cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applying the Mastery Learning Model to Sight Word Instruction for Disabled Readers.

The present study evaluated the effect of applying a mastery learning model to sight word instruction for learning disabled (LD), elementary school children. A total of 48 LD children were taught 30 sight words in 9 lessons which incorporated mastery learning strategies, and a comparison group (W = 16) with methods that are typically used in the teaching of sight words. While all children could read less than 10% of the words on the pretest, the experimental group achieved over 90% accuracy on the posttest. This was higher than the average posttest performance of the comparison group (72% accuracy). Results of this investigation suggest that a majority of LD children can reach mastery on sight words within a reasonable time framework if sound remedial principles are applied consistently. The procedures described in this paper can serve both as a model of effective sight word instruction and as a diagnostic, trial-remediation technique for a disabled population.
Clinical Practice with Older LGBT Clients: Overcoming Lifelong Stigma Through Strength and Resilience

This article provides an overview of the unique challenges and strengths of the older lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population and the theories and evidence-based interventions that can be used to work with them in a clinical setting. Two case studies will be used to highlight potential issues in clinical social work and provide guidance for intervention with LGBT older adults. The article concludes with a summary and implications for clinical social work practice.
In vitro production of a biologically active Fab2-like fragment by digestion of human IgM rheumatoid factor with human polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase

Abstract Experiments were performed to determine if IgM rheumatoid factors (RF) are digested by human polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) elastase in a manner similar to other IgM proteins. As with the non-RF IgM(San), a fragment (P-fragment) with an estimated molecular weight of 120,000 daltons is produced by elastase digestion of IgM RF (Pom). Ouchterlony analysis with Fd- and IgM-specific antlsera demonstrated that P-fragment is Identical to the Fab 2 -like fragment (Fragment A′) from elastase digestion of IgM (San). P-fragment agglutinates IgG-sensitized sheep erthrocytes in a modified Waaler-Rose assay. Taken together, those findings suggest that P-fragment represents a biologically active Fab 2 fragment.
Engaging children in math education using a socially interactive humanoid robot

Studies have shown that teaching processes, which incorporate robotic-based engagement methods, can approach the effectiveness of human tutors. Not only have these socially-engaging robots been used in education, but also as weight-loss coaches, play partners, and companions. As such, in this paper we investigate the process of embedding social interaction within a humanoid-student learning scenario in order to reengage children during high-demand cognitive tasks.We discuss the overall system approach and the forms of multi-modal verbal and nonverbal (i.e. gestural) cues used by the robotic agent. Results derived from 20 children, age 13 through 18, engaging with the robot during a tablet-based algebra exam show that, while various forms of social interaction increase test performance, combinations of verbal cues result in a slightly better outcome with respect to test completion time.
A new inner vertex detector for STAR

Abstract We report on design considerations for a new inner vertex detector for the STAR experiment at RHIC. A brief description of the STAR experiment and motivation for a high resolution vertex detector are presented.
Entropy estimates for transitive maps on trees

Abstract If X is a space, define L(X) to the the infimum of all possible values h( f ) , where h( f ) denotes the topological entropy of f, and f ranges over all transitive functions on X. Various lower and upper bounds are given for L(T) in the case for which T is a tree, which provides an exact value of L(T) for a large class of trees. We also examine the analogous problem when f is required to fix the endpoints of the tree.
Miniature Laser Fluorescence Detector For Capillary Liquid Chromatography

A miniature laser fluorescence system was developed as a low-cost, high-performance detector for capillary liquid chromatography. Using hybrid-microelectronic and optoelectronic devices to fabricate miniature electro/optic modules, a highly efficient measurement system was created. Detection limits for pyrene and perylene were determined to be about 500 fg and 10 fg, respectively, using less than 1 mW at 325 nm for pyrene and 13 MK at 442 nm for perylene. Significant improvements in performance will be achieved through more extensive use of the photon counting.
Melanocytoma of the optic nerve head: a review

The melanocytoma of the optic disc is a deeply-pigmented tumor located on the optic nerve head. In contrast to malignant melanoma, it appears to occur in equal frequency in whites and non-whites. Histologically, it consists of deeply-pigmented plump nevus cells with benign characteristics. No treatment is usually necessary and the prognosis is excellent.
AMERICAN LIBERALISM AND THE DEMOCRATIC DREAM: TRANSCENDING THE AMERICAN DREAM

The “American Dream” is a compromise between an elitist dream and a democratic dream. While citizens enjoy equal political and legal rights, democracy is undermined in the economic sphere by vast inequalities of wealth, status and power. The American Dream can and should be transcended through a rediscovery of the “democratic dream” of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was a defender of popular government and equality, who viewed vast inequalities of wealth as incompatible with a society of free and independent citizens living together in social harmony. Jefferson favored a variety of policies to expand economic equality. In Jefferson one finds an authentically American set of ideas for challenging the consensus that limits democracy to political and legal rights.
Phospho-dependent association of neurofilament proteins with kinesin in situ.

