cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
South Asian Studies: Health

Because of their shared cultural and political heritage, countries in South Asia also share a common tradition and history of research in health. Despite notable achievements and many failures, the health systems in the region have not benefited adequately from empirical research. Factors responsible include a deep-rooted scholarly tradition of deductive reasoning, little importance given to research and publication by academics, a high emphasis on hierarchical status and intuition in decision-making, and a lack of research funds. Donors have played an important role, but their contributions have been mixed.
Real-Time Learning of Efficient Lift Generation on a Dynamically Scaled Flapping Wing Using Policy Search

In this work, we present a successful application of a policy search algorithm to a real-time robotic learning problem, where the goal is to maximize the efficiency of lift generation on a dynamically scaled flapping robotic wing. The robotic wing has two degrees-of-freedom, i.e., stroke and pitch, and operates in a tank filled with mineral oil. For all experiments, the Reynolds number is maintained constant at 1000, where learning is performed for different prescribed stroke amplitudes to find the optimal wing pitching amplitude and the stroke-pitch phase difference that maximize the power loading (PL) of lift generation, a measure of aerodynamic efficiency. For the investigated stroke amplitude range (30°-90°), the efficiency is observed to increase with the stroke amplitude and the lift is mainly generated through the delayed stall, a quasi-steady aerodynamic mechanism. Furthermore, the wing rotation becomes more asymmetric with respect to stroke reversal as the stroke amplitude decreases, indicating an increased use of unsteady lift generation mechanisms at lower stroke amplitudes.
Variability in the formal and informal content instructors convey in lectures

Abstract This paper investigates the variability in the content of lectures by different university mathematics instructors teaching concurrently in the same course. The instructors enacted a shared lesson-plan and coordinated their teaching to ensure students in different sections of the course will receive equivalent academic preparation. However, classroom observations and interviews with the instructors indicate that while explicitly discussing the same definitions and theorems and working out similar examples, the instructors were implicitly trying to convey different informal content. An analysis of the instructors’ mathematical discourse during the lectures and the interviews reveals that the instructors coordinated with each other content corresponding with object-level learning, while implicitly orienting their lectures towards fostering meta-level learning. This found gap highlights miscommunication between the instructors and points to the need of a shared and explicit discourse on meta-level learning at the collegiate level.
Economic Outcomes Associated with Safety Interventions by a Pharmacist-Adjudicated Prior Authorization Consult Service.

BACKGROUND: The establishment of a formulary management system ensures that health care professionals work together in an integrated patient care process to promote clinically sound, safe, and cost...
David C. Evans

"Bottlenecks: Aligning UX Design with User Psychology", written by David C. Evans and technically reviewed by Dr. Peter Meyers, informs "entrepreneurs, designers, developers, publishers, and advertisers" of the relationship between user psychology and UX design, stating that "digital innovations must survive the psychological bottlenecks of attention, perception, memory, disposition, motivation and social-influence if they are to proliferate" (p. xiii). Bottlenecks aims for readers to understand the psychological considerations that one must make when instituting digital memes, which are digital ideas, inventions, or particles of culture whose diffusion through a population can be observed (p. xiv). Overall, Bottlenecks is an excellent resource for anyone in a marketing, research and development, or design role at a company that produces digital memes.
Advancing Public Health Through Tax-Exempt Hospitals: Nonprofits’ Revenue Streams and Provision of Collective Goods:

Nonprofit organizations play an essential role in the provision of collective goods. Focusing on a unique subsector in the United States, this study examines the extent to which nonprofit hospitals...
Zirconium alkyls with ancillary cyclooctatetraenyl ligands. X-ray crystal structures of [Li(tmed)][(C8H8)Zr(p-C6H4Me)Cl2] and (C8H8)Zr[CH(SiMe3)2]2

Abstract Several new group 4 alkyl and aryl compounds have been synthesized that possess ancillary cyclooctatetraene ligands. Most of the complexes isolated are anionic and have stoichiometries of [Li(tmed)2][(C8H8)MRCl2], [Li(tmed)x][(C8H8)MR2Cl], or [Li(tmed)x][(C8H8)MR3], where M = Zr or Hf, and R = Me, Ph, p-Tol, or CH(SiMe3)2. Two neutral 14-electron compounds have also been prepared, (C8H8)M[CH(SiMe3)2]2, where R = Zr or Hf. The compound (C8H8)Zr[CH(SiMe3)2]2 appears to react reversibly with 7 atm of carbon monoxide but does not react with dihydrogen even at 70 atm. IR, 1H and 13C NMR data are reported, along with the crystal structures of two of the new compounds.
Beyond Grades: Student Retention in an Online MSW Program.

Institutions of higher education are encountering shifting trends in student enrollment and must embrace interdisciplinary approaches to address student recruitment and retention. This study explor...
Thermochemical Analysis of Ammonia Gas Sorption by Struvite from Livestock Wastes and Comparison with Biochar and Metal-Organic Framework Sorbents.

