cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theoretical investigation of the instrumental peak line shape in ion-scattering spectroscopy.

The instrumental peak line shape describing the elastic scattering of a single isotopic primary ion off a single isotopic target surface has been investigated theoretically using a Bohr-screened Coulomb potential, the Thomas-Fermi-Firsov-screened Coulomb potential, and the Ziegler-Biersack-Littmark universal potential. Experimental factors such as the energy spread in the primary ion beam and the spectral resolution (channel width) have also been taken into account in this study. The calculated line shapes have been determined for 100 eV $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ scattering off $^{27}\mathrm{Al}$ and $^{193}\mathrm{Nb}$ with a scattering angle \ensuremath{\theta}=143\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} and a \ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\theta} of \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}12\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}. The results show that the ion-scattering spectroscopy peaks are asymmetrical due to the variation in differential scattering cross section with energy. This asymmetry is more pronounced for Al (lighter mass), higher spectral resolution, and narrower primary ion energy distributions.
Streamwise structures in a turbulent supersonic boundary layer

Flow visualizations in a high Reynolds number, Mach 3, fully developed turbulent boundary layer indicate that the upper half of the boundary layer is populated with elongated longitudinal structures. These structures are robust with considerable streamwise but very limited spanwise extent, and are randomly distributed in space and time. Possible mechanisms for the generation of these structures are discussed.
Effect of geometry on pressure losses across models of arterial stenoses

Abstract The influence of geometric characteristics such as shape, length, and percent lumen area reduction on the pressure drop across an arterial stenosis is studied by means of an extensive series of in vitro steady-flow tests utilizing model constrictions in the form of blunt-ended hollow plugs. Results show that the pressure drop can be accurately predicted by a relatively simple equation. Extension of the results to shapes other than blunt plugs is also considered and shown to be possible. The pressure drop across multiple stenoses is investigated by considering two blunt plugs in series. Experimental data indicate that in general the pressure drop cannot be obtained by a symmation of pressure drops for single stenoses since the proximal and distal stenoses “interfere” with each other unless the spacing between them exceeds some critical distance which depends on the Reynolds number.
Finite element solution of a boundary integral equation for mode I embedded three‐dimensional fractures

The singular integral equation governing the opening of a mode I embedded three-dimensional fracture in an infinite solid was solved by applying the finite element method. The strategy is to formulate the equation into weak form, and to transfer the differentiation from the singular term, 1/r, in the equation to the test function. A numerical algorithm was thus developed. The numerical solutions for circular and elliptical fractures under the action of polynomial pressure distributions were compared with the analytical solutions by Green and Sneddon,12 Irwin,13 Shah and Kobayashi14 and Nishioka and Atluri.16 The results have demonstrated that the numerical method reported is accurate and efficient.
Circular under-pad multiple-mode ESD protection structure for ICs

A novel circular pad-oriented low-parasitic all-mode electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection structure is designed in BiCMOS for RF and mixed-signal (MS) ICs, featuring tunable triggering, low voltage clamping (∼2 V), low discharge impedance (∼Ω) and low leakage current (∼pA). It consumes limited silicon and achieves 14 kV ESD protection.
Devil or Democrat? Hugo Chávez and the US Prestige Press

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has emerged as an outspoken challenger to US geopolitical preeminence in the Americas. This study explores the framing practices employed by mainstream newspaper outlets in the United States in their coverage of President Chavez over a ten-year time period—between 1998, the year he was first elected president, and December 2007. This content analysis examines media output from a number of influential newspapers: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Using an inductive approach, I identify and critically assess the dominant media frames that emerged over this time period: the Dictator Frame, the Castro Disciple Frame, the Declining Economy Frame, and the Meddler-in-the-Region Frame. I also explore how journalistic norms—like personalization, dramatization, novelty, and authority-order—inform media coverage of this key Latin American leader.
Dehydrojuncusol, a constituent of the roots of Juncus roemerianus

Abstract Dehydrojuncusol, an uncommon simple phenanthrene derivative has been isolated from the roots of the tidal ‘marsh plant’, Juncus roemerianus. The structure of dehydrojuncusol has been determined with the help of chemical and spectral data.
In vivo measurement of dynamic rectus femoris function at postures representative of early swing phase