Recent studies demonstrate co-localization of kinesin with neurofilament (NF) subunits in culture and suggest that kinesin participates in NF subunit distribution. We sought to determine whether kinesin was also associated with NF subunits in situ. Axonal transport of NF subunits in mouse optic nerve was perturbed by the microtubule (MT)-depolymerizing drug vinblastine, indicating that NF transport was dependent upon MT dynamics. Kinesin co-precipitated during immunoprecipitation of NF subunits from optic nerve. The association of NFs and kinesin was regulated by NF phosphorylation, since (1) NF subunits bearing developmentally delayed phospho-epitopes did not co-purify in a microtubule motor preparation from CNS while less phosphorylated forms did; (2) subunits bearing these phospho-epitopes were selectively not co-precipitated with kinesin; and (3) phosphorylation under cell-free conditions diminished the association of NF subunits with kinesin. The nature and extent of this association was further examined by intravitreal injection of (35)S-methionine and monitoring NF subunit transport along optic axons. As previously described by several laboratories, the wave of NF subunits underwent a progressive broadening during continued transport. The front, but not the trail, of this broadening wave of NF subunits was co-precipitated with kinesin, indicating that (1) the fastest-moving NFs were associated with kinesin, and (2) that dissociation from kinesin may foster trailing of NF subunits during continued transport. These data suggest that kinesin participates in NF axonal transport either by directly translocating NFs and/or by linking NFs to transporting MTs. Both Triton-soluble as well as cytoskeleton-associated NF subunits were co-precipitated with kinesin; these data are considered in terms of the form(s) in which NF subunits undergo axonal transport.
GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION IN LEAF AND WHOLE PLANT PHOTOSYNTHETIC CAPACITY AND UNIT LEAF RATE AMONG CLONES OF PHLOX PANICULATA

A model population comprising five genotypes of Phlox paniculata was used to investigate differentiation in carbon assimilation amongst those genotypes. Three methods were used to measure carbon assimilation, single leaf photosynthetic capacity, whole plant photosynthetic capacity and unit leaf rate (ULR). Genotypes displayed no significant differences in single leaf photosynthetic capacity and that character did not have a detectable genetic component. However, genotypes showed significant differences in both whole plant photosynthetic capacity and unit leaf rate, and significant genetic components were found for both characters. The differences in whole plant photosynthetic capacity and unit leaf rate are related to differences in plant architecture and modular demography. Erect, self-shading morphs had lower whole plant photosynthetic capacity and unit leaf rate than prostrate morphs. The results suggest that the better measures of physiological parameters for use at the population level will be those which integrate over the whole plant rather than those which only measure performance of parts.
Combined use of pharmacokinetic modeling and a steady-state delivery approach allows early assessment of IκB kinase-2 (IKK-2) target safety and efficacy

NF-κB activation is clearly linked to the pathogenesis of multiple inflammatory diseases including arthritis. The prominent role of IκB kinase-2 (IKK-2) in regulating NF-κB signaling in response to proinflammatory stimuli has made IKK-2 a primary anti-inflammation therapeutic target. PHA-408, a potent and selective IKK-2 inhibitor, was identified internally and used for our studies to assess this target. In early in vivo studies, PHA-408 demonstrated efficacy at high doses; however, the correlation between PHA-408 exposure and efficacy could not be established using standard dosing paradigms for the rat disease models. Similar concerns arose from early in vivo safety studies where appropriate NOAEL margins were not achieved. Following a full investigation of the physicochemical properties of the molecule and pharmacokinetic modeling, an oral steady-state delivery strategy was designed to administer PHA-408 to the rat for both efficacy and safety studies. Using this steady-state delivery, a clear dose–response relationship was established between plasma concentrations of PHA-408 and efficacy in the rat arthritis model. The same steady-state delivery approach was used to demonstrate the target safety. In summary, a combination of pharmacokinetic modeling with a steady-state delivery approach allowed us to establish confidence in both the mechanism and safety of the target. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 99: 1278–1287, 2010
On the Measurement of Transit Time Dispersion in Multiplier Phototubes

In the use of a multiplier phototube to measure short time intervals, the accuracy of the measurement is limited by the statistical deviations in the output pulse from the phototube. These deviations arise from variations in the electron transit time in the phototube. This paper reports a technique by which the transit time dispersion in the tube structure can be measured. A beam of electrons is deflected through an aperture onto the first dynode of the photomultiplier by an rf sweep voltage. The output pulse resulting is examined using the sweep voltage as a time base. Values of the order of 1 m?sec were obtained using three commercial type photomultiplier tubes.
Evidence That Plasma Leptin and Insulin Levels are Associated With Body Adiposity Via Different Mechanisms

