressed by phenformin at the concentrations used. The effects of CH 3 -G and phenformin differed from those of insulin with regard to the incorporation of radioactivity from glucose- 14 C into glycogen and incorporation from acetate-1- 14 C into CO 2 and lipid. In addition, the effects of insulin were abolished in the presence of nethalide, whereas the effects of CH 3 -G were not. Insulin stimulated total uptake of glucose by both rat and mouse epididymal fat pads in vitro , but CH 3 -G had no effect upon the latter.
Electron Transfer in Functionalized Fullerenes

A considerable amount of work concerning systems in which C60 is an electron acceptor has been published in the past three years, representing a substantial advance in knowledge over that summarized in the reviews published by Guldi and Kamat in 2000 [1] and by Martin et al. in 1998 [2]. Other reviews covering specific topics in this area have also appeared in the interim [3–5]. Accordingly, the present chapter will concentrate on new developments in this field, with only occasional reference to work published before 1999. The fundamental principles behind fullerene donor-acceptor systems are revisited and, for the first time, a section summarizing the experimental methods available for the study of these systems is presented. Other chapters in this volume deal with subjects that are very closely interwoven with the present discussion, specifically “Energy Transfer in Functionalized Fullerenes” (Armaroli), “Reorganization Energy in Functionalized Fullerenes” (Guldi), and “Photovoltaic Applications” (Hummelen). Where these subjects arise, as they will repeatedly, the reader will be referred to these chapters for more extensive discussions.
Cardiac Complications and ECG Abnormalities After Stroke

Cardiac problems frequently occur in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients. These problems include relatively benign findings, such as asymptomatic ECG changes, but may also include myocardial ischemia, heart failure, fatal arrhythmias, and cardiac arrest. It is often difficult to determine whether the cardiac problem was due to the stroke, incidental to the stroke, or the actual cause as may occur with cardioembolic strokes. This chapter highlights some of the immediate post-stroke cardiac complications with a focus on myocardial dysfunction (myocardial infarction and heart failure) and arrhythmias. Specific cardioembolic causes, such as long-term management of atrial fibrillation or cardiomyopathy, as contributory etiologies to stroke, are discussed in other chapters.
Reflecting on Pupil Learning to Promote Social Justice: A Catholic University’s Approach to Assessment

In contrast to current education policies that conceptualize pupil learning largely in terms of standardized exam scores, we offer an alternative view, one that conceives of pupil learning as a source of insight for pupils and teachers alike. Drawing on survey data and a qualitative study of the teacher candidate experience, we explore the following questions: In a teacher education program committed to promoting social justice, embracing an inquiry-into-practice stance, and affirming diversity by meeting the needs of diverse learners, how do teacher candidates assess pupil learning, in particular, how are their assessments influenced by these program themes? Further, how do they respond when dilemmas linked to pupil learning arise? Specifically, we focused on dilemmas two teacher candidates encountered that engendered a sense of “disequilibrium,” a feeling something was not quite right with their teaching. In turn, we consider how they responded”typically taking ownership of dilemmas and modifying their teaching, while occasionally distancing themselves from responsibility for pupil performance. To conclude, we discuss implications for teacher educators, and specifically for Catholic institutions of higher education that prepare teachers for both public and Catholic schools.
Public Perceptions of Billboards: A Meta-Analysis

While outdoor advertising is currently the fastest-growing traditional advertising medium, the value of billboards to the public has long been debated. Drawing on a conceptual framework developed by Farris and Albion (1980), contrasting two schools of thought about advertising's economic and societal role, this study reports a meta-analysis of more than 100 surveys of U.S. public opinion toward billboards, covering almost eight decades of findings from more than 100,000 participants. Variables analyzed include the degree to which the public believes billboards are informative, entertaining, irritating, and helpful to the economy; in need of more regulation; and beneficial overall. Results suggest that, both historically and currently, consumers view billboards positively, and a strong majority do not support billboard bans. Moreover, the overall results are more supportive of the notion that the public subscribes to the Advertising = Information school of thought as opposed to the Advertising = Market Pow...
Impact of an emergency department electronic sepsis surveillance system on patient mortality and length of stay.

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether an electronic health record-based sepsis alert system could improve quality of care and clinical outcomes for patients with sepsis. Materials and Methods We performed a patient-level interrupted time series study of emergency department patients with severe sepsis or septic shock between January 2013 and April 2015. The intervention, introduced in February 2014, was a system of interruptive sepsis alerts triggered by abnormal vital signs or laboratory results. Primary outcomes were length of stay (LOS) and in-hospital mortality; other outcomes included time to first lactate and blood cultures prior to antibiotics. We also assessed sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), and clinician response to the alerts. Results Mean LOS for patients with sepsis decreased from 10.1 to 8.6 days (P < .001) following alert introduction. In adjusted time series analysis, the intervention was associated with a decreased LOS of 16% (95% CI, 5%-25%; P = .007, with significance of α = 0.006) and no change thereafter (0%; 95% CI, -2%, 2%). The sepsis alert system had no effect on mortality or other clinical or process measures. The intervention had a sensitivity of 80.4% and a PPV of 14.6%. Discussion Alerting based on simple laboratory and vital sign criteria was insufficient to improve sepsis outcomes. Alert fatigue due to the low PPV is likely the primary contributor to these results. Conclusion A more sophisticated algorithm for sepsis identification is needed to improve outcomes.