Struvite-bearing solids from swine (S) and dairy (D) wastewater, heat-treated to 150-300 °C, were evaluated as ammonia gas (NH3(g)) sorbents and compared to biochar (BC) and a metal-organic framewo...
Perception of Thematic-Based Interpretation at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial: A Study of Korean Visitors:

The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (Gateway Arch) is a National Park Service (NPS) monument in St. Louis, Missouri, that serves as a symbol of westward expansion and frontier life in America...
Local estimators and Bayesian inverse problems with non-unique solutions

The Bayesian approach is effective for inverse problems. The posterior density distribution provides useful information of the unknowns. However, for problems with non-unique solutions, the classical estimators such as the maximum a posterior (MAP) and conditional mean (CM) are not enough. We introduce two new estimators, the local maximum a posterior (LMAP) and local conditional mean (LCM). Their applications are demonstrated by three inverse problems: an inverse spectral problem, an inverse source problem, and an inverse medium problem.
The Effects of Network Latency on Competitive First-Person Shooter Game Players

Esports gamers, and competitive gamers more broadly, want low network latency to maximize their chances of winning – in general, the lower the network latency, the less time between a player’s action and the intended outcome. But how much small reductions in network latency benefit competitive players is not known. This paper presents results from a 25person user study that evaluates the impact of network latency on experienced Counter-strike: Global Offensive players. Analysis of the results shows pronounced benefits to player performance (accuracy and score) for even small reductions in network latency, with subjective opinions on Quality of Experience (QoE) following suit. Latency compensation – a software technique to mitigate the effects of latency – significantly improves player performance and QoE.
Remote Sensing for Italian Ryegrass [Lolium perenne L. ssp. multiflorum (Lam.) Husnot] Detection in Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Italian ryegrass [Lolium perenne L. ssp. multiflorum (Lam.) Husnot] is one of the most challenging weeds for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growers to manage. Italian ryegrass has evolved resistance to the majority of the herbicides labeled for use in wheat and the competitive ability of the species makes it a significant factor driving winter wheat production practices around the world. Previous research has utilized remotely sensed spectral imagery to detect Italian ryegrass in winter wheat to aid weed control decisions. Two studies from 2016 and 2017 were initiated with the intent of identifying the spectral reflectance properties of Italian ryegrass and winter wheat using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a 5-band multispectral sensor. Image analysis was conducted to determine the potential for species discrimination throughout the growing season. Supervised classification of the imagery was used to evaluate the ability of the UAV platform for further discrimination between Italian ryegrass and winter wheat. Species differentiation proved to be possible, however the data was not able to be referenced across dates. Due to light variability, the reflectance values changed to such a degree that unsupervised classifications were not possible using a database of values from previous flights. Supervised classification of the multispectral image resulted in >70% classification accuracy between the species. However, near infrared light consistently differed enough for accurate classification between Italian ryegrass and winter wheat across different weed densities, flight altitudes, and imaging dates. On a single field basis, species differentiation was successful and resulted in classified maps of Italian ryegrass and winter wheat. This study also analyzed the exact accuracy of the species differentiation based on the quality and uniformity of light conditions and growth stage of plants.
Paradoxes of Court-Centered Legal History: Some Values of Historical Understanding for a Practical Legal Education

This article considers the contributions that court-centered legal history makes to legal education and especially to practical legal education. It argues that such legal history brings the insights of historical realism to the challenge of understanding legal doctrines and principles and that it thereby illuminates the work of courts and the nature of judicial decisionmaking in ways that are particularly helpful to both practicing lawyers and sitting judges. By identifying and exploring the paradoxes that result from melding historical and formalistic analyses, legal history deepens the insight into the practical operations of the legal system and suggests for advocates and judges the likely rigidities and elasticities that mark various rules, doctrines, and principles. Similarly, and of particular importance for younger lawyers facing a world of accelerating social and economic change, legal history deepens understanding of reasons why legal rules, practices, procedures, and institutions themselves inevitably change over time and how they continually adapt to new social contexts and pressures. Such understanding will prove essential to successful legal practice in the dynamic and radically changing world of the twenty-first century.
International Pacific Halibut Convention