OBJECTIVE Like insulin, the adipocyte hormone, leptin, circulates at levels proportionate to body adiposity. Because insulin may regulate leptin secretion, we sought to determine if plasma leptin levels are coupled to body adiposity via changes in circulating insulin levels or insulin sensitivity and whether leptin secretion from adipocytes is impaired in subjects with NIDDM. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We used multiple linear regression to analyze relationships between BMI (a measure of body adiposity) and fasting plasma levels of leptin and insulin in 98 nondiabetic human subjects (68 men/30 women) and 38 subjects with NIDDM (27 men/11 women). The insulin sensitivity index (S 1) was also determined in a subset of nondiabetic subjects ( n = 38). RESULTS Fasting plasma leptin concentrations were correlated to both BMI ( r = 0.66, P = 0.0001) and fasting plasma insulin levels ( r = 0.65, P = 0.0001) in nondiabetic men and women ( r = 0.58, P = 0.0009 for BMI; r = 0.47, P = 0.01 for insulin). While the plasma leptin level was also inversely related to S 1 ( r = −0.35; P = 0.03), this association was dependent on BMI, whereas the association between insulin and S 1 was not. Conversely, the relationship between plasma leptin and BMI was independent of S 1 , whereas that between insulin and BMI was dependent on S 1 . The relationship between plasma leptin levels and BMI did not differ significantly among NIDDM subjects from that observedin nondiabetic subjects. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that 1) body adiposity, sex, and the fasting insulin level are independently associated with plasma leptin level; 2) because NIDDM doesnot influence leptin levels, obesity associated with NIDDM is unlikely to result from impaired leptin secretion; and 3) insulin sensitivity contributes to the association between body adiposity and plasma levels of insulin, but not leptin. The mechanisms underlying the association between body adiposity and circulating levels of these two hormones, therefore, appear to bedifferent.
The sedimentation of a sphere through an elastic fluid. Part 1. Steady motion

Abstract The first direct comparisons of finite element simulations and detailed point-wise experimental velocity measurements are presented for the international benchmark problem of a sphere sedimenting axially under gravity through a cylindrical tube of viscoelastic fluid. In addition to measurements and calculations of the viscoelastic correction to the drag force exerted by the fluid on the sphere, the non-invasive technique of laser Doppler velocimetry is used to probe the kinematics of the fluid over a wide range of Deborah numbers, 0.4≤De≤9, and dimensionless radius ratios, 0.12≤ a R ≤0.64 . These observations are augmented in Part 2 of this work (Rajagopalan et al., 1995) by digital video-imaging studies and fully-implicit time-dependent numerical simulations of the initial acceleration of the sphere from rest and the resulting overshoot in the velocity that arises from fluid viscoelasticity. Numerical simulations are reported for the upper-convected Maxwell (UCM) model, the Chilcott-Rallison model (each with a single relaxation time constant) and the multimode Phan-Thien-Tanner model. For the radius ratio of a R = 0.5 , flow simulations using the UCM model have been extended well above the commonly reported limit point of De = 1.6 through careful mesh refinement. The multimode simulations with a spectrum of time constants allow a quantitative description of the fluid rheology in both viscometric shear flows and transient extensional experiments. However, the range of computationally attainable De is limited by the inability to resolve intense stress boundary layers. Both experimental measurements and numerical calculations indicate the wall correction factor for the motion of a sphere through a viscoelastic fluid is a sensitive function of the radius ratio and the Deborah number. They also show that non-Newtonian effects in the strong extensional flow near the rear stagnation point result in the formation of a pronounced viscoelastic wake effect extending up to 30 sphere radii behind the sphere and corresponding to a downstream shift in the fluid streamlines. However there is no experimental indication of the formation of a negative wake or a flow instability in the wake, and the flow remains stable for all radius ratios and Deborah numbers investigated experimentally.
Organochlorine concentrations, reproductive physiology, and immune function in unique populations of freshwater Atlantic stingrays (Dasyatis sabina) from Florida’s St. Johns River

Abstract Within the past decade, reproductive and health disorders have been reported to occur in unique populations of Atlantic stingrays (Dasyatis sabina) inhabiting certain components of Florida’s St. Johns River. Since these irregularities are consistent with the alleged effects of organochlorine (OC) contaminant exposure in other Florida wildlife, the goal of this study was to examine possible associations between OC concentrations and reproduction and/or immune function in stingrays from this river system. Liver concentrations of 30 OC pesticides/pesticide metabolites and total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured and compared in D. sabina collected from four central Florida lakes of the St. Johns River: Lake George, Lake Harney, Lake Jesup, and Lake Monroe. Reproductive biology, serum testosterone and 17β-estradiol concentrations, and circulating white blood cell counts were examined and compared in stingrays from lakes that were determined to contain low (Lake George), intermediate (Lake Monroe), and high (Lake Jesup) levels of pesticide contamination, based on the results of liver OC assessments. Successful breeding occurred in Lake Jesup stingrays, indicating that the degree of OC accumulation in these animals is not high enough to cause reproductive impairment. However, elevated serum steroid concentrations and white blood cell counts were observed in Lake Jesup stingrays, suggesting that endocrine and immune function may be altered in these animals due to OC exposure and/or other, as yet unknown, ecological factors. Inconsistencies in the reproductive success of Lake Monroe stingrays were observed, confirming earlier reports of reproductive complications in this sub-population. Based on these findings, previous occurrences of reproductive failure in St. Johns River stingrays may be due to environmental factors other than OC exposure.
Recent progress toward understanding the molecular biology of von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis.