Forward dynamic models suggest that muscle-induced joint motions depend on dynamic coupling between body segments. As a result, biarticular muscles may exhibit non-intuitive behavior in which the induced joint motion is opposite to that assumed based on anatomy. Empirical validation of such predictions is important for models to be relied upon to characterize muscle function. In this study, we measured, in vivo, the hip and knee accelerations induced by electrical stimulation of the rectus femoris (RF) and the vastus medialis (VM) at postures representatives of the toe-off and early swing phases of the gait cycle. Seven healthy young subjects were positioned side-lying with their lower limb supported on air bearings while a 90 ms pulse train stimulated each muscle separately or simultaneously. Lower limb kinematics were measured and compared to predictions from a similarly configured dynamic model of the lower limb. We found that both RF and VM, when stimulated independently, accelerated the hip and knee into extension at these postures, consistent with model predictions. Predicted ratios of hip acceleration to knee acceleration were generally within 1 s.d. of average values. In addition, measured responses to simultaneous RF and VM stimulation were within 13% of predictions based on the assumption that joint accelerations induced by activating two muscles simultaneously can be found by adding the joint accelerations induced by activating the same muscles independently. These results provide empirical evidence of the importance of considering dynamic effects when interpreting the role of muscles in generating movement.
Identification of submicrometer coal fly ash in a high-sulfate episode at Whiteface Mountain, New York

Abstract The most direct evidence yet of a coal-burning source of a high-sulfate air mass reaching the Northeast has been detected in a brief episode at Whiteface Mountain, NY, on 23 June 1983. Individual microparticles were characterized by electron microscopy in three samples from this period: 12 h before the SO2−4 peak ( [SO 2− 4 ] = 2.7 μg m −3 ), during the peak (24 μg m −3) and 12 h after the peak (2.2 μg m −3). This analysis provided the first confirmation of the association of coal fly ash and high [SO2−4] at a rural acid-stressed site. Common at the time of peak [SO 2−4] were sub-μm magnetite and glass spheres as identified by morphology, elemental composition and mineralogy. This coal fly ash was essentially absent 12 h before or 12 h after the episode. A midwestern source of this episode was indicated by Mn/V ratios and by meteorologic conditions.
Leveraging Mobile Games for Place-Based Language Learning

This paper builds on the emerging body of research aimed at exploring the educational potential of mobile technologies, specifically, how to leverage place-based, augmented reality mobile games for language learning. We draw on our experiences with Mentira the first place-based, augmented reality mobile game for learning Spanish in a local neighborhood in the Southwestern United States to explore both the complexities and benefits of integrating mobile games in second and foreign language learning contexts. We first discuss relevant background issues and then describe the Mentira project, including an exploration of the setting, narrative, gameplay, and curriculum. This is followed by a discussion of initial findings and future goals. We address gameplay, the importance of 'place' for language learning, and the role of student buy-in. The paper concludes with future considerations for the continued use of mobile games projects for language learning as well as other disciplines.
A Pathogenic Fungus, Massospora cicadina Peck (Entomophthorales), in Emerging Nymphs of Periodical Cicadas (Homoptera: Cicadidae)

Periodical cicada nymphs (Homoptera: Cicadidae: Magicicada spp.) that were collected as they emerged from the ground, isolated, and allowed to eclose in individual containers sometimes developed infective conidia of the fungus Massospora cicadina Peck, but never resting spores. The time required for the cicada's abdominal sclerites to fall off (i.e., for the animal to become highly infective to others) and the proportion of nymphs developing the infection did not differ between the sexes. By contrast, in an adult population, the prevalence of secondary infections producing resting spores was much higher in males. The proportion of individuals infected as nymphs was positively correlated with the time since the habitat was last disturbed, and negatively correlated with the number of cicadas emerging per m2. Cicadas in one of the six study sites had been studied in the prior emergence—17 years earlier—which provided the opportunity to determine what changes had occurred in cicada density and the proportion infected by the fungus. Density had dropped by one-half, and the proportion of infected individuals generating resting spores had increased by 9-fold. These data suggest possibilities for use of the fungus as a biological control agent, although the resting spores appear to be highly vulnerable to environmental disturbance.
Alfvén wave generated electron time dispersion

The results from a model of kinetic Alfven waves which includes varying magnetic field and density show that time-dispersed bursts of auroral electrons can be accelerated by Alfven wave pulses propagating from the magnetosphere to the ionosphere. The modeled electron signatures have similar energy range and temporal structure to those observed on sounding rockets and satellites suggesting that electron time dispersion is generated by Alfven waves.
Effects of Co 60 Gamma Irradiation on Epitaxial GaAs Laser Diodes

The characteristics of defects introduced in epitaxial GaAs by room-temperature ${\mathrm{Co}}^{60}$ irradiation have been studied by observing the degradation of light emission from GaAs laser diodes. The luminescence degradation is indicative of a decrease in electron lifetime in the $p$-type region brought about by the introduction of nonradiative recombination centers. These defects anneal in a single stage centered at 237\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. Isothermal-annealing studies show that the defects anneal by a first-order kinetic process with an activation energy of 1.7 eV and a preexponential factor of ${10}^{13}$ ${\mathrm{sec}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The annealing properties of the defect suggest that it is a complex whose dissociation is the limiting step in the recovery process. The defects can also anneal at temperatures as low as 76\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K under the influence of a strong forward bias. A dc forward bias at 2.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{2}$ A/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ at room temperature for 1 h produces complete recovery of the light intensity. The possibility of annealing due to heating while under strong forward bias has been considered and does not appear to be responsible for the bias annealing. Rather, the forward-bias-induced recovery is thought to be due to an increase in the probability of annihilation because of a change in charge state of the defect complex following capture of a minority carrier. The various aspects of forward-bias annealing observed in this study can be explained by this model. On the basis of the above results, the complex has been tentatively identified as consisting of an impurity and an As interstitial.
Tectonic histories between Alba Patera and Syria Planum, Mars

