cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Formation of A hCG variant with truncated peptide moiety as a biosynthetic product in vitro

Summary In serum of tumor patients variants of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or of the free β-subunit with lower molecular weights may be present as well as proteolytically nicked forms. The origin of these variants, secreted by cells or formed in the periphery, is unknown. In the present study, brefeldin A (BFA) was used to block transiently the anterograde transport from the ER to the Golgi apparatus in JAr cells to increase the residency of hCG in the ER and thus to amplify possible proteolytic processes taking place in this cellular compartment. In JAr cells, BFA (2 hours, 0.05-0.4 μg/ml) diminished the amount of secreted free β-subunit (up to 90%) in a dose-dependent and reversible manner; hCG secretion was less affected. In the BFA cultures, the molar ratio hCG/free was increased up to five-fold. Pulse-chase experiments, using [ 3 H]-Leu for labeling of newly synthesized protein, showed the presence of lower molecular weight variants of the hCG-α and β subunits when hCG was arrested in the ER in presence of BFA. This could be observed most clearly in 8-bromo-cAMP (1 mM) stimulated cultures. In BFA treated cultures, the free β-subunit as well as the β-subunit contained in hCG showed and about 3 kD lower apparent molecular weight in comparison to the β-subunits of controls (34 kD). The lower molecular weight variants of the β-subunits still contained the carboxy-terminal peptide (CTP) since they were bound to anti-CTP-Sepharose. The carbohydrate part could also not account for the difference in the apparent molecular weight since it was not abolished by removal of the N-linked carbohydrate residues. The results demonstrate the capability of the ER to produce truncated variants of the free β-subunit and a truncated β-subunit contained in hCG which are secreted in vitro . During a transient arrest of the de novo synthesized proteins in the ER, the free β-subunit as well as hCG may be most probably proteolytic cleaved in the amino-terminal domain of the β-subunit or in the core part of the molecule.
Pragmatism as a Philosophy of Education in the Hispanic World: A Response

We concentrate on four questions among the many posed by this special collection of papers on Pragmatism and the Hispanic world. They are, first, what took pragmatism beyond the borders of the United States and into the Hispanic world? Next, what are the ideas of Dewey (or pragmatism) that have had the greatest impact on Hispanic culture? Third, what are the past and present obstacles that has kept the Hispanic world from using pragmatism to deal with many of their educational and social problems? Finally, why does pragmatism still hold great promise and potential for the Hispanic world?
PERFORMANCE AND DYNAMIC STABILITY OF GENERAL-PATH CENTRIFUGAL PENDULUM VIBRATION ABSORBERS

Centrifugal pendulum vibration absorbers are a type of tuned dynamic absorber used for the attenuation of torsional vibrations in rotating and reciprocating machines. They consist of masses that are constrained to move along specific paths relative to the rotational axis of the machine. Previous analytical studies have considered the performance of single absorber systems with general paths and of multi-absorber systems with a specific path type. In this paper, we investigate the performance and dynamic stability of systems comprised of multiple, identical centrifugal pendulum vibration absorbers riding on quite general paths. The study is carried out by considering a scaling of the system parameters, based on physically realistic ranges of dimensionless parameters, which permits application of the method of averaging. It is found that the performance of these systems is limited by two distinct types of instabilities. In one type, the system of absorbers lose their synchronous character, while in the other a classical non-linear jump affects all absorbers identically, leading to highly undesirable system behavior. These results are used to evaluate two common types of absorber paths, namely circles and cycloids, including intentional mistuning of the absorber frequencies. The results are used to make some recommendations about the selection of paths to achieve design goals in terms of absorber performance and operating range. The analytical predictions are confirmed by numerical simulations.
Women workers, state policy, and the international division of labor: The case of Silicon Island in Japan

The world economy has gone through a major transformation in the past two decades, involving both a new direction in global capital accumulation and a restructuring of the international division of...
Effects of human trampling on marine rocky shore communities

Abstract The effects of human trampling on two marine intertidal communities were experimentally tested in the upper-shore algal-barnacle assemblage and mid-shore mussel bed communities. On two shores, we trampled experimental plots 250 times every month for a year, and then allowed plots to recover for a further year. Results from the upper shore community showed that foliose algae were susceptible to trampling, and suffered significant declines shortly after trampling started. Canopy cover remained high in untrampled control plots. Barnacles were crushed and removed by trampling. Algal turf was resistant to trampling, and increased in relative abundance in trampled plots. In general the algal-barnacle community recovered in the year following trampling. In the mussel bed community, mussels from a single layer bed were removed by trampling, By contrast, mussels at a second site were in two layers, and only the top layer was removed during the trampling phase. However, mussel patches continued to enlarge during the recovery phase, so that by the end of the second year, experimental plots at both sites had lost mussels and bare space remained. Mussel beds did not recover in the 2 years following cessation of trampling. Control plots lost no mussels during the trampling and recovery phase. Barnacle and algal epibionts on mussels were significantly reduced by tramping. Overall, trampling can shift community composition to an alternate state dominated by low profile algae, and fewer mussels.
Magnesium and blood pressure: Review of the epidemiologic and clinical trial experience