The Pacific halibut, Hippoglossus stenolepis, is a right handed or dextral flounder, with both eyes on the right side. About 1 in 25,000 is left handed. “Holybut” was used as far back as the 13th century. It was derived from the word “halybutte,” which means the flatfish (butte) that was to be eaten on holy (haly) days. Its distribution in the Pacific and the Atlantic, where a closely related species, Hippoglossus hippoglossus, exists, tends to lie between 37° and 46° F (3° to 8° C). In the Pacific it has been taken from Santa Rosa Island off Los Angeles, California in the south, to as far north as Norton Sound, in the Bering Sea, then across the continental shelf in the Bering Sea to the Gulf of Anadyr and an additional 2,000 miles south to Hokkaido, in Japan. Commercial setline catches in the North Pacific have been made as deep as 600 fathoms (1,100 meters), but most are taken between 15 and 150 fathoms.
Regulatory T cell vaccination without autoantigen protects against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Regulatory T (Treg) cells show promise for treating autoimmune diseases, but their induction to elevated potency has been problematic when the most optimally derived cells are from diseased animals. To circumvent reliance on autoantigen-reactive Treg cells, stimulation to myelin-independent Ags may offer a viable alternative while maintaining potency to treat experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). The experimental Salmonella vaccine expressing colonization factor Ag I possesses anti-inflammatory properties and, when applied therapeutically, reduces further development of EAE in SJL mice. To ascertain Treg cell dependency, a kinetic analysis was performed showing increased levels of FoxP3+CD25+CD4+ T cells. Inactivation of these Treg cells resulted in loss of protection. Adoptive transfer of the vaccine-induced Treg cells protected mice against EAE with greater potency than naive or Salmonella vector-induced Treg cells, and cytokine analysis revealed enhanced production of TGF-β, not IL-10. The development of these Treg cells in conjunction with immune deviation by Th2 cells optimally induced protective Treg cells when compared those induced in the absence of Th2 cells. These data show that Treg cells can be induced to high potency to non-disease-inducing Ags using a bacterial vaccine.
Raman studies of vitreous Si O 2 versus fictive temperature

The first-order Raman spectra of vitreous Si${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ have been studied as a function of sample fictive temperature ${T}_{F}$ for $900\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\mathrm{C}\ensuremath{\le}{T}_{F}\ensuremath{\le}1550\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}\mathrm{C}$. Three observations were made: (1) The broad features assigned to vibrations associated with the continuous random network of $v\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Si}{\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ shift in frequency in a manner consistent with densification by reduction of the average Si-O-Si angle $\ensuremath{\theta}$; (2) the sharp "defect" lines at 492 and 606 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ show little or no shift in frequency; (3) both defect line intensities exhibit Arrhenius behavior, $\mathrm{exp}(\frac{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\Delta}E}{{k}_{B}{T}_{F}})$, with well-defined activation energies $\ensuremath{\Delta}E$ of 0.14 and 0.40 eV, respectively. These observations are interpreted using a central-force network dynamics model and changes in the number of planar threefold and regular fourfold ring defects.
Discussions in a Socrates Café: Implications for Critical Thinking in Teacher Education

The purpose of this study was to benchmark the types of Socratic questioning that were occurring in a Socrates Cafe, an online discussion forum, in a graduate-level diversity course in teacher education. The Universal Intellectual Standards were used to analyze Socratic questioning. Results suggested that the nine Universal Intellectual Standards provided an exceptional deductive framework for understanding the types and frequencies of Socratic questioning occurring in the Socrates Cafe. The benefits of using a Socrates Cafe discussion for instruction to scaffold critical thinking are discussed and implications for teacher education are considered.
Synthesis and Characterization of a Melt Processable Polyimide

A melt processable polyimide, BDSDA/APB, which contains sulfur and oxygen bridges between the aromatic rings was synthesized and characterized. Its physical, mechanical, thermal and flow properties were determined as was its resistance to some of the more commonly used solvents. The melt flow properties were measured for the temperature range 250°C–350°C and under the stress/ strain conditions encountered in commercial processes.
Collaborative Support for Informal Information in Collective Memory Systems

Informal information, such as the expertise of an organization or the workarounds practiced by a community, is a critical part of organizational or collective memory systems. From a user-centered perspective, a user merely wishes to get his work done, and to do this, he must solve his immediate problems. We have examined how to incorporate this problem solving into a collective memory, as well as how to incorporate the learning that accrues to it or from it. We report here on two systems, the Cafe ConstructionKit and the Collaborative Refinery, as well as an application, Answer Garden 2, built using these two systems. The Cafe ConstructionKit provides toolkit mechanisms for incorporating communication flows among people (as well as agents) into an organizational memory framework, and the Collaborative Refinery system provides mechanisms for distilling and refining the informal information obtained through these communication flows. The Answer Garden 2 application demonstrates the utility of these two underlying systems.
Slider Scales and Web-Based Surveys: A Cautionary Note