Syria Planum and Alba Patera are two of the most prominent features of magmatic-driven activity identified for the Tharsis region and perhaps for all of Mars. In this study, we have performed a Geographic Information System-based comparative investigation of their tectonic histories using published geologic map information and Mars Orbiter Laser Altimetry (MOLA) data. Our primary objective is to assess their evolutional histories by focusing on their extent of deformation in space and time through stratigraphic, paleotectonic, topographic, and geomorphologic analyses. Though there are similarities among the two prominent features, there are several distinct differences, including timing deformational extent, and tectonic intensity of formation. Whereas Alba Patera displays a major pulse of activity during the Late Hesperian/Early Amazonian, Syria Planum is a long-lived center that displays a more uniform distribution of simple graben densities ranging from the Noachian to the Amazonian, many of which occur at greater distances away from the primary center of activity. The histories of the two features presented here are representative of the complex, long-lived evolutional history of Tharsis.
Live simulation of affect-laden cultural cognitions

Since Guetzkow's pioneering work in the simulation of international relations (Guetzkow et al., 1963), attempts have been made to apply the strategy of simulation to other areas of (research) interest to the social scientist. A particular application has been found in the study of cross-cultural communication (Fiedler, Stolurow, and Triandis, 1965; Haines, 1964), an area long beset with methodological pitfalls and research hazards and relatively deemphasized in the Guetzkow inter-nation simulation (in favor of more manageable roles reflecting such dimensions as power, decision-making, and organizational restraints). The strategy of applying a quasi-experimental device like simulation to this rich but for the most part experimentally untouched field of crosscultural communication seems especially appropriate because of the technique's specific discovery potential and heuristic value (Snyder, 1963). The approach to cross-cultural communication by Fiedler and his associates at Illi-
First-principles thermodynamic modeling of lanthanum chromate perovskites

Tendencies toward local atomic ordering in (A,A′)(B,B′)O_(3−δ) mixed composition perovskites are modeled to explore their influence on thermodynamic, transport, and electronic properties. In particular, dopants and defects within lanthanum chromate perovskites are studied under various simulated redox environments. (La_(1−x),Sr_x)(Cr_(1−y),Fe_y)O_(3−δ) (LSCF) and (La_(1−x),Sr_x)(Cr_(1−y),Ru_y)O_(3−δ) (LSCR) are modeled using a cluster expansion statistical thermodynamics method built upon a density functional theory database of structural energies. The cluster expansions are utilized in lattice Monte Carlo simulations to compute the ordering of Sr and Fe(Ru) dopant and oxygen vacancies (Vac). Reduction processes are modeled via the introduction of oxygen vacancies, effectively forcing excess electronic charge onto remaining atoms. LSCR shows increasingly extended Ru-Vac associates and short-range Ru-Ru and Ru-Vac interactions upon reduction; LSCF shows long-range Fe-Fe and Fe-Vac interaction ordering, inhibiting mobility. First principles density functional calculations suggest that Ru-Vac associates significantly decrease the activation energy of Ru-Cr swaps in reduced LSCR. These results are discussed in view of experimentally observed extrusion of metallic Ru from LSCR nanoparticles under reducing conditions at elevated temperature.
A Switch-Level Timing Verifier for Digital MOS VLSI

Crystal is a timing verification program for digital nMOS and CMOS circuits. Using the circuit extracted from a mask set, the program determines the length of each clock phase and pinpoints the longest paths. Crystal can process circuits with about 40 000 transistors in about 20-30 min of VAX-11/780 CPU time. The program uses a switch-level approach in which the circuit is decomposed into chains of switches called stages. A depth-first search, with pruning, is used to trace out stages and locate the critical paths. Bidirectional pass transistor arrays are handled by having the designer tag such structures with flow control information, which is used by Crystal to avoid endless searches. Delays are computed on a stage-by-stage basis, using a simple resistor-switch model based on rise-time ratios (a measure of how fully turned-on the transistors in the stage are). The delay modeler executes 10 000 times as fast as SPICE, yet produces delay estimates that are typically within 10 percent of SPICE for digital circuits.
Validation of 13CO2 breath analysis as a measurement of demethylation of stable isotope labeled aminopyrine in man.

