cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early Mathematics Achievement Trajectories: English-Language Learner and Native English-Speaker Estimates, Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey.

This study used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999, to (a) estimate mathematics achievement trends through 5th grade in the population of students who are English-language proficient by the end of kindergarten, (b) compare trends across primary language groups within this English-language proficient group, (c) evaluate the effect of low socioeconomic status (SES) for English-language proficient students and within different primary language groups, and (d) estimate language-group trends in specific mathematics skill areas. The group of English-language proficient English-language learners (ELLs) was disaggregated into native Spanish speakers and native speakers of Asian languages, the 2 most prevalent groups of ELLs in the United States. Results of multilevel latent variable growth modeling suggest that primary language may be less salient than SES in explaining the mathematics achievement of English-language proficient ELLs. The study also found that mathematics-related school readiness is a key factor in explaining subsequent achievement differences and that the readiness gap is prevalent across the range of mathematics-related skills.
Freeze-thaw-induced latent injury in cells ofthe renal cortex

Summary The phenomenon of freeze-thaw-induced latent injury, or deleterious effects of freezing and thawing manifested with time after thawing, was demonstrated by slices of renal cortex of the mouse. Glycerolated tissues which were frozen slowly (3.8°C per min) and thawed rapidly (8°C per sec) showed accentuated loss in respiratory function (Qo 2 ) during 4-hr incubation at 37°C when compared with unfrozen control slices. Percentage decrease in rate of oxygen consumption between 1- to 2-, 2- to 3-, and 3- to 4-hr storage intervals was 33, 31, and 43% greater for frozen-thawed tissues. Parallel observations with electron microscopy suggested correlative evidence for coincident accentuated ultrastructural damage to mitochondria. Further investigation of freeze-thaw-induced latent injury was suggested using an approach based upon evaluation of the various levels of biological organization, from tissue to molecular entities.
Special session — "Stereotype threat" and my students: What can I do about it?

Stereotype threat occurs when one is at risk of confirming a negative stereotype about a social group that one belongs to. In the academic setting, research has shown that stereotype threat contributes to the achievement gap noted in underrepresented students in engineering classrooms. Participants in this FIE special session define and discuss stereotype threat, explore interventions that research has found to successfully reduce stereotype threat, and identify one strategy to try in the classroom. Key resources are identified including research literature, websites and videos, and recommendations for intervention strategies. In addition to the literature, participants will have access to strategies developed by other participants that can be used by instructors to mitigate stereotype threats.
Polyploidy and novelty: Gottlieb's legacy

Nearly four decades ago, Roose & Gottlieb (Roose & Gottlieb 1976 Evolution 30, 818–830. (doi:10.2307/2407821)) showed that the recently derived allotetraploids Tragopogon mirus and T. miscellus com...
Vulvovaginal candidiasis--what we do and do not know

Excerpt Most women who see a physician for gynecologic problems present with vaginal symptoms (1). Candidal vaginitis is the second commonest form of vaginal infection currently seen in the United ...
Perineal powder use and risk of endometrial cancer in postmenopausal women.

Most known endometrial cancer risk factors involve genetics or exposure to unopposed estrogens; less is known about risk due to environmental exposures. While several studies have found an increased risk of ovarian cancer associated with perineal powder use, only two studies have addressed perineal powder use and endometrial cancer risk. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to examine the association between perineal powder use and endometrial cancer risk using the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study Research Materials obtained from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Biological Specimen and Data Repository Coordinating Center. Of the 48,526 women in our primary analysis, 25,181 (52 %) reported ever use of perineal powder. During 364,134 person-years of follow-up, 447 participants were diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Ever use of perineal powder was not associated with increased risk of endometrial cancer (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio, 1.06; 95 % confidence interval, 0.87–1.28). External use of powder on the genitals and/or on sanitary napkins was also not significantly associated with risk of endometrial cancer. However, use of powder on a diaphragm for twenty or more years was associated with a threefold increase in risk of endometrial cancer compared to women who never used perineal powder (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio, 3.06; 95 % CI, 2.00–4.70). Any duration of external use of perineal powder was not associated with increased risk of endometrial cancer; however, long-term use of powder on a diaphragm may increase the risk of endometrial cancer.
The GeoProfile metadata, exposure of instruments, and measurement bias in climatic record revisited