The gene for von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis (NF 1) was recently identified by positional cloning and found to code for a large, ubiquitously expressed protein. This protein has both structural and functional similarity to a family of proteins with guanosine triphosphatase-activating properties, involved in the regulation of the protooncogene ras. One of the postulated functions of the NFI gene product may relate to its ability to regulate ras-mediated cell proliferation. Selective pharmacotherapy directed at downregulating ras may be of benefit to patients with NF1. Gutmann DH, Collins FS. Recent progress toward understanding the molecular biology of Von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis. Ann Neurol 1972;31:555-561 Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NFl), or von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis, is one of the most common autosomal dominant disorders in humans. It is characterized by abnormalities affecting tissues derived primarily, but not exclusively, from the neural crest, including multiple neurofibromas, cafe-au-lait spots, axillary freckling, Lisch nodules of the iris, distinct bony lesions, and optic nerve gliomas [l]. The NFI locus is unusual in that the spontaneous mutation rate is estimated to be 100-fold higher than the usual rate for a single locus; 30 to 50% of cases represent new mutations [ 11. The risk of malignancy is also increased, especially for neurofibrosarcomas and brain tumors c21. Early linkage analysis demonstrated that the locus for NF2 resides on chromosome 17 131. The identification of two patients with chromosome 17 translocations facilitated the identification of the gene for NFI 14-61. Further chromosomal and cDNA walking culminated in the determination of the entire NFl coding sequence C7f.
Flux flow effects in a nearly reversible Type II superconductor

Measurements of the Nernst effect over a wide range of magnetic field and temperature in a nearly reversible alloy (Nb80Mo20, T c = 4.15 K, κ ∼- 4.1) are reported. Data are presented in the form of vortex transport entropy S d computed from the Nernst effect. At T = 3.5 K, values of S d (Nernst) agree well with values of S d (Ettingshausen) for fields between about 2H c1 and 0.5H c2 ,in spite of the fact that pinning forces for current-induced motion exceed those for thermally induced motion by a factor of ten at this temperature. Our measurements indicate that S d (B ≃- 0, T) > S i (B ≃- 0, T) for T ≲ 0.63T C ,where S i is the entropy of formation per vortex. Values of S d (0, T) are compared with low-field theory. The pinning forces are discussed in terms of surface pinning.
Abstract 3265: Dual specificity phosphatase 4 gene expression in triple negative breast cancer

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Background Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive cancer with limited treatment options. A recent report suggested that dual specificity phosphatase 4 (DUSP4) may be a potential marker of chemotherapy resistance for TNBC. Methods We measured the DUSP4 gene expression levels in breast cancer tissue from 469 TNBC patients who participated in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study and evaluated their association with breast cancer recurrence/breast cancer mortality and total mortality. Study participants were diagnosed with incident breast cancer between March 2002 and April 2006 and aged between 20 and 75 years. Information on breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as demographic, lifestyle, and disease progression information, were collected approximately 6 months after cancer diagnosis and reassessed at 18, 36, and 60 months after diagnosis in follow-up interviews. Expression levels of transcript variant 1 (NM\_001394) and transcript variant 2 (NM\_057158) of DUSP4 gene were measured by the NanoString nCounter assay using RNA obtained from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Cox regression analysis was applied in the data analyses with adjustment for clinical and demographic factors. Results Of the 469 TNBC participants in this study, 100 deaths and 92 recurrences/breast cancer deaths were documented over a median follow-up of 5.3 years (range, 0.7-8.9 years). The expression of the two DUSP4 isoforms were highly correlated (r=0.76). Low DUSP4, particularly variant 1 (NM_001394), expression levels were associated with increased recurrence/breast cancer mortality and overall mortality. After adjustment for age at diagnosis and TNM stage, the hazard ratios comparing those with DUSP4 (variant 1) expression levels below the median to those above the median were 1.97 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.27, 3.05) for recurrence/breast cancer mortality and 2.09 (95% CI: 1.38, 3.17) for overall mortality. Adjustment for expression levels of MKI67 and TP53, common treatment types, breast cancer subtype, or grade did not materially alter the observed association. Conclusion Low DUSP4 expression levels predict recurrence and mortality in TNBC patients independently from known clinical and molecular predictors. Citation Format: Michelle L. Baglia, Qiuyin Cai, Ying Zheng, Jie Wu, Yinghao Su, Fei Ye, Ping-Ping Bao, Hui Cai, Zhiguo Zhao, Wei Zheng, Wei Lu, Xiao-Ou Shu. Dual specificity phosphatase 4 gene expression in triple negative breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3265. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3265
The stability of vortex arrays to two- and three-dimensional disturbances