Observational and clinical trial experience suggest the possibility that magnesium may have both a physiologic and pharmacologic role in patients with essential hypertension. Unfortunately, the evidence from epidemiologic studies is inconsistent and many of the clinical trials are small and methodologically imperfect. In theory, magnesium supplementation could be used as a nonpharmacologic hypotensive agent in the individual patient with established hypertension or as a population-based treatment strategy aimed at achieving a slight downward shift in the entire distribution of blood pressure. Our current level of uncertainty is likely to persist until results from large, rigorously controlled observational and interventional studies become available.
Association of Meckel's diverticulum and Crohn's disease

A significant association between Meckel's diverticulum and Crohn's disease has been suggested in the clinical literature. Ten patients with entities demonstrated radiographically as well as cases reported in the literature were analyzed to determine the relevance of this association to radiologic evaluation. The Meckel's diverticulum in most cases was an incidental finding whereas the Crohn's disease usually accounted for the patient's clinical symptoms. Recognition of this association should prevent unnecessary laparotomy for an incidental Meckel's diverticulum and improve the radiographic diagnosis of coexistent Crohn's disease.
Associations between Agricultural Intensification and Social Complexity: An Example from the Prehistoric Ohio Valley

Abstract Many different theories have been advanced to explain the existence of non-state complex societies (often described as chiefdoms). Explanations of the appearance or decline of chiefdoms have historically emphasized the relations between a society's productive base and its social organization, but more recently, studies of the dynamics of chiefdoms have shifted away from economic or material explanations. This study examines the relationship between social complexity and human stable carbon-isotope ratios as a measure of agricultural intensification for late prehistoric (after A.D. 1000) tribal and chiefdom-level societies of the Ohio Valley of eastern North America. We show that there is a strong association between social complexity and agricultural intensification (reflected in increased maize consumption) in this region during the late prehistoric period.
Inference about the change-point from cumulative sum tests

SUMMARY The point of change in mean in a sequence of normal random variables can be estimated from a cumulative sum test scheme. The asymptotic distribution of this estimate and associated test statistics are derived and numerical results given. The relation to likelihood inference is emphasized. Asymptotic results are compared with empirical sequential results, and some practical implications are discussed. The cumulative sum scheme for detecting distributional change in a sequence of random variables is a well-known technique in quality control, dating from the paper of Page (1954) to the recent expository account by van Dobben de Bruyn (1968). Throughout the literature on cumulative sum schemes the emphasis is placed on tests of departure from initial conditions. The purpose of this paper is to examine a secondary aspect: estimation of the index T in a sequence {xt}, where the departure from initial conditions has taken place. The work is closely related to an earlier paper by Hinkley (1970), in which maximum likelihood estimation and inference were discussed. We consider specifically sequences of normal random variables x1, ..., xT, say, where initially the mean 00 and the variance o2 are known. A cumulative sum, cusum, scheme is used to detect possible change in mean from 00, and for simplicity suppose that it is a one-sided scheme for detecting decrease in mean. Then the procedure is to compute the cumulative sums t
Taking the high road: Blogging for votes: the ethics of internet campaigning

Over the past several years journalists have documented the fact that a number of high profile campaigns have been significantly influenced by the "blogosphere." Many political analysts believe that blogging and online videos are changing the political process in profound, yet not necessarily positive, ways. Politicians are using YouTube, MySpace and Facebook Web sites for everything from recruiting volunteers and spreading their campaign message, to raising millions of dollars of campaign funds, to embarrassing and attempting to discredit their opponents. Not only have political candidates created their own campaign websites, they are now creating profile pages on MySpace and creating video messages forYouTube. In fact, tech-savvy candidates hire young staffers to attempt to coordinate and amplify the activities of bloggers, both verbal and video. In a brave new Internet world, political candidates at all levels of the democratic system are discovering both the benefits and pitfalls of online campaigning.
Supersonic Pitch Damping Predictions of Blunt Entry Vehicles from Static CFD Solutions