Station metadata plays a critical role in the accurate assessment of climate data and eventually of climatic change, climate variability, and climate prediction. However, current procedures of metadata collection are insufficient for these purposes. This paper introduces the GeoProfile as a model for documenting and visualizing enhanced spatial metadata. In addition to traditional metadata archiving, GeoProfiles integrate meso-scale topography, slope, aspect, and land-use data from the vicinity of climate observing stations (http://kyclim.wku.edu/tmp/geoprofiles/geoprofiles main.html). We describe how GeoProfiles are created using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and demonstrate how they may be used to help identify measurement bias in climate observations due to undesired instrument exposures and the subsequent forcings of micro- and meso-environments. A study involving 12 COOP and US Historical Climate Network (USHCN) stations finds that undesirable instrument exposures associated with both anthropogenic and natural influences resulted in biased measurement of temperature. Differences in average monthly maximum and minimum temperatures between proximate stations are as large as 1.6 and 3.8 °C, respectively. In addition, it is found that the difference in average extreme monthly minimum temperatures can be as high as 3.6 °C between nearby stations, largely owing to the differences in instrument exposures. Likewise, the difference in monthly extreme maximum temperatures between neighboring stations are as large as 2.4 °C. This investigation finds similar differences in the diurnal temperature range (DTR). GeoProfiles helped us to identify meso-scale forcing, e.g. instruments on a south-facing slope and topography, in addition to forcing of micro-scale setting. Copyright  2006 Royal Meteorological Society.
Flutter Control of Wing Boxes Using Piezoelectric Actuators

Abstract : This paper examines the use of piezoelectric actuators to control supersonic flutter of wing boxes. Aluminum built-up wing boxes are used as examples to analyze the free vibration, aeroelastic, and control concepts associated with flutter control. Finite elements are used to calculate deflections due to input forces, the member stresses and strains, natural frequencies, and mode shapes. Linear strip theory with steady aerodynamics are applied to find the frequency coalescence of modes indicating flutter. The variables of interest are the skin, web, and rib thicknesses associated with torsional rigidity, and the spar cap and vertical post areas associated with bending rigidity. Piezoelectric actuators are implemented in a configuration which generates torsional control of the wing box. Pole assignment concepts are applied to change the free vibration frequencies. A parametric study changing the free vibration frequencies using piezoelectric actuators is conducted to determine which thicknesses of skins, webs, and ribs will meet a specified flutter requirement. The addition of piezoelectric actuators will allow the flutter requirements to be met at smaller thicknesses of skins, webs, and ribs so that the overall weight of the wing box, including actuators, is decreased.
Chromatographic evidence for the synthesis of possible sleep-mediators in Trypanosoma brucei gambiense.

Les trypanosomes ont converti les substratsl-tryptophan etdl-5-hydroxytryptophan en metabolites tryptophol (indole-3-ethanol) et 5-hydroxytryptophol, deux composes qui produisent le sommeil chez la souris et le poussin. Les effets possibles de ces composes soporifiques chez un homme infecte par ce parasite et leur role dans le metabolisme du parasite, sont discutes.
Exhaustion and Exclusion in the African Village: The Non-State Social Welfare of Informal Reciprocity in Rural Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire

This paper examines the consequences for equity of different patterns of non-state social welfare provision, specifically the informal institutions of reciprocity among families, friends, and village neighbors in rural West Africa. Based on over 18 months of fieldwork in similar regions on either side of the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire border, this paper challenges many existing assumptions in the literature, revealing that the informal institutions of reciprocity were not only less vibrant overall, but also differed strikingly in terms of who was helping who and how in particular localities. The paper argues that the informal institutions of reciprocity were more exhausted in the Ghanaian villages and more exclusive in the Ivoirian ones. The study highlights that the informal system of non-state social welfare provided by the family, friends, and neighborhood did not simply expand to fill the functional gaps left by the neoliberal retrenchment of the state. The paper concludes that when policies are designed based on an overly romanticized image of kinship and communal reciprocity in Africa, it is the very poor that increasingly fall through the gaps of the state and non-state system of social welfare.
Anders in Wonderland: Comments on Russia's Economic Transformation under Putin

A prominent American specialist on the Russian economy comments on economic policy under Putin in light of a preceding paper on the subject by Anders Aslund. While suggesting that Aslund's paper represents "a remarkably detailed and convincing description of Vladimir Putin's economic reform," the author proceeds to counter most aspects of Aslund's characterization and analysis. Russia's economic growth since Putin's ascent to power is largely attributed to the jump in world oil prices and windfall profits from oil exports. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: E60, E63, F13, H20, H60, P21. 1 figure, 1 table, 9 references.
Transport Optimization and MHD Stability of a Small Aspect Ratio Toroidal Hybrid Stellarator

A class of small aspect ratio (A) stellarators is found that does not rely on quasisymmetrization to achieve good confinement. These systems depart from canonical stellarators by allowing a small net plasma current. An optimization procedure with bounce-averaged omnigeneity and other desirable physical properties as target criteria is described and applied to show the existence of a compact plasma device having A{approx_lt}3 , high {beta} (ratio of thermal energy to magnetic field energy), and low plasma current. The added design flexibility afforded by the plasma current leads to an attractive low-A hybrid device which is stable to magnetohydrodynamic ballooning modes for {l_angle}{beta}{r_angle}{lt}6{percent} . {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Pattern of infliximab utilization in rheumatoid arthritis patients at an academic medical center