Abstract Interval sampling of expired breath as a simple, non-invasive assessment of the effect of liver disease upon hepatic microsomal drug metabolism, has been demonstrated with [ 14 C]dimethylaminoantipyrine (aminopyrine). In order to eliminate radiation risk we have validated the use of aminopyrine labeled with the stable, non-radioactive isotope 13 C. Simultaneous oral administration of both [ 14 C]- and [ 13 C]aminopyrine to five adult subjects without liver disease as well as five patients with known liver disease, resulted in the excretion of label at nearly identical rates in both individual time collections ( r = 0.94) as well as cumulative excretion for three hours ( r = 0.97). An oral dose of 2-mg/kg of [ 13 C]aminopyrine resulted in rates of production of 13 CO 2 significantly greater than baseline variations in 13 CO 2 production in the fasting, resting subject. Measurements of a single peak value at one half hour correlated closely with the determination of cumulative appearance over three hours ( r = 0.96). A consistent reproducible increase in the peak production of 13 CO 2 was observed when five patients received phenobarbital. Stable isotope labeled aminopyrine may be used to detect the effects of disease and treatment upon hepatic N-demethylation activity in human subjects without incurring any risk from radiation. Furthermore, the availability of another isotopic carbon label should make possible the study of direct drug-drug interaction utilizing CO 2 analysis.
Solubility of Poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-19 mol % hexafluoropropylene) in Supercritical CO2 and Halogenated Supercritical Solvents

High-pressure cloud-point data are presented for poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-19.3 mol % hexafluoropropylene) (FEP19) in CF4, C2F6, C3F8, C3F6, CClF3, CO2, and SF6 at 118−250 °C and pressures as high as 2700 bar. Cloud-point curves for a given solvent virtually superpose for FEP19 concentrations between 2 and 10 wt %. It is not possible to dissolve FEP19 in CO2 at temperatures less than 185 °C due to strong quadrupolar self-interactions relative to cross-interactions between FEP19 and CO2. The location of the cloud-point curves in pressure−temperature space are directly related to the product of the polarizability and molar density, ρiαi, of the solvent as determined at the cloud-point pressure at a given temperature. The average of ρiαi is 5.14 × 10-24 mol ±7% for the SCF solvents considered in this study calculated at 200 °C and it is 5.41 × 10-24 mol ±7% for all of the solvents except CF4 and CO2 at 170 °C. This simple correlation provides a means for estimating cloud-point pressures for nonpolar polyme...
Blind restoration of linearly degraded discrete signals by Gibbs sampling

This paper addresses the problem of simultaneous parameter estimation and restoration of discrete-valued signals that are blurred by an unknown FIR filter and contaminated by additive Gaussian white noise with unknown variance. Assuming that the signals are stationary Markov chains with known state space but unknown initial and transition probabilities, Bayesian inference of all unknown quantities is made from the blurred and noisy observations. A Monte Carlo procedure, called the Gibbs sampler, is employed to calculate the Bayesian estimates. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. >
Low profile arrays with integrated beamformers

An area of active applied research at the Army Research Lab (ARL) has been the investigation of antenna arrays with integrated beamformers. At the ARL, a leading candidate for beamforming in antenna arrays has been the Rotman lens — a topic of research for nearly 20 years. Early efforts used a hollow cavity to realize a lens for demonstration of Multi-Function RF. Building on this work, we have developed lenses with unique aspects. For example, we have developed lenses that can be made from a plastic. Such lenses are then coated with conducting material achieving comparable performance to identical (all metal) lenses, but with significant reductions in weight. Additionally, we have developed lens realizations that are able to be bent around the body of a vehicle.
Human intervertebral disc cells

Abstract Purpose of study: The objective of this study was to investigate how human disc cells in vitro attached, proliferated, produced extracellular matrix (ECM) and expressed selected ECM genes within various three-dimensional (3D) carrier materials. Methods used: Studies were approved by the human subjects institutional review board. Specimens were obtained from surgical procedures performed on individuals with herniated discs. Specimens were transported immediately and cells established using published methods. Control donor discs were obtained by means of the NCI Cooperative Human Tissue Network. Cells were expanded in culture and tested for attachment, proliferation and ECM production in collagen sponges, collagen gel, agarose, alginate or fibrin gel formulations after 10 days of culture. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in situ hybridization was used to assess ECM gene expression for Types I and II collagen, aggrecan and chondroitin sulfate. Histologic assessment included routine staining and immunohistochemistry. Cell cultures from the annulus were established from 29 individuals (mean age, 45.3 years; range, 26 to 73 years; 17 males, 12 females). Distribution of Thompson grades were grade II, 5 individuals; grade II, 12; grade IV, 12. Twenty-four sites were lumbar, four were cervical and one was lower thoracic. of findings: Collagen sponges provided the best microenvironment for disc cell ECM production ( Fig. 1 Download : Download high-res image (635KB) Download : Download full-size image Fig. 1 . , far left) and gene expression ( Fig. 1, A , Type I collagen; B, Type II collagen: C, chondroitin sulfate; D, aggrecan). Although collagen gels supported cell growth, they did not result in either abundant ECM production or ECM gene expression as shown by RT-PCR in situ hybridization. Growth, ECM production and gene expression in alginate, agarose and fibrin microenvironments were also inferior. Relationship between findings and existing knowledge: Cell technologies and tissue engineering techniques have opened new therapeutic possibilities for use of autologous cells in clinical orthopedic applications. For potential biologic intervertebral disc therapies, fundamental questions on how human disc cells interact with and grow in potential cell carriers are unexplored. Overall significance of findings: Results provide novel data on disc cell survival and gene expression within diverse microenvironments. Collagen in a 3D sponge microenvironment proved superior in terms of cell survival, ECM production and ECM gene expression as reflected in assessment of Types I and II collagen, aggrecan and chondroitin sulfate. Disclosures: No disclosures. Conflict of interest: Helen Gruber, and Edward Hanley, Jr., grant research support: North American Spine Society
The efficiency of spatial competition