A technique for predicting supersonic pitch damping of blunt axisymmetric bodies from static CFD data is presented. The contributions to static pitching moment due to forebody and aftbody pressure distributions are broken out and considered separately. The one-dimension moment equation is cast to model the separate contributions from forebody and aftbody pressures with no traditional damping term included. The aftbody contribution to pitching moment is lagged by a phase angle of the natural oscillation period. This lag represents the time for aftbody wake structures to equilibrate while the body is oscillation. The characteristic equation of this formulation indicates that the lagged backshell moment adds a damping moment equivalent in form to a constant pitch damping term. CFD calculations of the backshell's contribution to the static pitching moment for a range of angles-of-attack is used to predict pitch damping coefficients. These predictions are compared with ballistic range data taken of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) capsule and forced oscillation data of the Mars Viking capsule. The lag model appears to capture dynamic stability variation due to backshell geometry as well as Mach number.
ACTIVATION OF THE MEGAKARYOCYTE-SPECIFIC GENE PLATELET BASIC PROTEIN (PBP)BY THE ETS FAMILY FACTOR PU.1

Platelet basic protein (PBP) is a chemokine family member that is only found in platelets and their precursors megakaryocytes. The PBP gene is physically linked to the gene for another platelet-specific chemokine, platelet factor 4. While the biological basis of platelet factor 4 expression has been pursued by others, the regulatory features controlling the platelet-specific expression of PBP have not been investigated. In this article, we examined the molecular basis by which this megakaryocyte-specific gene is regulated. Transient expression studies of truncated reporter constructs containing from 4.5 to 0.1 kilobases of the functional PBP gene 5′-flanking region, demonstrated that the proximal 0.1 kilobases of the promoter was sufficient for high levels of expression in human erythroleukemia and CHRF-288 cells, two megakaryocytic cell lines. However, none of these constructs was expressed above background levels in HeLa and 293 cells, two non-megakaryocytic cell lines. Further truncation of this promoter suggested that there was an important regulatory element(s) within a pyrimidine-rich tract. Mobility shift analysis of the pyrimidine-rich tract defined a region between −85 and −64 which bound to a nuclear factor(s). This region contains sequences matching the consensus Ets-binding site from −78 to −75 base pairs. In particular, we noted that this site matched a PU.1 consensus sequence known as a PU box. Mobility shift and supershift studies with nuclear extracts as well as recombinant PU.1 protein and anti-PU.1 antibody further confirmed that PU.1 was the specific Ets family factor that bound to this site. Transient expression assays using reporter constructs which contained point mutations that abrogated PU.1 binding also significantly reduced PBP promoter activity in human erythroleukemia and CHRF cells. In addition, while all reporter gene constructs containing PBP promoters were completely inactive in HeLa cells, transactivation experiments using a PU.1 expression construct demonstrated that exogenous expression of PU.1 could increase reporter gene expression up to 8-fold in these cells. Finally, the role of PU.1 in PBP gene expression was compared between wild-type and PU.1-null embryonic stem (ES) cells that were differentiated in vitrointo cells that resembled megakaryocytes both morphologically and immunologically. We found that PBP gene expression in the differentiated PU.1−/− null ES cells (as determined by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction) was more than four times lower than that in the wild-type ES cells, while other platelet-specific genes were expressed equally or similarly in the two ES cell lines. Previous reports have shown that PU.1 is expressed in several hematopoietic lineages, including megakaryocytes. However, the functional role of PU.1 has only been previously demonstrated in the myeloid and lymphoid lineages. Therefore, our studies are the first to show the biological importance of this nuclear factor in the regulated expression of a megakaryocyte-specific gene.
A simulation study of a partitioning procedure for signal detection with an application in medical imaging

We study the performance of a screening procedure R of CHEN, MELVIN, and WICKS (1999) when it is adopted prior to the signal detection procedure R kkr proposed independently by KELLY (1986) and KHATRI and RAO (1987). Through simulation results, we show that the probability of detection for R kkr is significantly improved when procedure R is first used to screen out nonhomogeneous data. Procedure R is a selection procedure which compares k (≥1) experimental populations with a control population and eliminates the dissimilar experimental populations. An experimental population with covariance matrix Σ is said to be similar to the control population with covariance matrix Σ 0 if Σ 0 Σ -1 is close to the identity matrix in certain meaning of closeness to be defined later in the paper. As mentioned in CHEN et al. (1999), procedure R can be used as a screening process prior to any traditional signal processing detection algorithm which requires the assumption of the same covariance matrices for the experimental populations as for the control population. A commonly used such detection algorithm is the one proposed independently by KELLY (1986) and KHATRI and RAO (1987). In this paper, we first simulate data from k + I complex multivariate normal populations which all have zero mean vectors and have different covariance matrices. One of the populations represents the control population and the remaining populations are the experimental populations. Then we apply procedure R to the simulated experimental populations to screen out the dissimilar populations. Finally, R kkr is used to detect a target using respectively the unscreened and the screened data. We present simulation results on the powers of the test R kkr when it is applied to the unscreened data and the screened data. The results illustrate that, under the nonhomogeneous environment where covariance matrices of the experimental populations are different from the covariance matrix of the control population, we can always improve the power of the test R kkr by employing the procedure R. We also present an example illustrating the potential application of our study in medical imaging.
Hantaviruses: Clinical, Microbiologic, and Epidemiologic Aspects