Objective To investigate the pattern of use of infliximab with an emphasis on treatment escalation and the durability of infliximab use in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in an academic setting. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of pharmacy and medical records of 183 patients with RA who received at least 1 infliximab infusion at the infusion centers of the Brigham and Women's Hospital. Treatment escalation was defined as an increase in the dosage of infliximab to >3 mg/kg and/or a decrease in the dosing interval to <7 weeks between infusions. Results A total of 183 patients with RA received infliximab infusions for a mean ± SD duration of 58.2 ± 56.6 weeks. Infliximab was discontinued in 48% of the patients during the first year of therapy and in 67% of the patients overall. A total of 126 patients had a treatment escalation, including 25 patients with a dose increase, 35 patients with a decrease in the interval, and 66 patients with both. Infliximab treatment was associated with a decrease in corticosteroid and methotrexate doses. Patients who had a treatment escalation were more likely to continue infliximab infusions compared with patients without a treatment escalation (odds ratio 2.0, 95% confidence interval 1.0–4.1). Conclusion The use of infliximab may be an effective treatment for RA; however, a substantial number of patients will discontinue its use. Treatment escalation is commonly used in the management of RA with infliximab and is associated with longer duration of infliximab use.
Characterization and nucleotide sequence determination of a repeat element isolated from a 2,4,5-T degrading strain of Pseudomonas cepacia

Abstract Pseudomonas cepacia strain AC1100, capable of growth on 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), was mutated to the 2,4,5-T− strain PT88 by a ColE1 :: Tn5 chromosomal insertion. Using cloned DNA from the region flanking the insertion, a 1477-bp sequence (designated RS1100) was identified which was repeated several times on the wild-type chromosome and was also present on AC1100 plasmid DNA. Various chromosomal fragments containing this sequence were cloned and their nucleotide sequence was determined. Examination of RS1100 revealed the presence of 38–39-bp terminal inverted repeats immediately flanked by 8-bp direct repeats. The translated sequence of the single large open reading frame of RS1100 showed structural similarity to the phage Mu transposase and other DNA-binding proteins. Thus the AC1100 repeated sequence has several structural features in common with insertion sequence elements. Three copies of RS1100 were mapped near 2,4,5-t genes encoding degradation of 5-chloro-1,2,4-trihydroxybenzene, an intermediate in 2,4,5-T degradation. Neither RS1100 nor the 2,4,5-t genes hybridized to DNA isolated from Pseudomonas strains, including P. cepacia, suggesting that both gene fragments may be of foreign origin recruited in strain AC1100. The origin of these two DNA segments as well as the role played by RS1100 in the recruitment of 2,4,5-t genes in AC1100 are presently under investigation.
Habitat use by small mammals in coastal marshes of Southwestern Louisiana

A short-term study based on snap-trap capture rates of small mammals in the marsh and levee system in southwestern Louisiana was conducted in the winter-spring period. Marsh rice rats (Oryzomys palustris) dominated marsh habitats and rice rats and fulvous harvest mice (Reithrodontomys fulvescens) were co-dominants on levees. Least shrews (Cryptotis parva) and house mice (Mus musculus) were also taken. Although rice rat capture rate in marshes was twice that from levees, the difference was not significant (p=0.1428). When found on levees, rice rats preferred portions of levees adjacent to marshes and canals (p<0.0001). We found few differences in rice rat capture rates from marsh and levee habitats, although capture rates from fresh marsh and adjacent levees were select levee ridges over the marsh and canal edges (0.1≥p≥0.05). The abundance of harvest mice on levees adjacent to intermediate marshes exceeded all other levee habitats. For reasons as yet unexplained, intermediate marshes and adjacent levees had the highest small mammal abundance and species richness. Conversely, fresh marshes and their adjacent levees had the lowest abundance and variety of small mammals.
Anomalies of geomagnetic variations in the Southwestern United States

A survey with temporary geomagnetic field stations (Askania Variographs) has been conducted in the southwestern United States in order to study local differences of geomagnetic variations. Anomalous large Z-variations, accompanied with a slight reduction of the variations in D and H, have been recorded along the California coastline for long-period (Sq) and short-period (bays, ssc's) variations. This Californian coastal anomaly has been interpreted as edge-effect of the Pacific Ocean and its effect upon the induction within the highly conductive substratum in the upper mantle, thereby allowing conclusions about the deep conductivity structure Less pronounced anomalous variations further inland in central California (Sierra anomaly) seem to be caused by conductivity differences in the continental surface layers. A third anomaly between Tuscon, Arizona, and Sweetwater, Texas (Texas anomaly), has been interpreted as a change in the deep conductivity structure which occurs along the eastern margin of the Rocky Mountains.
The Curricular Value of Teaching about Immigration through Picture Book Thematic Text Sets