Results are presented on the structure of arrays of two-dimensional uniform vortex patches and their stability to two- and three-dimensional infinitesimal disturbances. Single rotating vortices and vortices in a uniform strain, vortex pairs, and single and double rows are considered.
Control of core 2 β1,6 N -acetylglucosaminyltransferase-I transcription by Sp1 in lymphocytes and epithelial cells

Core 2 β1,6 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-I (C2GnT-I) catalyzes the synthesis of one of the major core structures in GalNAc α-Ser/Thr O-linked oligosaccharides, the core 2 branch. The production of the core 2 branch is required for the synthesis of glycoforms that are important for the cellular functions of lymphocytes, mucin-producing epithelial cells and other cell types. Therefore, proper molecular control of C2GnT-I expression is very important for different types of cells. C2GnT-I is transcribed from 4 promoters, with promoter 2 being the major promoter. C2GnT-I promoter 2 lacks a TATA box and is very GC rich. In this study, the analysis of this promoter finds that the transcription factor Sp1 is essential for transcription of C2GnT-I in both mesodermally derived T-cells (Jurkat) and in endodermal mucin producing epithelial cells (NCI H292). In Jurkat cells, all nine of the Sp1 binding sites within the minimal promoter region contribute to transcription, and there is a linear relationship between the number of Sp1 sites and the transcriptional activity of the promoter. In NCI H292 cells, only three of these Sp1 binding sites are required for transcription from promoter 2. Chromatin immunoprecipitation confirms that Sp1 binds to promoter 2 in NCI H292 cells in vivo.
Nocturnal and diurnal pollination of Clerodendrum molle (Verbenaceae) in the Galápagos Islands

The primary hypothesis of this study was that in the Galapagos Islands, fruit and seed set via nocturnal pollination would exceed that of diurnal pollination because of the greater insect activity at night typical of hot, arid regions. Clerodendrum molle, a widespread member of the Galapagos flora was submitted to pollination experiments, visitor observations, nectar sampling, pollen transfer studies, pollen–ovule ratio studies, and pollen measurements. Flowers set fruit and seed via open pollination, autonomous autogamy, facilitated autogamy, facilitated cross-pollination, diurnal pollination, and nocturnal pollination. Results indicate no significant difference in fruit set. Cross-pollinated flowers showed a significant increase in seed set over all treatments except facilitated autogamy. Nocturnal and diurnal fruit and seed set did not differ significantly. Nocturnal visitors included ants, spiders, hawk moths, and roaches whereas diurnal visitors included carpenter bees and ants. Galapagos members of C. molle exhibit incomplete protandry and set fruit via autonomous autogamy as a result of natural selection in an environment with few faithful pollinators. Overall low fruit and seed set are likely because of a combination of pollen and resource limitation, the latter exacerbated by nectar robbing. Studies of island angiosperms are crucial for complete understanding of the population dynamics of indigenous plants, which can assist conservation officials in protecting these species.
Ethnomusicological Perspectives on Autism, Neurodiversity, and Music Therapy

In questo articolo, suggerisco che un cambio di paradigma provvisorio dalla disabilita come patologia alla disabilita come neurodiversita, ha il potenziale per ricollocare in modo produttivo gli orientamenti epistemologici della musicoterapia, sia come campo di indagine, sia come dominio di pratica. Dal mio lavoro sull’etnomusicologia dell’autismo, come anche dalla ricerca scritta e dagli studi sulla disabilita e sull’autodifesa autistica, traggo la proposta di come i fondamenti relativistici dell’etnomusicologia offrano un’alternativa potenzialmente utile e complementare ai fondamenti che dirigono trattamento di musicoterapia.
In situ hollow fiber membrane facilitated CO2 delivery to a cyanobacterium for enhanced productivity

Recently, cyanobacteria have been metabolically engineered to secrete valuable biofuel precursors eliminating the requirement to harvest and post-process algal biomass. However, development of new photobioreactors (PBRs) that can efficiently deliver light and address the mass transport challenges associated with maintaining high cyanobacteria productivity has been lagging. Hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) are a method for bubble-less gas exchange which has been shown to be effective at enhancing mass transfer. Previous applications of HFM technology to PBRs have been limited to exploring its ability to enhance CO2 delivery to the bulk liquid volume. To investigate potential strategies for novel PBR design configurations, we examined the growth pattern of Synechococcus elongatus around individual HFMs to determine the optimal spacing and conditions for maximizing photosynthetic activity. We have shown that a single fiber enabling passive transport from/to the atmosphere can provide enough gas exchange to increase biomass accumulation by >2.5 times with respect to a non-fiber control. This increased growth was found to decay in the radial direction with the enhanced growth area spanning between 1.2 mm and 1.7 mm depending on the initial inoculation concentration.
A Binary Response Method to Determine the Usability of Seven In-Vehicle Fuel Economy Displays