Slider scales (or, visual analog scales) are becoming increasingly popular in web-based surveys. These psychometric response scales utilize Likert-type items in which respondents select a point along a line labelled with bipolar endpoints to indicate their preference or agreement with a statement. This article is a response to an article that appeared earlier in the Journal of Research Practice where the writers treated Likert-type data as interval-level measurements. The authors of this response article contend that it is erroneous to suppose the data obtained by visual analog scales to be quantitative and continuous (on an interval scale) when, in fact, these are discreet data (on an ordinal scale), which are essentially qualitative. Qualitative data are not quantitative and no means of analysis can make it so.
Proteomic analysis of keratitis-associated Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Purpose To compare the proteomic profile of a clinical isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) obtained from an infected cornea of a contact lens wearer and the laboratory strain P. aeruginosa ATCC 10145. Methods Antibiotic sensitivity, motility, biofilm formation, and virulence tests were performed using standard methods. Whole protein lysates were analyzed with liquid chromatography/ tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in triplicate, and relative protein abundances were determined with spectral counting. The G test followed by a post hoc Holm-Sidak adjustment was used for the statistical analyses to determine significance in the differential expression of proteins between the two strains. Results A total of 687 proteins were detected. One-hundred thirty-three (133) proteins were significantly different between the two strains. Among these, 13 were upregulated, and 16 were downregulated in the clinical strain compared to ATCC 10145, whereas 57 were detected only in the clinical strain. The upregulated proteins are associated with virulence and pathogenicity. Conclusions Proteins detected at higher levels in the clinical strain of P. aeruginosa were proteins known to be virulence factors. These results confirm that the keratitis-associated P. aeruginosa strain is pathogenic and expresses a higher number of virulence factors compared to the laboratory strain ATCC 10145. Identification of the protein profile of the corneal strain of P. aeruginosa in this study will aid in elucidating novel intervention strategies for reducing the burden of P. aeruginosa infection in keratitis.
Regional crustal-scale structures as conduits for deep geothermal upflow

Abstract Geothermal fluids produced from two of the largest production geothermal fields in the Great Basin have helium isotope ratios that are anomalously high relative to basin-wide trends. These data indicate that the geothermal systems, Dixie Valley, Nevada and McGinness Hills, Nevada have an anomalously high fraction of mantle derived fluid. These connections to deeply derived fluid and heat may supplement crustal heat production and be responsible, in part, for the anomalously high production capacity, relative to other Great Basin geothermal fields, that Dixie Valley and McGinness Hills support. Deep-seated crustal structures across the Great Basin and around the world are known to be associated with structural reactivation, can have relatively high permeability, and can act as fluid flow conduits. These deep seated structures across the Great Basin control upflow of deeply derived heat and fluids into the shallow geothermal systems at Dixie Valley and McGinness Hills, contributing to their productivity.
Recent developments in passive component testing

Passive components for high-speed dense wavelength-division-multiplexing (DWDM) optical networks must be characterized precisely for both loss and dispersion properties: spectral loss, polarization-dependent loss (PDL), group delay (GD), and differential GD (DGD). The ability to test all parameters will be essential in the development and manufacture of passive optical devices and modules such as fiber gratings, arrayed waveguide gratings, or add–drop modules, particularly for 40-Gbit/s networks. New techniques such as swept homodyne interferometry are currently developed for full characterization of modern optical devices. Here we review the latest development in optical component testing for all-loss and all-parameter tests.
A Monte Carlo Investigation of the Box—Cox Transformation in Small Samples

Abstract The small-sample properties of models which transform both the dependent and independent variables using the same Box-Cox transformation are investigated in sampling experiments. Bias does not appear to be a serious problem; however, the sign and size of the transformation parameter, which changes the coefficient of variation of the dependent variable, seriously affects the variances of the estimators. Hypothesis tests reveal that t statistics frequently lead to incorrect decisions since the actual sampling distributions have heavier tail areas than the t distribution.
A bayesian nonparametric density estimator

Bayesian nonparametric density estimators required the construction of prior distributions on spaces of density functions. These prior distributions have parameters that control the amount of smoothness of the density estimator. Hierarchical Bayes methods provide a complete analysis of the density function and the smoothing parameters. This paper presents a posterior analysis of the unknown density by implementing a Markov chain Monte Carlo method.
Vaccines: facing complex problems with the promise of immunology.

Interview by Jenaid Rees (Commissioning Editor)Highly renowned in the vaccines world, Stanley A. Plotkin has worked at many leading institutions throughout his career, and is Emeritus Professor of the University of Pennsylvania and Adjunct Professor of the Johns Hopkins University. In 1991, Plotkin joined Sanofi Pasteur and worked there from 1991 to 1997, and now works as principal of Vaxconsult, LLC as a consultant to vaccine manufacturers, biotechnology companies and non-profit research organizations. Plotkin has served as chairman of the Infectious Diseases Committee and the AIDS Task Force of the American Academy of Pediatrics, liaison member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and Chairman of the Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Research Committee of the National Institutes of Health. He has been a recipient of numerous prestigious medals and awards throughout his career, and his bibliography includes over 700 articles and several books, including the standard textbook on vaccine...
Basaltic andesite, altered basalt, and a TES-based search for smectite clay minerals on Mars