Hantaviruses comprise a genus of the family Bunyaviridae. Bunyaviruses are enveloped viruses with a negative-sense, tripartite RNA genome. Hantaviruses are etiologic agents for two acute and severe illnesses of man, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Each hantavirus is primarily associated with a single rodent host species or genus, and is transmitted to man through accidental inhalation or ingestion of virus-contaminated rodent excreta. The distribution of hantaviruses is worldwide. HFRS is caused by infection with Hantaan, Seoul, Dobrava/Belgrade, and Puumala hantaviruses, all of which are enzootic in murid rodents of Old World origin. HPS is caused by any of several hantavirus species associated with indigenous New World rodents of the subfamily Sigmodontinae, family Muridae. HFRS and HPS have numerous common epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics. Common features include fever, myalgia, thrombocytopenia, neutrophilia, and a profound capillary leak syndrome associated with hypotension, decreased cardiac output, and shock. Worldwide, HPS is much less common than HFRS but is associated with a higher mortality rate. Recovery from hantavirus disease is generally complete, although chronic renal insufficiency may be a rare sequel of HFRS.
“Art Life in Action”: Case Study of a Teaching Artist in Theatre

How does a teaching artist in theatre describe critical educational events in her preparation and practice?
Responsive polymers in controlled drug delivery

Abstract This article reviews the state-of-the art in responsive polymer systems for controlled drug delivery applications. The paper describes different types of stimuli-sensitive systems and gives an account of their synthesis through methods such as group transfer polymerization, atom transfer radical polymerization and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The article also discusses classification of various drug delivery systems: diffusion controlled systems, chemically controlled systems, swelling-controlled systems and modulated release systems. A survey of the recent literature on various stimuli-responsive polymer hydrogels in controlled drug delivery is also included.
Brutality at the border? Use of force in the arrest of immigrants in the United States

Abstract Researchers have examined police use of force against United States citizens for almost 50 years (for reviews see Sherman, 1980; Riksheim and Chermak, 1993). But researchers have not considered police and INS use of force in the arrest of immigrants. The need to understand the treatment of immigrants is more urgent than ever because of the dramatic rise in the number of immigrants arrested and deported from the United States since the passage of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA). To address this gap in the literature, we conducted 211 face-to-face interviews with Salvadoran deportees and deportees’ family members in El Salvador during the Fall of 1999 and Spring of 2000. Our results suggest that immigrants arrested in the United States are subject to force more often than citizens. Further, the causal mechanisms that produce force for both groups are similar (age, sex, the location of an arrest, and the seriousness of the offense), suggesting that immigrants are subject to force more often because of heightened exposure to common risk factors. Based on the results, we call for an investigation of whether more force also means more excessive force. If the event that it does, we offer policy suggestions for reducing excessive force.
Dynamic failure : mechanical and microstructural aspects

La rupture dynamique peut etre divisee en trois classes: rupture par traction, par compression, et par cisaillement. Les principaux phenomenes impliques dans la rupture dynamique sont identifies et les modeles mecaniques qui les incorporent sont presentes. La rupture dynamique en metaux ductiles procede par la germination, croissance et coalescence de vides. Dans les materiaux fragiles, elle se processe par la germination, croissance, et coalescence de fissures. Dans la rupture par cisaillement, la formation de bandes de cisaillement joue un role essentiel, et leur evolution est decrite pour un nombre de materiaux. Les elements microstructurels, qui ont un effet sur la formation et propagation de bandes de cisaillement sont enumeres
Best mapping for LDPC coded modulation on SISO, MIMO and MAC channels

Mapping has a significant impact on multilevel modulation schemes. These schemes for conventional codes with iterative demapping and decoding on static channel and Rayleigh fading channel have been studied previously. In this paper, we first investigate the mapping influence on LDPC-code based multilevel modulations on static and Rayleigh fading channels. Then we extend our work to multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) fading channels and MIMO multiple access channels (MAC). A conclusion can be made as that the Gray map is the best with both iterations and super-iterations for all these channels, which is different from the results of conventional codes.
Analysis on forward-biased electrostatic-discharge-induced degradation of InP-based buried heterostructure laser diodes

We clarified the mechanism of forward-biased electrostatic-discharge-induced degradation of InP-based laser diodes. This degradation was caused by melting of the active layer as a result of light absorption. We observed a reduction in tolerance on aging in uncoated laser diodes. This reduction was suppressed by facet coating.
Grief Therapy Evidence of Efficacy and Emerging Directions