The result of this paper is to suggest that the Koopmans-Beckmann conclusion quoted earlier depends crucially on the indivisibility assumed in their model.
Descartes on the Objective Reality of Materially False Ideas

The Standard Interpretation of Descartes on material falsity states that Descartes believed that materially false ideas (MFIs) lack objective reality [realitas objectiva]. The argument for the Standard Interpretation depends on a statement from the Third Meditation that MFIs are caused by nothing. This statement, in conjunction with a causal principle introduced by Descartes, seems to entail that MFIs lack objective reality. However, the Standard Interpretation is incorrect. First, I argue that, despite initial appearances, the manner in which Descartes understands the proposition that MFIs are caused by nothing does not entail that they lack objective reality. Secondly, I argue that Descartes is committed to the objective reality of MFIs because of his quasi-scholastic explanation of MFIs.
Phylogeographic variation in two Central American pocket gophers (Orthogeomys)

Restriction-site data for mitochondrial DNA were used to test the isolation-by-distance model of genetic variation in two species of Central American pocket gophers, Orthogeomys cherriei and O. underwoodi . Maximum-likelihood and parsimony analyses yielded trees with topologies concordant with predictions based on physiography. Relationships within O. cherriei reveal probable effects of a partial geographic barrier in the form of the Cordillera de Tilaran in northcentral Costa Rica. The phylogenetic tree for O. underwoodi branches in a ladder-like fashion from south to north suggesting the absence of obstructions to gene flow. Results of Mantel tests indicated that variation of mtDNA within O. cherriei is not consistent with a hypothesis of isolation-by-distance, whereas variation within O. underwoodi shows a statistically significant association with geographic distance. Estimates of intraspecific sequence divergence indicate that the present distributions of these two species resulted from climatic shifts in the Pleistocene.
The catabolism of glucose in soluble adult and fetal-heart preparations.

Abstract Soluble enzyme fractions from heart can reduce TPN in the presence of glucose-6-phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, 6-phosphogluconate or ribose-5-phosphate. In the presence of ATP and TPN, these fractions catalyse the production of 14CO2 from [1-14C]gluconolactone, [1-14C]glucose, [1-14C]ribose and [2-14C]glucose. For all of these oxidations, the activity of the fetal preparations is 4 to 5 times as great as the adult preparations.
Effect of glutathione deficiency on the adipocyte sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase.

Abstract The present study investigates the effects of various glutathione (GSH) depleting agents on sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) activity, the first committed step in adipose triacylglycerol formation. GPAT activity was measured in the presence of [14C]glycerol-3-phosphate and palmitoyl-CoA, using different subcellular fractions. Glutathione deficiency in animals was induced in the presence of diethylmaleate (DEM) or buthionine sulfoximine. In this respect, DEM (1.75 mmoles/kg) was more effective and caused over 75% decrease in GPAT activity within 4 h of DEM administration. Further studies indicated that this decrease in GPAT activity was mainly related to the microsomal form of GPAT, without any significant effect on mitochondrial GPAT activity. Adipocytes incubated with 2.5 mm DEM for 1 h at 37°C also showed a reduction in the adipocyte glutathione content, which was accompanied by decreases in GPAT activity. The effect of DEM on adipocyte GPAT activity was partially reversible in the presence of cell permeable glutathione ethyl ester. Preincubation of adipose tissue homogenates with 2.5 mM DEM at 30°C for 45 min also showed a significant loss of the GPAT activity. The presence of 5 mM dithiothreitol in the preincubation mixture offered a significant protection of the GPAT activity against DEM. However, glutathione was ineffective in this respect as it interfered with the utilization of palmitoyl-CoA in the GPAT assay. Therefore, on the basis of these three different approaches, the present studies suggest that the thiol environment offered by glutathione (in vivo and in vitro studies) or dithiothreitol (in a cell-free system) is critical for the maintenance of GPAT activity.
Perceived Purposes of the Head Start National Reporting System at the Local Program Level: A Case Study.