We employed a binary response method to evaluate the usability of seven fuel economy displays. The displays were set to show various levels of fuel economy and then static images of the displays were generated. Participants were presented the images and asked to indicate if the information on the fuel economy display indicated fuel economy was greater or less than an arbitrary average fuel economy. A display that consisted of a binary metric of fuel economy and an incremental metric of acceleration best facilitated the determination of fuel economy.
The climatological distribution of extreme Arctic winds and implications for ocean and sea ice processes

Some of the strongest near-surface winds on Earth form in the Arctic and sub-Arctic due to intense midlatitude cyclones and mesoscale processes, and these strong surface winds have important impacts on ocean and sea ice processes. We examine the climatological distribution of over-ocean, near-surface wind speeds within a Pan-Arctic domain for 18 years (1990–2007) in four gridded data sets: the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Interim reanalysis (ERA-I), the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis, version 2 of the Common Ocean-Ice Reference Experiment data set, and a regional climate simulation generated using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model run at 50 km (WRF50) horizontal resolution with ERA Interim as lateral boundary conditions. We estimate probability density functions, the annual cycle, and map the 50th and 99th percentile winds. We then perform the same statistical analysis of winds for 2 years when 10 km WRF data are available (June 2005 to May 2007); despite the much shorter time period, the Pan-Arctic statistics are very similar to those from the 18 year analysis. We repeat the wind speed statistical analysis within a subdomain surrounding Greenland and find that WRF10 has consistently larger maximum wind speeds, but this difference only appears at wind speed percentiles higher than 99%. Differences in the 99th percentile wind speeds are spatially heterogeneous. An investigation of surface fluxes within WRF50 and WRF10 reveals unrealistically large sensible heat fluxes along the sea ice edge, and the geographic distribution and magnitude of these fluxes is shown to be sensitive to sea ice representation in WRF.
DNA wrapping in nucleosomes. The linking number problem re-examined

Chromatin was assembled in vitro from relaxed closed circular DNA (SV40) and core histones at histone to DNA ratios of 0.2 to 0.3 (g/g) and incubated with topoisomerase I to relax supercoils in DNA regions not constrained by protein. Addition of histones H1 + H5 to the chromatin at an ionic strength of 0.1 M, in the presence of the solubilizing agent, polyglutamic acid, and topoisomerase I, increased the magnitude of the DNA linking number change, relative to protein-free DNA. No change in the linking number distribution occurred for relaxed protein-free DNA under these conditions. Control experiments indicated that the increase in the absolute value of the DNA linking number change in the chromatin could not be attributed to an increase in the number of nucleosomes per DNA molecule. These data suggest a solution to the linking number problem associated with models of chromatin structure.
Fragmentation of Continental United States Forests

We report a multiple-scale analysis of forest fragmentation based on 30-m (0.09 ha pixel 1 ) landcover maps for the conterminous United States. Each 0.09-ha unit of forest was classified according to fragmentation indexes measured within the surrounding landscape, for five landscape sizes including 2.25, 7.29, 65.61, 590.49, and 5314.41 ha. Most forest is found in fragmented landscapes. With 65.61-ha landscapes, for example, only 9.9% of all forest was contained in a fully forested landscape, and only 46.9% was in a landscape that was more than 90% forested. Overall, 43.5% of forest was located within 90 m of forest edge and 61.8% of forest was located within 150 m of forest edge. Nevertheless, where forest existed, it was usually dominant—at least 72.9% of all forest was in landscapes that were at least 60% forested for all landscape sizes. Small (less than 7.29 ha) perforations in otherwise continuous forest cover accounted for about half of the fragmentation. These results suggest that forests are connected over large regions, but fragmentation is so pervasive that edge effects potentially influence ecological processes on most forested lands.
Experimental measurement of longitudinal component in the vicinity of focused radially polarized beam

Experiments were carried out to study the focusing properties of radially polarized light. By direct recording of the focal pattern in photoresist, the intensity distribution in the vicinity of the beam focus was measured, and the non-propagating longitudinal component (z-component) was clearly demonstrated. Comparison with corresponding theory shows good agreement.
Methods for estimation of disparities in medication use in an observational cohort study: Results from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Purpose Evaluating disparities in health care is an important aspect of understanding differences in disease risk. The purpose of this study is to describe the methodology for estimating such disparities, with application to a large multi-ethnic cohort study. Methods The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis includes 6814 participants aged 45–84 years free of cardiovascular disease. Prevalence ratio (PR) regression was used to model baseline lipid lowering medication (LLM) or anti-hypertensive medication use at baseline as a function of gender, race, risk factors, and estimated pre-treatment biomarker values. Results Hispanics and African Americans had lower prevalence of medication use than did non-Hispanic whites, even at the same risk factor profile. This became non-significant after adjusting for socioeconomic status. Although gender did not influence the prevalence of LLM use (PR = 1.09, 95%CI 0.95–1.25), there were differences in the association of diabetes and HDL with LLM use by gender. Men were significantly less likely to be on anti-hypertensive medications than women (PR = 0.86, 95%CI 0.80–0.92, p < 0.001), and this was not explained by risk factors or socioeconomic status. Lack of health insurance strongly influenced medication use, controlling for risk factors and other markers of socioeconomic status. Conclusions Disparities exist in the treatment of cholesterol and hypertension. Hispanics and African Americans had less use of LLM; men had less use of anti-hypertensives. Risk factors have differential associations with medication use depending on gender. Methods described in this paper can provide improved disparity estimation in observational cohort studies. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
What Makes a Scientific Explanation Distinctively Mathematical