The loss of a loved one carries serious consequences for the physical and emotional well-being of many of the bereaved. It is therefore not surprising that to mitigate the impact of loss and promote successful adaptation, various forms of grief therapy have been proposed. However, controversies about the effectiveness of bereavement interventions have arisen, in part because previous reviews have relied on small samples of studies, which makes drawing inferences about the evidence base for bereavement interventions precarious at best. Drawing on a recent comprehensive analysis of over 60 controlled studies, we attempt to offer a more definitive view, and we discuss moderators associated with more effective bereavement interventions. Finally, we conclude by considering several theoretically informed approaches that hold promise for the further refinement of evidence-based therapies for bereavement complications, and we suggest some future directions for grief research and intervention.
The possible pollen cone of the Late Triassic conifer Heidiphyllum/Telemachus (Voltziales) from Antarctica

Fossil leaves of the Voltziales, an ancestral group of conifers, rank among the most common plant fossils in the Triassic of Gondwana. Even though the foliage taxon Heidiphyllum has been known for more than 150 years, our knowledge of the reproductive organs of these conifers still remains very incomplete. Seed cones assigned to Telemachus have become increasingly well understood in recent decades, but the pollen cones belonging to these Mesozoic conifers are rare. In this contribution we describe the first compression material of a voltzialean pollen cone from Upper Triassic strata of the Transantarctic Mountains. The cone can be assigned to Switzianthus Anderson & Anderson, a genus that was previously assumed to belong to an enigmatic group of pteridosperms from the Triassic Molteno Formation of South Africa. The similarities of cuticle and pollen morphology, together with co-occurrence at all known localities, indicate that Switzianthus most probably represents the pollen organ of the ubiquitous Heidiphyllum/Telemachus plant.
A new method for measurement of the conversion ratio of thyroxine to triiodothyronine in euthyroid man.

A new method for the measurement of the conversion ratio (CR) of T4 to T3 in euthyroid man is described. In contrast to previously described studies, this investigation relied on sampling of urine rather than plasma after isotopic labeling of the study subject. The CR value determined in six euthyroid men was 0.482 ± 0.014. Thus, approximately half of the daily T4 production is converted to T3 as determined by this method. A major advantage of this technique is its reproducibility, as demonstrated by the low coefficient of variation of 6.8% in the study group, which is not significantly different from the 6.7% coefficient of variation for replicate determinations on the same sample. Thus, this method may be a useful tool in comparing the CR of T4 to T3 in man under varying conditions even if only small differences in conversion efficiencies exist between groups. One apparent discrepancy observed in the present study is that the calculated T3 produced from the conversion of T4 exceeded the simultaneously c...
In situ Transmission Electron Microscopy and Nanoindentation Studies of Phase Transformation and Pseudoelasticity of Shape-memory Titanium-nickel Films

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoindentation, both with in situ heating capability, and electrical resistivity measurements were used to investigate phase transformation phenomena and thermomechanical behavior of shape-memory titanium-nickel (TiNi) films. The mechanisms responsible for phase transformation in the nearly equiatomic TiNi films were revealed by heating and cooling the samples inside the TEM vacuum chamber. Insight into the deformation behavior of the TiNi films was obtained from the nanoindentation response at different temperatures. A transition from elastic-plastic to pseudoelastic deformation of the martensitic TiNi films was encountered during indentation and heating. In contrast to the traditional belief, the martensitic TiNi films exhibited a pseudoelastic behavior during nanoindentation within a specific temperature range. This unexpected behavior is interpreted in terms of the evolution of martensitic variants and changes in the mobility of the twinned structures in the martensitic TiNi films, observed with the TEM during in situ heating.
Total Syntheses of Vancomycin and Eremomycin Aglycons.

Controlling the elements of planar and axial chirality are the principal challenges in the synthesis of the aglycon of vancomycin. Vancomycin is the prototypical member of the glycopeptide family of antibiotics which are effective for the treatment of infections by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The first total syntheses of the vancomycin and eremomycin aglycons provide insight into the influence of structure on kinetic and thermodynamic control of atropselective macrocyclizations.
Awakening the giant: the revitalization of the American labor movement

This article considers the strategies employed by some U.S. unions to increase membership and regain influence. Three successful case studies are reviewed and the factors for success identified as national union support, rank-and-file mobilization, coalition building, and a range of innovative and flexible tactics adapted to particular industry, labor market and workforce characteristics. The article concludes with a discussion of the chances for disseminating such practices and possible lesson for European unions.
Influence of feedback schedule in motor performance and learning of a lumbar multifidus muscle task using rehabilitative ultrasound imaging: a randomized clinical trial.