The Head Start National Reporting System (NRS) exemplified an assessment system where significant ambiguity existed regarding its purpose(s). This article considers the perceived purposes of the NRS from a local program perspective through observations and interviews with staff members during the 2004–2005 school year. This study found that a local program primarily viewed the NRS as providing accountability at the federal level. In comparison, the NRS provided limited accountability at the local level and was not used to help guide program development. The researchers also documented lessons learned through a collaborative research process that considered how assessment systems may be used for the purposes of development, in addition to accountability, at the local program level.
Not the module does memory make – but the network

This commentary questions the target articles inferences from a limited set of empirical data to support this model and conceptual scheme. Especially questionable is the attribution of internal representation properties to an assembly of cells in a discrete cortical module firing at a discrete attractor frequency. Alternative inferences are drawn from cortical cooling and cell-firing data that point to the internal representation as a broad and specific cortical network defined by cortico-cortical connectivity. Active memory, it is proposed, consists in the sustained activation of the component neuron populations of the network.
Measurements of direct photons in Au+Au collisions with PHENIX

Abstract The PHENIX experiment has published direct photon yields and elliptic flow coefficients v 2 from Au+Au collisions at RHIC energies [1] , [2] . These results have sparked much theoretical discussion. The measured yields and flow parameters are difficult to reconcile in current model calculations of thermal radiation based on hydrodynamic evolution of the collision volume. Our latest analyses which use high statistics data from the 2007 and 2010 runs allow the determination of direct photon yields with finer granularity in centrality and photon momentum and down to p T as low as 0.4 GeV / c . We will summarize the current status and present new results from PHENIX.
Re: True juxta-anastomotic aneurysms in the residual infra-renal abdominal aorta.

differed from ours 2 in that hypertension and smoking were found to be significantly associated with the development of juxta-anastomotic AAAs. The disparity, however, may be due to the different design and statistical methods used in the two studies. In our study, we performed multiple linear regression analysis, whereas Baker et al. used univariate analysis to test the association between the occurrence of juxtaanastomotic AAAs and the patients’ demographic characteristics, co-morbidities, operative details and postoperative complications. That implies (based on tables 1 and 2) that 30 univariate analyses were performed, which raises the issue of multiple comparisons. To counterbalance the effect of multiple comparisons and avoid the possibility of finding significant differences by chance (type I error), a statistical method such as the Bonferroni adjustment should be applied. In that case, the threshold level for statistical significance would be set much lower and P values of 0.023 and 0.033 would not be significant. A second issue refers to the outcome measures used in the two studies. In our study, the change in the diameter of the infrarenal aortic segment was used as dependent variable, whereas in the study by Baker et al. dependent variable was the diameter of the infrarenal aorta at the time of the follow-up visit. In this context, no information on the initial neck diameter is given. Although it would be reasonable to assume that the anastomosis was never placed on a dilated aortic neck, the possibility that hypertensives and smokers had larger aortic necks at onset cannot be excluded. A multivariate analysis including the initial neck diameter and the various other risk factors is therefore mandatory to determine independence of associations. Interestingly, a previous study from the same center had suggested that there was no significant change in proximal aortic neck diameter following endovascular aneurysm repair. 3 The discrepancy is in the opposite direction of that expected, since it has been hypothesized that a continuous sutured anastomosis may provide a tethering that may restrict proximal aortic cuff expansion. 4 On the other hand, deliberate oversizing of the proximal stent in endovascular grafts may be sufficient to precipitate dilatation. The unexpected disparity underscores the importance of including the initial neck diameter in the analysis since the two cohorts may well be different in this regard. We would like to thank the Nottingham group for sharing with us their vast experience in both open and endovascular AAA repair. We believe that further analysis of this wealth of data will allow for invaluable conclusions to be drawn.
Microscopic diffusion tensor atlas of the mouse brain

Eight diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) datasets of normal adult C57BL/6J mouse brains were acquired with an isotropic Nyquist limited resolution of 43 μm (voxel volume ~80 pl). Each specimen was scanned with a b0 image and 6 diffusion-weighted images. T1- and T2*-weighted data were acquired with each specimen to aid nonlinear registration of the data to a common reference space (called "Waxholm Space"). We identified 80 different discrete landmarks in Waxholm Space to provide the gold standard for measuring the registration quality. The accuracy of the registration was established by measuring displacement of the 80 landmarks in each registered brain from the same landmarks in the reference brain. The accuracy was better than 130 μm for 95% of the landmarks (overall landmark displacement is 65±40 μm, n=640). Mean and coefficient of variation atlases of DTI indices were generated with potential application for both voxel-based and region of interest-based analysis. To examine consistency of DTI data among individual subjects in this study and difference in diffusion indices between separate brain structures within each subject, averaged values of DTI indices (axial diffusivity, radial diffusivity, fractional anisotropy, and angular deviation of the primary eigenvector) were computed in 9 white matter structures in each brain. The variation of the DTI indices across the population was very small, e.g., ~5% for axial diffusivity for each white matter structure, enabling confident differentiation of differences in these structures within each subject. ANOVA tests indicated that the current protocol is able to provide consistent DTI data of individual brains (p>0.25), and distinguish difference of diffusion indices between white matter structures (p<0.001). Power analysis was also performed to provide an estimate of the number of specimens required to detect a 10% change of the DTI indices in each white matter structure. The data provide a critical addition to Waxholm Space, the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (www.incf.org) online comprehensive atlas of the mouse brain.
Simulation model calibration with correlated knowledge-gradients