AbstractCertain scientific explanations of physical facts have recently been characterized as distinctively mathematical–that is, as mathematical in a different way from ordinary explanations that ...
On the information about message arrival times required for in-order decoding

Suppose that messages arrive at a source A according to a point process at random times X/sub 1/, X/sub 2/, ..., X/sub n/, to be transmitted to a receiver B, and are decoded at B at times Y/sub 1/,Y/sub 2/, ..., Y/sub n/, where Y/sub i//spl ges/X/sub i/, i=1, ..., n. The fact that B is able to decode message i at time Y/sub i/ means that by time Y/sub i/, B must have been informed that message i had arrived at A. Thus B must have received some infermation about the times at which messages arrived at A, apart from the information about the contents of the messages. The amount of information about the message arrival times that the receiver must receive was first analyzed by Gallager (1976), who reasoned that this information must be at least equal to I(X/sub 1/, ..., X/sub n/; Y/sub 1/, ..., Y/sub n/). We refine Gallager's approach by imposing the constraint that the messages be decoded at the receiver in the same order they arrived at the source, for example in a virtual circuit connection in a network or on a point-to-point channel.
Intracellular Formation and Processing of the Heterotrimeric gH-gL-gO (gCIII) Glycoprotein Envelope Complex of Human Cytomegalovirus

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) gCIII complex contains glycoprotein H (gH; gpUL75), glycoprotein L (gL; gpUL115), and glycoprotein O (gO; gpUL74). To examine how gH, gL, and gO interact within HCMV-infected cells to assemble the tripartite complex, pulse-chase experiments were performed. These analyses demonstrated that gH and gL associate by the end of the pulse period to form a disulfide dependent gH-gL complex. Subsequently, the gH-gL complex interacts with a 100-kDa precursor form of gO to form a 220-kDa precursor of the mature gH-gL-gO complex that contains a 125-kDa form of gO. The 220-kDa precursor complex (pgCIII) was sensitive to treatment with endoglycosidase H (endo H), while the mature gCIII complex was essentially resistant to digestion with this enzyme, suggesting that formation of pgCIII complex occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and is processed to mature gH-gL-gO (gCIII) in a post-ER compartment. While the N-linked glycans on the 100-kDa form of gO were modified to endo H-resistant states as the 125-kDa gO formed, additional posttranslational modifications were detected on gO. These processing alterations were non-N-linked oligosaccharide modifications that could not be accounted for by phosphorylation or by O-glycosylation of the type sensitive to O -glycanase. Of gH, gL, gO, and the various complexes that they form, only the mature form of the complex was detectable at the infected cell membrane, as judged by surface biotinylation studies.
Utilization of two web-based continuing education courses evaluated by Markov chain model

Objectives To evaluate the web structure of two webbased continuing education courses, identify problems and assess the effects of web site modifications. Design Markov chain models were built from 2008 web usage data to evaluate the courses’ web structure and navigation patterns. The web site was then modified to resolve identified design issues and the improvement in user activity over the subsequent 12 months was quantitatively evaluated. Measurements Web navigation paths were collected between 2008 and 2010. The probability of navigating from one web page to another was analyzed. Results The continuing education courses’ sequential structure design was clearly reflected in the resulting actual web usage models, and none of the skip transitions provided was heavily used. The web navigation patterns of the two different continuing education courses were similar. Two possible design flaws were identified and fixed in only one of the two courses. Over the following 12 months, the drop-out rate in the modified course significantly decreased from 41% to 35%, but remained unchanged in the unmodified course. The web improvement effects were further verified via a second-order Markov chain model. Conclusions The results imply that differences in web content have less impact than web structure design on how learners navigate through continuing education courses. Evaluation of user navigation can help identify web design flaws and guide modifications. This study showed that Markov chain models provide a valuable tool to evaluate web-based education courses. Both the results and techniques in this study would be very useful for public health education and research specialists. The present study used a Markov chain model to evaluate the usage and design efficiency of two chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) web-based continuing education courses offered through the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) CFS web site, course WB1032: CFSdDiagnosis and management (http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/education/ wb1032/), intended for physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and course WB3151: CFSdA primer for allied health professionals (http://www. cdc.gov/cfs/education/wb3151/), intended for nonphysicians. Our objectives in the present study were to evaluate the web structure of the two CFS continuing education courses and assess the effects of web site modifications.
Design of a Ku‐band Wilkinson power divider on surface‐stabilized high‐resistivity Si substrates