[1] The global-scale surface type 2 unit first identified with the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) remains enigmatic. Competing hypotheses suggest that it represents either basaltic andesite or some form of altered basalt rich in dioctahedral smectite clay minerals and/or spectrally similar amorphous silica phases. Common dioctahedral smectites contain a diagnostic feature in a portion of TES spectra that has been excluded in previous studies because of atmospheric CO2 absorption. We exploit the relative transparency of this spectral region to develop two indices that in tandem, distinguish between certain smectites and amorphous phases. Smectites are not detected in northern lowlands type 2 settings, consistent with other datasets, but the case for primary or secondary amorphous silica phases is strengthened. Separately, one index reveals an abundance of isolated type 2 occurrences in the southern high-latitudes (>50°) associated with dunes, the other shows olivine concentrations between −40° and +30°.
High-order regridding-remapping schemes for continuous isopycnal and generalized coordinates in ocean models

A hierarchy of high-order regridding-remapping schemes for use in generalized vertical coordinate ocean models is presented. The proposed regridding-remapping framework is successfully used in a series of idealized one-dimensional numerical experiments as well as two-dimensional internal wave and overflow test cases. The model is capable of replicating z-, sigma- and isopycnal-coordinate results, among others. Particular emphasis is placed on the design of a continuous isopycnal framework, which is a more general alternative to the layered isopycnal paradigm. Continuous isopycnal coordinates use target interface densities to define layers. In contrast to traditional layered isopycnal models, in which along-layer density gradients vanish, general coordinate approaches must deal with extra terms. For example, the calculation of pressure gradient force is more complicated and must be evaluated carefully. High-order reconstructions within boundary cells are crucial for obtaining sensible results and for reducing spurious diffusion near boundaries. Vertical advection is implicitly embedded in the remapping step and directly benefits from high-order schemes. Volume and all tracers are conserved to machine precision, which is a necessary ingredient for long-term ocean climate modeling. This hybrid vertical coordinate model provides the framework to easily capture the impact of different coordinate systems on dynamics.
Caspase-3 activation as a bifurcation point between plasticity and cell death

Death-mediating proteases such as caspases and caspase-3 in particular, have been implicated in neurodegenerative processes, aging and Alzheimer’s disease. However, emerging evidence suggests that in addition to their classical role in cell death, caspases play a key role in modulating synaptic function. It is remarkable that active caspases-3, which can trigger widespread damage and degeneration, aggregates in structures as delicate as synapses and persists in neurons without causing acute cell death. Here, we evaluate this dichotomy, and discuss the hypothesis that caspase-3 may be a bifurcation point in cellular signaling, able to orient the neuronal response to stress down either pathological/apoptotic pathways or towards physiological cellular remodeling. We propose that temporal, spatial and other regulators of caspase activity are key determinants of the ultimate effect of caspase-3 activation in neurons. This concept has implications for differential roles of caspase-3 activation across the lifespan. Specifically, we propose that limited caspase-3 activation is critical for synaptic function in the healthy adult brain while chronic activation is involved in degenerative processes in the aging brain.
Large-scale effects on local small-scale chaotic solutions to Burgers' equation

On etudie les effets de variations locales de vitesse et un terme du type gradient de pression pour les equations a petite echelle d'une decomposition additionnelle de l'equation de Burgers. Calcul pour des nombres de Reynolds relativement eleves. On etablit des cartes du regime d'ecoulement resumant les effets des gradients de vitesse et de pression ainsi que du nombre de Reynolds
Experimental modeling of solvent‐casting thin polymer films

An apparatus was designed and assembled to study the solvent removal from solution-cast thin polymer films. The computer interfacing of a thermogravimetric analyzer, spectrophotometer, electronic flowmeters, and control valves for the apparatus enabled the preprogramming of the carrier gas velocity, carrier gas solvent content, and temperature profiles to simulate the environment experienced in large parallel flow industrial driers. The apparatus has also been designed and operated to enable the visual observation of the drying film with an optical microscope. Initial experimental studies conducted with the apparatus involved the effect of temperature on solvent removal. The results indicate that high dryer gas temperatures can apparently cause skinning of the film surface resulting in slower solvent removal rates. The skin formation can be suppressed by higher solvent concentration in the carrier gas. The visual observations revealed the formation of standing waves in the film surface during drying at high gas velocities (>2OO cm/min). The wave formation at least partially overcomes the effect of skinning by increasing the surface area of the film, and may be the manifestation of flow instabilities involving circulation within the film.
Staudinger ligation: a peptide from a thioester and azide.

The technique of native chemical ligation enables the total chemical synthesis of proteins. This method is limited, however, by an absolute requirement for a cysteine residue at the ligation juncture. Here, this restriction is overcome with a new chemical ligation method in which a phosphinobenzenethiol is used to link a thioester and azide. The product is an amide with no residual atoms.
Morphological and functional changes in the distal hypothalamo-neurohypophysial system of the grass frog ( Rana pipiens ) after transection of the proximal neurohypophysis

Nach Durchtrennung der proximalen Neurohypophyse wird im distalen Stumpf eine gegenuber Kontrolltieren erhohte Menge paraldehyd-fuchsinpositiver Substanz gefunden, die im Elektronenmikroskop einwandfrei als Neurosekret identifiziert werden konnte. Die im Tierversuch ermittelte erhohte, blutdrucksteigernde Aktivitat des distalen Teils der Neurohypophyse spricht fur eine lokale Synthese des Neurosekrets.
Go ahead, break my symmetry!