We address the problem of calibrating an approximate dynamic programming model, where we need to find a vector of parameters to produce the best fit of the model against historical data. The problem requires adaptively choosing the sequence of parameter settings on which to run the model, where each run of the model requires approximately twelve hours of CPU time and produces noisy non-stationary output. We describe an application of the knowledge-gradient algorithm with correlated beliefs to this problem and show that this algorithm finds a good parameter vector out of a population of one thousand with only three runs of the model.
Design of affordable and ruggedized biomedical devices using virtual instrumentation.

AbstractThis paper presents the designs of four low-cost and ruggedized biomedical devices, including a blood pressure monitor, thermometer, weighing scale and spirometer, designed for the East African context. The design constraints included a mass-production price point of $10, accuracy and precision comparable to commercial devices and ruggedness to function effectively in the harsh environment of East Africa. The blood pressure device, thermometer and weighing scale were field-tested in Kenya and each recorded data within 6% error of the measurements from commercial devices and withstood the adverse climate and rough handling. The spirometer functioned according to specifications, but a re-design is needed to improve operability and usability by patients. This article demonstrates the feasibility of designing and commercializing virtual instrumentation-based biomedical devices in resource-constrained environments through context-driven design. The next steps for the devices include designing them such...
Defensive and infrared reception responses of true vipers, pitvipers, Azemiops and colubrids

It has been suggested that true vipers (Viperidae: Viperinae) possess the ability to detect temperature differences between objects despite the lack of an apparent infrared radiation sensor. We tested the ability to distinguish between heated and unheated targets in three species of pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae), four species of true vipers, two species of colubrids (Colubridae: Natricinae, Colubrinae) and Azemiops feae (Viperidae: Azemiopinae). All species of pitvipers tested could distinguish between the warm and cool targets, while no tested species of true viper, colubrid or Azemiops demonstrated this ability. In addition, pitvipers exhibited behaviors that true vipers or Azemiops did not exhibit. Our results suggest that the tested species of true vipers, Azemiops and colubrids may not posses the ability to sense infrared radiation or do not use it in a defensive context, and suggest that some defensive behaviors are associated with the pit organ in pitvipers.
Culture and the risk of disease

Decades of research have demonstrated that disease risk varies in relation to culture. Much of this research has focused on blood pressure, given its relative ease of measurement under difficult field conditions. Community average blood pressures in more developed, industrialized societies are higher than those in less developed, traditional societies. These differences can be accounted for only in part by differences in body composition and nutrient intake. A portion of the difference is accounted for by more direct effects of culture on individual behaviour and physiology. This chapter reviews this evidence. Approaches to this research have included studies of communities differing in exposure to modernizing influences; studies of sociocultural stresses generated within the process of social change and modernization; and, studies of how individual differences in the ability to act on shared cultural models (referred to as 'cultural consonance') are associated with disease risk. Clinical implications of these results are briefly discussed.
Campus Wars: The Peace Movement At American State Universities in the Vietnam Era

"At the same time that the dangerous war was being fought in the jungles of Vietnam, Campus Wars were being fought in the United States by antiwar protesters. Kenneth J. Heineman found that the campus peace campaign was first spurred at state universities rather than at the big-name colleges. His useful book examines the outside forces, like military contracts and local communities, that led to antiwar protests on campus." --Herbert Mitgang, The New York Times "Shedding light on the drastic change in the social and cultural roles of campus life, Campus Wars looks at the way in which the campus peace campaign took hold and became a national movement." --History Today "Heineman's prodigious research in a variety of sources allows him to deal with matters of class, gender, and religion, as well as ideology. He convincingly demonstrates that, just as state universities represented the heartland of America, so their student protest movements illustrated the real depth of the anguish over US involvement in Vietnam. Highly recommended." --Choice "Represents an enormous amount of labor and fills many gaps in our knowledge of the anti-war movement and the student left." --Irwin Unger, author of These United States The 1960s left us with some striking images of American universities: Berkeley activists orating about free speech atop a surrounded police car; Harvard SDSers waylaying then-Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara; Columbia student radicals occupying campus buildings; and black militant Cornell students brandishing rifles, to name just a few. Tellingly, the most powerful and notorious image of campus protest is that of a teenage runaway, arms outstretched in anguish, kneeling beside the bloodied corpse of Jeff Miller at Kent State University. While much attention has been paid to the role of elite schools in fomenting student radicalism, it was actually at state institutions, such as Kent State, Michigan State, SUNY, and Penn State, where anti-Vietnam war protest blossomed. Kenneth Heineman has pored over dozens of student newspapers, government documents, and personal archives, interviewed scores of activists, and attended activist reunions in an effort to recreate the origins of this historic movement. In Campus Wars, he presents his findings, examining the involvement of state universities in military research -- and the attitudes of students, faculty, clergy, and administrators thereto -- and the manner in which the campus peace campaign took hold and spread to become a national movement. Recreating watershed moments in dramatic narrative fashion, this engaging book is both a revisionist history and an important addition to the chronicle of the Vietnam War era.
Graying anatomy? Toward molecular tumor characterization.