The design, fabrication, and experimental evaluation of a Ku-Band 3-dB Wilkinson power divider on high-resistivity silicon (HRS) are presented in this paper. The measured insertion for the powder divider is 3.5 dB and the isolation between ports 2 and 3 is 12 dB. CPW lines were fabricated on two different silicon substrates (HRS and CMOS-grade silicon) and it is shown that the loss characteristics for a 50Ω CPW patterned on the surface-stabilized HRS is only 0.16 dB at 15 GHz. In contrast, the insertion loss for CPW line on CMOS grade silicon is 8.3 dB at 15 GHz. Thus, low insertion loss can be achieved by stabilizing the surface of HRS with a thin polysilicon layer. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 44: 436–439, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20659
Open Access Resources for Crystallography Education in Interdisciplinary College Courses: Crystallographic Databases and 3D Printed Models

Complementing a multitude of activities around the International Year of Crystallography, we report here on a few resources that are helpful for integrating basic crystallography into interdisciplinary college education. We concentrate on four resources with which we are directly involved. The Crystallography Open Database (COD) features currently more than 295,000 entries and has over the last decade developed into the world’s premier open-access source for the structures of small molecules and small to medium sized unit cell crystals. ‘Educational offshoots’ of the COD with approximately a thousand entries combined provide structural information on small molecules, selected macromolecules, crystal structures, grain boundaries, and crystal morphologies in the well documented Crystallographic Information Framework (CIF) file format. This information can be displayed interactively on the website http://nanocrystallography.research.pdx.edu and freely downloaded. Files that allow for the printing of selected database entries on any 3D printer have been added to this site and are also freely downloadable. These files were created with the programs Cif2VRML and WinXMorph that convert CIF files directly into 3D printing files. Interested college educators are invited to visit our open access crystallography resource portal and suggest other resources that should receive wider exposure over this portal.
Marketing in the Changing World: A Course Emphasizing the Role of the Individual in the Marketing Environment:

In this article, the author describes the rationale, learning objectives, and content of a nontraditional marketing course which emphasizes individual self-development in the context of the broader marketing environment. Reactions to the course from academicians, businesspeople, and students are also presented. Marketing educators may consider adding the course or parts of it to marketing curricula to fill topical gaps which may exist.
Sensitivity of parametric direction finding to colored noise fields and undermodeling

A fundamental assumption for most direction finding algorithms is that the spatial correlation structure of the background noise (i.e., the correlation from sensor to sensor) is known to within a multiplicative scalar. In practive, this is often achieved by measuring the array covariance when no signals are present, a procedure which is unavoidably subjected to errors. The presence of undetected weak signals gives rise to similar perturbations. In this paper, the effect of such modeling errors on parametric estimation techniques is examined. First-order expressions for the mean square error (MSE) of the parameter estimates are derived for the deterministic and stochastic maximum likelihood methods and the weighted subspace fitting technique. The spatial noise correlation structures that lead to maximum performance loss are identified under different assumptions. In case of high signal-to-noise ratio, it is found that the MSE can be increased by a factor equal to the number of sensors in the array, as compared to spatially white noise. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the presence of a relatively weak (− 15 dB) undetected signal can result in a large bias (≈1°) on the estimates of the other signal directions.
Analysis of the modern distribution of South African Gerbilliscus (Rodentia: Gerbillinae) with implications for Plio-Pleistocene palaeoenvironmental reconstruction

There are four extant species of Gerbilliscus, formally classified as Tatera, native to the southern African subregion, each exhibiting varying degrees of environmental tolerance. These species are also routinely reported from many of the palaeontological and archaeological sites in the region. We used a geographic information systems analysis to examine the distribution of modern Gerbilliscus by georeferencing museum specimens. The distribution of Gerbilliscus was then compared to the latest treatment of the vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland in order to quantify the genus’s environmental tolerances and propose a new niche model for this taxon. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions are made possible by defining the tolerance limits of modern taxa that have persisted relatively unchanged throughout the Plio-Pleistocene. Tolerance limits can then be applied to fossil-bearing localities where these taxa are known to have occurred in the past. Results from our analysis indicated that Gerbilliscus exhibits a wide range of environmental tolerances that must be considered when reconstructing palaeoenvironments.
Forgiveness: a review of the theoretical and empirical literature

This paper reviews the published literature addressing forgiveness as a therapeutic issue. The review revealed four major themes. These included: diverse attempts in the literature to define forgiveness; the presentation of models of intervention; resistance among theoreticians and therapists to examine forgiveness as a therapeutic construct, and empirical evidence of forgiveness intervention applied to clinical settings. These theoretical and empirical publications are described and critiqued. An evaluation is made as to the current state of the research, and suggestions for future directions.