Work in this issue advances our understanding of how the small G protein Cdc42 functions to polarize budding yeast. Remarkably, Cdc42 can polarize in the absence of upstream cues or positive feedback from the cytoskeleton. Polarization requires the scaffold protein Bem1 and cycling of Cdc42 between its GTP- and GDP-bound states.
Sperm from β1,4-galactosyltransferase I-null mice exhibit precocious capacitation

Mammalian sperm must undergo a physiological maturation, termed capacitation, before they are able to fertilize eggs. Despite its importance, the molecular mechanisms underlying capacitation are poorly understood. In this paper, we describe the capacitation phenotype of sperm lacking the long isoform of β1,4-galactosyltransferase I (GalT I), a sperm surface protein that functions as a receptor for the zona pellucida glycoprotein, ZP3, and as an inducer of the acrosome reaction following ZP3-dependent aggregation. As expected, wild-type sperm must undergo capacitation in order to bind the zona pellucida and undergo a Ca 2+ ionophore-induced acrosome reaction. By contrast, GalT I-null sperm behave as though they are precociously capacitated, in that they demonstrate maximal binding to the zona pellucida and greatly increased sensitivity to ionophore-induced acrosome reactions without undergoing capacitation in vitro. The loss of GalT I from sperm results in an inability to bind epididymal glycoconjugates that normally maintain sperm in an `uncapacitated9 state; removing these decapacitating factors from wild-type sperm phenocopies the capacitation behavior of GalT I-null sperm. Interestingly, capacitation of GalT I-null sperm is independent of the presence of albumin, Ca 2+ and HCO 3 – ; three co-factors normally required by wild-type sperm to achieve capacitation. This implies that intracellular targets of albumin, Ca 2+ and/or HCO 3 – may be constitutively active in GalT I-null sperm. Consistent with this, GalT I-null sperm have increased levels of cAMP that correlate closely with both the accelerated kinetics and co-factor-independence of GalT I-null sperm capacitation. By contrast, the kinetics of protein tyrosine phosphorylation and sperm motility are unaltered in mutant sperm relative to wild-type. These data suggest that GalT I may function as a negative regulator of capacitation in the sperm head by suppressing intracellular signaling pathways that promote this process.
Spatial and temporal impacts on a career in science

In cell biology, subcellular locale is critical for the action of signaling molecules, for regulation of gene expression, and for proper cell division. In simple terms, everything must be in the right place at the right time. For my research, I have focused on understanding the role the nuclear pore complex (NPC) plays in maintaining this balance. With eukaryotic transcription in the nucleus and translation in the cytoplasm, highly selective import and export events at the NPC connect these spatially separated processes to allow gene expression. In a similar way, spatial and temporal events have repeatedly impacted my scientific career. In different places and times, interactions with mentors, collaborators, colleagues, and trainees have shaped my research and mentoring philosophies: aim high, fuel your passions, collaborate, and take risks to find supportive environments and challenging projects that impact scientific discovery.
Strategies for the treatment of indirect hernia

Background: It is generally assumed that groin hernia is caused by ‘intra-abdominal pressure’ that is contained by transversalis fascia. The intra-abdominal compartment consists of two components: the intraperitoneal and the extraperitoneal compartment. The respective contribution of each of these two components to groin hernia aetiology has never been differentiated. Methods: Morphological and physiological correlates were sought to explain striking inconsistencies in the above-mentioned theory: The processus vaginalis obliterates only after birth, when crying and straining first raises intraperitoneal pressure. Epidemiologically, groin hernia incidence is lowest in the 15–45-years age group, in which pressure strains from physical work, sports, pregnancy and delivery are highest. Maximal intra-abdominal pressure increase in pregnancy and labour never causes a groin hernia in women. In patients treated with chronic pneumoperitoneum at a pressure of 10 mm Hg, stretching of the abdominal wall and a large increase of the intraperitoneal space occurs without concomitant hernia development. Intraperitoneal pressure of 20 mm Hg causes a lethal compartment syndrome. Results: The internal inguinal ring is formed by the separation of two portions of transversalis fascia: Laterally, transversalis fascia is attached to the posterior edge of the inguinal ligament. Medial to the inferior epigastric vessels, transversalis fascia inserts into the Cooper ligament, at some distance from the inguinal ligament, and extends over the pubis into the cavity of the pelvis. The course of an indirect hernia corresponds to a tangentially acting aetiology. Intraperitoneal pressure acts at a right angle upon the oblique course of the processus vaginalis, causing compression and obliteration of the processus. Radially acting intraperitoneal pressure would have to be deviated at a right angle to causede novo formation of an indirect hernia. Conclusions: The word and the historical notion of traumatic ‘rupture’ are misleading conceptions for groin hernia aetiology. In childhood, indirect hernia is a process of foetal development; at old age, a process of involution of the extraperitoneal fatty-fascial compartment. This involution is characterized by the formation of lipomas and, histologically, by fatty degeneration of connective tissue components. The extraperitoneal fatty-fascial compartment is contained by external oblique aponeurosis, not by transversalis fascia. This is the reason why a small prosthesis sublayed to external oblique aponeurosis is more effective than a much larger prosthesis sublayed to transversalis fascia. This concept is helpful in the strategy of using as little prosthetic material as possible.
Late Wisconsin ice-surface profile calculated from esker paths and types, Katahdin esker system, maine