Background and Purpose: Low back pain (LBP) may be associated with inadequate multifidus muscle function. Varying the frequency and timing of feedback may enhance acquisition and retention of multifidus muscle recruitment during exercise. Subjects: Subjects without LBP (n=30) were randomly assigned to a constant (CON) or variable (VAR) feedback group. Twenty-eight subjects (mean age=28 years, SD=8.0; mean body mass index=24 kg/m2, SD=0.70) completed training, and 23 completed retention testing. Methods: Eight training sessions over 4 weeks included multifidus muscle exercise with rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI) feedback. Retention was assessed at 1 week and ≥1 month. Results: At the start, both groups had similar performances of multifidus muscle recruitment (Fisher exact test, P =.26). Early in training, the CON group had good success (mean=80%) that was maintained at session 8 (mean=84%), with no difference between sessions 1 and 8 (Wilcoxon signed rank test, P =.19, 95% confidence interval [CI]=−9%, 42%). The VAR group gradually increased success (Wilcoxon signed rank test, P =.002, 95% CI=17%, 59%) between sessions 1 and 8. Both groups sustained their session 8 success when tested for short-term retention at 1 week (CON group: Wilcoxon signed rank test, P =.79; VAR group: Wilcoxon signed rank test, P =.36). At the long-term retention test, the VAR group outperformed the CON group (Wilcoxon score test, P =.04), indicating superior motor learning. Discussion and Conclusion: Variable feedback provided by RUSI resulted in greater success in lumbar multifidus muscle recruitment up to 3 to 4 months after training.
Effective Decision-Making for DoD Humanitarian Infrastructure Projects using Agent-based Modeling

Decision-makers are confronted with increasingly complex problems involving interconnected and sometimes conflicting objectives and, therefore, they have a continued and growing need for relevant, actionable information. A quantitative tool is being developed to assess the impacts of organizational topology, stakeholder relationships, and the status of physical civil infrastructure networks on decision-making for infrastructure project selection. In this paper, a system-of-systems inspired methodology is used to investigate the aspect of stakeholder relationships in the context of decision-making for Department of Defense humanitarian program selection. In this program, civil infrastructure projects outside the United States (e.g., in host nations) are selected and funded. The hierarchical structure of stakeholder relationships exposed by a system-of-system framework is employed to effectively implement agent-based modeling for analysis of alternatives.
Assessing the Significance of Cohort and Period Effects in Hierarchical Age-Period-Cohort Models: Applications to Verbal Test Scores and Voter Turnout in U.S. Presidential Elections

In recently developed hierarchical age-period-cohort (HAPC) models, inferential questions arise: How can one assess or judge the significance of estimates of individual cohort and period effects in such models? And how does one assess the overall statistical significance of the cohort and/or the period effects? Beyond statistical significance is the question of substantive significance. This paper addresses these questions. In the context of empirical applications of linear and generalized linear mixed-model specifications of HAPC models using data on verbal test scores and voter turnout in U.S. presidential elections, respectively, we describe a two-step approach and a set of guidelines for assessing statistical significance. The guidelines include assessments of patterns of effects and statistical tests both for the effects of individual cohorts and time periods as well as for entire sets of cohorts and periods. The empirical applications show strong evidence that trends in verbal test scores are primarily cohort driven, while voter turnout is primarily a period phenomenon.
Groupthink: An Examination of Theoretical Issues, Implications, and Future Research Suggestions

Despite its widespread appeal, the groupthink model has come under severe attack recently. Taking the position that recent calls for major revisions to the original formulation are premature, this ...
Quorum-based dynamic regular registers in systems with churn

We consider a quorum-based implementation of the dynamic regular register system, in which the set of servers that implement the shared register is prone to churn, i.e., the register servers join and leave the register system at will. Thus, the number of servers can change dynamically and accordingly, the quorum size changes over time. We give algorithms that implement join, leave, read and write operations that preserve the quorum intersection property despite the server churn. Furthermore, we give a probabilistic analysis of the churn behavior of the dynamic register system.
Guided-wave acoustooptic Bragg cells in GaAs and application at GHz frequencies

High-performance guided-wave acoustooptic Bragg cells operating at a surface acoustic wave (SAW) center frequency of 1.11 GHz have been realized in GaAs. The intensity and polarization of both the undiffracted lights were measured as a function of the RF drive power and the polarization of the incident light, respectively. Diffraction efficiencies as high as 38% for TE/sub O/ to TE/sub O/ mode diffraction and 32% for TM/sub O/ to TM/sub O/ mode diffraction were achieved at an acoustic drive power of 2.72 mW and a laser wavelength of 1.15 mu m. The gigahertz Bragg cell has also been used to perform RF spectral analysis. A total of 27 channels at a frequency resolution of approximately 3.0 MHz has been obtained at the optical wavelength of 1.30 mu m. >
Developing Language and Writing Skills of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students: A Simultaneous Approach.