Will anatomical tumor classification become history as we make way for molecular characterization in oncology? Howard McLeod, Fred Eshelman Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy and Professor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina (NC, USA), is internationally recognized for his work on the pharmacogenomic analysis of cancer treatments. Here, he offers Pharmacogenomics his perspectives on the prospects for practical implementation of PGx in clinical care and the corresponding timescales. He and colleagues have already identified specific genetic components of several drugs that have lead to the US FDA changing the drug package inserts to identify patient groups that are genetically predisposed to risk of severe side effects or inadequate benefit. He is currently working with the large national clinical trials groups – such as Cancer and Leukemia Group B – to confirm that findings from small institutional studies will actually translate into better therapy across the USA.
Teacher Perspectives on Online Collaborative Learning: Factors Perceived as Facilitating and Impeding Successful Online Group Work

This study examined the factors perceived by in-service teachers as either facilitating or impeding successful completion of online group work in a virtual graduate school of education program. Based on a quantified qualitative data analysis of open-ended questions, five facilitative factors were identified as (a) individual accountability, (b) affective team support, (c) the presence of a positive group leader, (d) consensus building skills, and (e) clear instructions. There were also seven impeding factors perceived by the teacher participants. Although four of the factors described a lack of the aforementioned facilitative factors, another three broached new, problematic issues that need to be further considered in online teacher education programs. At the conclusion of this article, recommendations are provided that online teacher educators might consider as they initiate group projects in online environments.
A CRACK IN TIME: A STUDENT TRAVERSING PARADIGMS

This article describes the first author's graduate work and dissertation which fell in a crack in time, that period where her institution moved from nearly an exclusive use of quantitative approaches to an awareness and acceptance of both qualitative and quantitative strategies. To be a student during the transition was to be in a very confusing situation. Yet, such a crack in time is probably not at all unusual, in fact it may be universal. Presented as a confessional tale (Van Maanen, 1988), the narrative centers on the student's research autobiography which includes reflections on her development as a researcher prior to graduate school, during her graduate program, and through her dissertation study. The curriculum and experiences that introduced the first author to research were not balanced in the presentation of alternative paradigms for inquiry. The article concludes with implications for graduate students and faculty, especially those who may be in a similar crack and want to speed the crossing.
Regulation of Adaptive Immunity by the Innate Immune System

Twenty years after the proposal that pattern recognition receptors detect invasion by microbial pathogens, the field of immunology has witnessed several discoveries that have elucidated receptors and signaling pathways of microbial recognition systems and how they control the generation of T and B lymphocyte-mediated immune responses. However, there are still many fundamental questions that remain poorly understood, even though sometimes the answers are assumed to be known. Here, we discuss some of these questions, including the mechanisms by which pathogen-specific innate immune recognition activates antigen-specific adaptive immune responses and the roles of different types of innate immune recognition in host defense from infection and injury.
Ethylene dibromide: methyl bromide mixtures as fumigants against the confused flour beetle.

Five different mixtures of ethylene dibromide and methyl bromide were studied at three dosage levels, 8, 10, and 12 mg./l., for effectiveness as fumigants against different life stages of the confused flour beetle, Tribolium conjusum Duv., including adults, larvae, and pupae. Eggs were included in early experiments but were omitted in later ones, since at the dosages studied, 100% mortality of this stage was characteristic for all treatments. The insects were exposed to fumigant for a 5-hour period, and mortality counts were made at 1, 2, and 14 days following completion of exposure. The effect of fumigation on larval emergence from eggs laid by adults surviving treatment was also studied. Most of the mixtures investigated were more effective against all life stages of the insect studied than was methyl bromide alone. In addition, many of the mixtures were more effective than either ethylene dibromide or methyl bromide, on the basis of mortality 1 day following exposure to the fumigant. Thus, insect kill is more rapid with mixtures than with either component alone. Larvae emerged from eggs laid by adults surviving treatment at all dosage levels of methyl bromide, and of mixtures containing less than 1.0 mg./l. of ethylene dibromide. No larval emergence was observed from eggs of adult beetles surviving treatments containing more than 1.0 mg./l. of ethylene dibromide. Advantages of the mixtures for practical fumigation are apparent from results of this study.