Values of the gradient of the former ice surface can be inferred at points along a flow line from deviations of esker paths or transitions in esker type and numerically integrated to give the profile. A profile calculated in this way shows that during formation of the Katahdin esker system about 12,700 yr ago the ice thickness at distances of 10, 20, 50, 100, and 140 km from the terminus, which is about two thirds of the distance to the ice divide, was approximately 200, 300, 600, 750, and 900 m. The terminal reach was computed by assuming an unknown uniform basal drag and matching the profile to its known elevation at the terminus and known gradient 10 km upglacier. Correction for isostatic rebound based on the elevations of contemporaneous deltas and of the marine limit proved unnecessary, because the tilt due to the difference in uplift at the two ends of the profile is only 0.1 m km−1. With other plausible assumptions as to sea levels in the past, elevations of the marine limit, or exact location of the terminus the profile could be as much as roughly 100 m higher. It hits Mount Katahdin about 500 m below its summit, which is at 1600 m, in agreement with the geological evidence farther west. The steepening of the upper part of the profile suggests that the mountain dammed and diverted the ice. Basal drag computed from the profile varies from about 20 kPa (0.2 bar) near the terminus to 30 kPa (0.3 bar) at 100 km to 70 kPa (0.7 bar) at 140 km. The relatively low values away from the influence of Mount Katahdin agree with independent evidence from deep-sea cores of substantial late Wisconsin ice-sheet thinning without comparable areal reduction. The method has potential for application over wide areas that were occupied by the Laurentide and Scandinavian ice sheets.
The crisis of content in educational psychology courses can cai help

EDRS Price MF-$0.25 HC-S0.45 *Computer Assisted Instruction, Educational Psychology, Individualized Instruction, Simulation, Teacher Education Curriculum Computer technology per se is not a solution to the Problem of the current "crisis in content" in teacher education programs. Computer assisted instruction (CAI) is defined as the on-line interaction of a student with a computer program for purposes of instruction. The drill-and-practice and tutorial CAI programs serve merely as a medium for presenting assigned content, doing little to make content more relevant to the learner. However, the CAT simulation programs can be more than just media manipulation. With appropriate content they can increase the trainee's concern level, thus functioning as compressed experience, bringing the learner's perception of his needs more in line with the content of educational Psychology courses. Computer managed instruction (CMI), which utilizes the powerful information storage, manipulation, and retrieval capabilities of the computer for such purposes as the diagnosis of learner deficiencies, prescription of instructional tasks, record keeping, etc., appears to open up other vast changes in teacher education programs by attempting to relate the program more effectively to the learner. Flexible (highly individualized) self-paced, modular, performance curriculum programs then become possible so that CAI in its narrower definition can be reconsidered. Finally, the advent of CAI-CMI and other computer techniques into the public schools necessitates their introduction as a content area into the teacher education curriculum. (JS) U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION it WELFARE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR GRGALIZATION ORIGINATING IT. POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY_ The Crisis of Content in Educational Psychology
Diencephalic changes in traumatic brain injury: relationship to sensory perceptual function.

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging scans of 33 traumatically brain-injured (TBI) patients were compared quantitatively to MR scans of controls matched for age and gender. Quantitative estimates of thalamic, internal capsule, and third ventricle morphology were obtained in each TBI patient. Comparisons were made to normal control subjects and revealed significant reduction in thalamic volume with corresponding increase in third ventricle. Measurements of internal capsule reflected nonsignificant changes. Significant correlations were observed between sensory-perceptual functioning, as measured by the Reitan-Klove Sensory-Perceptual Exam, and thalamic volume in TBI patients. A decrease in thalamic volume was associated with an increase in sensory-perceptual errors.
Evaluation of LMFBR Fuel-Motion Diagnostics Instrumentation with PARKA