In school, deaf and hard of hearing students (d/hh) are often exposed to American Sign Language (ASL) while also developing literacy skills in English. ASL does not have a written form, but is a fully accessible language to the d/hh through which it is possible to mediate understanding, draw on prior experiences, and engage critical thinking and reasoning (Allington & Johnston, 2002; Vygotsky, 1987; Wertsch, 1991). This study investigates the impact of Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) on the development of signed expressive language (ASL) and written English. Our analysis demonstrates that a focus on ASL did not detract from students’ writing growth in English. Instead, a focus on building ASL and written English proficiency simultaneously resulted in significant gains in both language and writing.
Targeted and random bacterial gene disruption using a group II intron (targetron) vector containing a retrotransposition-activated selectable marker

Mobile group II introns have been used to develop a novel class of gene targeting vectors, targetrons, which employ base pairing for DNA target recognition and can thus be programmed to insert into any desired target DNA. Here, we have developed a targetron containing a retrotransposition-activated selectable marker (RAM), which enables one-step bacterial gene disruption at near 100% efficiency after selection. The targetron can be generated via PCR without cloning, and after intron integration, the marker gene can be excised by recombination between flanking Flp recombinase sites, enabling multiple sequential disruptions. We also show that a RAM-targetron with randomized target site recognition sequences yields single insertions throughout the Escherichia coli genome, creating a gene knockout library. Analysis of the randomly selected insertion sites provides further insight into group II intron target site recognition rules. It also suggests that a subset of retrohoming events may occur by using a primer generated during DNA replication, and reveals a previously unsuspected bias for group II intron insertion near the chromosome replication origin. This insertional bias likely reflects at least in part the higher copy number of origin proximal genes, but interaction with the replication machinery or other features of DNA structure or packaging may also contribute.
University of Pittsburgh Departments of Biostatistics and Statistics

Founded in 1949, the Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, maintained two major academic programs, biometry and human genetics, for most of its history. New developments in genetics during the 1980s led the geneticists to separate into a Department of Human Genetics. The two departments have maintained close collaboration in training and research in quantitative genetics. In addition to playing a seminal role in quantitative genetics, the Department of Biostatistics has made contributions of particular note to applied and methodological research in clinical trials and in quantifying health risks in populations with potentially hazardous occupational and environmental exposures. In 1997, the Department of Statistics was created to coordinate statistical research in the School of Arts and Sciences. Teaching collaboration and joint faculty appointments have been ongoing between the Departments of Biostatistics and Statistics.
Interreligious Harmony and Peacebuilding in Indonesian Islamic Education

After a long period of authoritarian rule under the New Order regime of President Suharto (1965–1998), Indonesia has more recently embarked on a social and political transformation toward democratic reform. Although this transformation for the most part has been peaceful, the country has also witnessed a series of violent communal conflicts involving religious symbolism. Most notorious among these were the civil wars between Christian and Muslim communities in Central Sulawesi and the Moluccas that started in the late 1990s. Similarly, the bloodshed in Banyuangi and Situbondo, both in East Java, associated with the challenge to the New Order regime in the late 1990s and exacerbated by the economic crisis of 1997 included much religious rhetoric (Forrester & May, 1999). In the light of theories that posit the inevitability of clashes between different cultural or religious communities (e.g., Huntington, 1996), it is critical to ask how lasting harmony and peace among religiously or culturally diverse groups can be achieved. This chapter addresses this question by looking specifically at the contributions that Islamic education makes to interreligious harmony, peacebuilding, and good interfaith relations in the context of contemporary Indonesia. It is argued that Indonesia’s Muslim schools and colleges remain profoundly significant in the country’s multireligious and multiethnic society as institutions that foster among their students and the wider public values and structures that promote peaceful relations by drawing on core Islamic values such as human dignity and social justice. This chapter begins with a short overview of institutions of Indonesian Islamic education that demonstrates the ability of Muslim schools to adapt to modern socioeconomic and pedagogical demands, an observation that contrasts with the caricature-style depiction of Islamic education as unchanging and monolithic. The ways in which the different Muslim educational institutions have supported good interfaith relations and democratic–pluralist reform especially after the fall of the New Order government are then examined in more detail. Particular attention is given to state Islamic higher education and the private educational networks of the two largest Muslim social welfare organizations: Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). The chapter then contextualizes the developments in the educational sector in the larger Indonesian debate over religion and state and concludes with
Legal Briefs: Neonatal Anemia at Birth