To aid in the design of LMFBR safety test experiments and safety test faciities (STF), a program of evaluation of concepts for fuel-motion diagnostics instrumentation has been undertaken. A part of this evaluation is being done at PARKA, a Rover project critical assembly which has been modified to study the self nuclear image from driven FTR-type fuel assemblies. Feasibility of obtaining fast-neutron images of single-pin voids in assemblies of up to 127 fuel pins has been demonstrated, albeit marginally for the larger fuel bundles. The feasibility of using in-core detectors as fuel-motion monitors has also been studied. Use of PARKA in a pulsed mode to study STF transient phenomena is discussed.
Food sources of vitamin B-6 of a group of indonesian children

Food sources of vitamin B-6, commonly consumed by 77 children (age =8–9 years) in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia, were analyzed for total vitamin B-6 content using Saccharomyces uvarum, and compared with the vitamin B-6 values of the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. The total vitamin B-6 analyzed values for these foods (mg/100 g) were significantly lower than the USDA database values. The mean vitamin B-6 intakes of the subjects calculated using analyzed values (0.57 pm 0.26 mg/day) were significantly lower (p<0.0001) than the mean vitamin B-6 intakes calculated using USDA database values (0.97 pm 0.31 mg/day). Mean differences between intakes calculated by the two methods were about 70%. The contribution of vitamin B-6 from plant foods (52%) was similar to that of animal sources (48%). Estimation of vitamin B-6 intakes using analyzed values of the local foods more accurately represented actual intakes than database values.
Mesa from the perspective of a designer turned user

The Mesa language and run-time environment were designed for the purpose of building systems programs such as compilers, operating systems, graphics software and so on. It is a relatively high-level language with strong type checking and supports the ideas of modular programming and abstract data types. Although the system is compiler-based, one can debug programs interactively in source-language terms.The language has been in rather heavy use since 1976 by a programming community of a few hundreds of professional programmers within the Xerox Corporation, and a large amount of code has been written in it. This talk will give a designer's retrospective view of Mesa from the vantage point of a serious user and will attempt to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses as a vehicle for systems programming.
The Kindness Of Strangers: Community Effects On The Rate Of Employer Coverage

ABSTRACT: The rate of employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) varies greatly across states. We analyze the factors that account for that variation. We find that the likelihood that a worker is covered b...
Explaining the theory of mind deficit in autism spectrum disorder

The theory of mind (ToM) deficit associated with autism has been a central topic in the debate about the modularity of the mind. Most involved in the debate about the explanation of the ToM deficit have failed to notice that autism’s status as a spectrum disorder has implications about which explanation is more plausible. In this paper, I argue that the shift from viewing autism as a unified syndrome to a spectrum disorder increases the plausibility of the explanation of the ToM deficit that appeals to a domain-specific, higher-level ToM module. First, I discuss what it means to consider autism as a spectrum rather than as a unified disorder. Second, I argue for the plausibility of the modular explanation on the basis that autism is better considered as a spectrum disorder. Third, I respond to a potential challenge to my account from Philip Gerrans and Valerie Stone’s recent work (Gerrans, Biol Philos 17:305–321, 2002; Stone and Gerrans, Trends Cogn Sci 10:3–4, 2006a; Soc Neurosci 1:309–319, 2006b; Gerrans and Stone, Br J Philos Sci 59:121–141, 2008).
Low-energy electron diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and CO-temperature-programmed desorption characterization of bimetallic ruthenium-platinum surfaces prepared by chemical vapor deposition

Low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and CO-temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) were used to characterize ruthenium-modified Pt(100) surfaces of very high purity and controlled stoichiometry prepared in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) by irradiating Ru3(CO)12 films condensed on cold Pt substrates at 150 K with X-rays, and subsequent annealing at ca. 620 K. The presence of Ru on Pt(100) lifted the (5 × 20) reconstruction characteristic of the bare clean substrate; however, the reconstruction reappeared as the bimetallic surfaces were briefly annealed to ca. 900 K. Exposure of nonannealed Ru(θRu ≥ 0.22)/Pt(100), where θRu represents the Ru coverage in monolayers, to large exposures of CO at ca. 200 K yielded smaller θCO, as well as TPD peaks with onset desorption temperatures, Tdes(CO), ca. 50 K lower than those observed for bare Pt(100). More strikingly, however, the CO-TPD spectra of CO-saturated Ru(θRu = 0.42)/Pt(100), which had been briefly annealed to 900 K, displa...
The role of targeted therapy and biomarkers in breast cancer treatment

Breast cancer is the most prevalent life-threatening cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer associated deaths. Consequently, optimizing breast cancer therapy to increase cure rates in early stage disease and improve life expectancy and palliation for patients with metastasis is a critical need and major area of research in medical oncology. This article focuses on the development of personalized therapy in breast cancer though the use of targeted therapies and their associated biomarkers. Topics reviewed include the historic advances in targeting the HER2 receptor and the current avenues being studied to circumvent resistance; new developments in the management of triple negative and metastatic breast cancer; and the challenges and pitfalls associated with targeting angiogenesis. Using these as examples, many of the innovations and challenges in the treatment of women with breast cancer are explored.