A 2,980-g 35-weeks' gestation female infant is delivered to a 30-year-old woman whose pregnancy was complicated by chronic hypertension. Four days before delivery she had a clinic visit, and fetal ultrasonography performed at that time was read as normal. Two days later (2 days before delivery), the woman called the clinic because she began experiencing chills, a “crampy feeling,” and loose stools. She reported good fetal movement. Several hours later, she visited the emergency department because of additional symptoms of nausea, myalgia, back pain, and vomiting. During this visit, her temperature was 38.9°C. The long-term variability on a nonstress test (NST) was reported as fair, but one spontaneous deceleration was noted. The woman reported that fetal movements decreased from earlier in the day. (The monitoring strip was missing and unavailable for review at the time of litigation.) Complete blood count findings were unremarkable, and urinalysis showed 0 to 3 red blood cells and a large amount of hemoglobin. The plaintiff experts said the physician caring for the woman should have considered a transfusion reaction from the fetus because of the hemoglobinuria, the woman's symptoms, and the report of decreased fetal movement. A more detailed evaluation should have been performed, including a biophysical profile (BPP) and a Kleihauer-Betke test (KB). The box on the paperwork for “fetal movement” was left blank. The woman said in her deposition that she shared with the nurses that fetal movement was reduced. The plaintiff experts said this was the fetus' attempt to conserve energy because of the anemia. The defense experts said that the reduction in fetal movement meant that the damage already had occurred. The mother was discharged. Later that day, the woman visited her obstetrician and had a repeat NST. The obstetrician read the NST as reactive, although he stated on his deposition …
The Moulting of the Silkworm and a Histological Study of the Moulting Gland.

Insects during the process of post-embryonic development periodically shed or moult their cuticular covering, and in addition the lining of such internal parts as are of ectodermal origin. The number of moults depends upon the number of growth periods and varies in the different species of insects. In the silkworm Bombyx mori , the species under observation, there are five of these growth periods, or “instars,” in addition to the pupal stage. At the end of each, actual ecdysis takes place. However, sometime before ecdysis takes place, certain glands of ectodermal origin become active and liberate a fluid known as “moulting fluid,” which has an important function in the process of moulting. This fluid assists in the process, and the glands furnishing the fluid are highly important organs physiologically.
Continuity and Change in Qurʾānic Readings: A Study of the Qurʾānic MS. Garrett 38

This article presents an analysis of a Qurʾānic manuscript in the Garrett collection of Princeton University. The unusual feature of this MS is that it has been tampered with, most likely by a later scribe, aiming to change the original ‘Qurʾānic reading’ into another by adding or taking out letters and vocalization marks. The paper describes the kind of changes MS Garrett 38 underwent and then attempts to discern the original reading of the manuscript in the light of the available sources on Qurʾānic readings (qirāʾāt) and art of recitation (tajwīd). In addition, the study of this Qurʾānic manuscript, attributed to the fourteenth century, reveals a degree of inconsistency with the theoretical works on qirāʾāt, which strictly distinguish different readings. However, analysis of Garret 38 shows that both the original and the later scribes deviated from the dictates of the theoretical description of the reading to which they intended to align the manuscript.
Research on Load Balance Based on Cloud Storage

Cloud storage has the advantages of high fault tolerance,easy expansibility,providing high speed of data access and cheap hardware.However,there is a problem that the initial data selection strategy may lead to the load unbalance.This problem can be solved.Considering various factors and the characteristics of distributed file system of cloud storage,provide a new data selection strategy in order to balance the load.The experiment presents that the performance and effectiveness of new strategy are improved.
Luteal rescue in in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

The luteal phase hormone profiles of two groups participating in the Yale in vitro fertilization (IVF) program were compared. A control group (group I) consisted of 28 women (28 cycles) who received our standard ovulation induction regimen (no luteal phase support). The treatment group (group II) consisted of 40 women (42 cycles) who were prospectively studied after receiving luteal phase support with 10,000IU human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) 5days after the initial hCG dose. The groups were matched for age and cause of infertility. Estradiol (E 2 ) and progesterone (P) were measured on the day of embryo transfer and every 3 to 4days thereafter. Luteal phase hCG support significantly augmented (1) E 2 and P levels in the conception cycles of group II compared with group I and (2) P levels in the nonconception cycles of group II compared with group I. The midluteal decline in E 2 and P that was observed in group I was minimized or prevented in group II. An ongoing pregnancy rate of 19% was achieved in group II. This was not statistically different from the 13% ongoing pregnancy rate noted in a separate group of 163 tubal factor couples undergoing IVF after our standard ovulation induction regimen during the period of the study. In summary, the luteal phase hormone profiles of IVF cycles were improved by supplementation with hCG. It is concluded that this type of intervention may serve to rescue potentially failing corpora lutea and thereby optimize the peri-implantation hormonal milieu.