This article offers a contextual analysis of contemporary immigration issues impacting the institutions in the United States, in particular the school. It discusses the importance of addressing this theme in the classroom and presents its curricular value in the elementary and middle school social studies and interdisciplinary curricula. Using a picture book thematic text set on the topic of immigration allows for multiple curricular venues and connections through which teachers can address the complexities of immigration. Included is a recommended thematic text set annotated bibliography of twenty-three picture books of different reading levels about historical and mostly contemporary immigration issues. This annotated bibliography is a valuable curriculum resource for teachers because it supports the social studies’ curriculum and its integration with other subject areas, such as language arts and the arts. Each book's bibliographical information offers teachers suggested teaching focal themes and conte...
Taking from cotton to grow maize: The shifting practices of small-holder farmers in the cotton belt of Mali

Abstract Cotton yields in Mali have fallen during the past 15 years while maize yields have risen. The objective of this study is to examine key changes in the agricultural system to understand how these changes might have influenced the production of these key crops. In particular, this study seeks to understand the causes of the drop in cotton yields in southern Mali and to question the hypotheses that rapid extensification of agriculture or soil fertility loss caused the decline. The study puts forth an alternative hypothesis that fertilizer shifting – whereby farmers apply fertilizers designated for cotton to grain crops – was an important and under-recognized factor in the decline in cotton and simultaneous rise in grain yields. The study uses a mixed method approach which combines satellite image analysis with a household survey from the main cotton growing region in Mali and in-depth interviews with farmers for two key cotton growing areas to determine the causes of agricultural change. The study uses satellite image analysis to document agricultural expansion and intensification over a 35 year period (1975–2010). It uses a household survey from nine villages in three cotton growing areas to document changes in the agricultural system and in production and yields for key crops including maize, cotton and other grains. It uses in-depth interviews with farmers from 15 villages in two cotton growing areas to study farmer decision-making in terms of farming inputs for crops. The image analysis finds no evidence of rapid expansion of agriculture during the period of interest. These findings are supported by those from a household-level farm survey which finds that the major change in the agricultural system has been the increase in the area of intensively farmed crops along with a significant rise in maize yields. Finally, in-depth interviews with farmers growing cotton and maize find that the constraints on accessing fertilizer are a major determinant of farmer decision making. We conclude that the past 15 years of agricultural change in southern Mali can best be described as one where agriculture expanded slowly with gradual intensification of grain farming centered on maize production and simultaneous disintensification of cotton production as farmers shifted resources from cotton to maize resulting in a decline in cotton yields.
Brain tumor hypoxia: tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, imaging, pseudoprogression, and as a therapeutic target

Hypoxia is implicated in many aspects of tumor development, angiogenesis, and growth in many different tumors. Brain tumors, particularly the highly aggressive glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) with its necrotic tissues, are likely affected similarly by hypoxia, although this involvement has not been closely studied. Invasion, apoptosis, chemoresistance, resistance to antiangiogenic therapy, and radiation resistance may all have hypoxic mechanisms. The extent of the influence of hypoxia in these processes makes it an attractive therapeutic target for GBM. Because of their relationship to glioma and meningioma growth and angiogenesis, hypoxia-regulated molecules, including hypoxia inducible factor-1, carbonic anhydrase IX, glucose transporter 1, and vascular endothelial growth factor, may be suitable subjects for therapies. Furthermore, other novel hypoxia-regulated molecules that may play a role in GBM may provide further options. Emerging imaging techniques may allow for improved determination of hypoxia in human brain tumors to better focus therapeutic treatments; however, tumor pseudoprogression, which may be prompted by hypoxia, poses further challenges. An understanding of the role of hypoxia in tumor development and growth is important for physicians involved in the care of patients with brain tumors.
Development and evaluation of five fuzzy multiattribute decision-making methods

Abstract We present the development of five fuzzy multiattribute decision-making methods. These methods are based on the analytic hierarchy process (original and ideal mode), the weighted-sum model, the weighted-product model, and the topsis method. Moreover, these methods are examined in terms of two evaluative criteria. Computational results on test problems suggest that although all the methods are inaccurate, some of them seem to be more accurate than the others. The proposed evaluation methodology can easily be used in evaluating more fuzzy multiattribute decision making methods.
Word and nonsense anagram solution with tachistoscopic stimulus presentation

Word and nonsense anagram stimuli were tachistoscopically presented (1 sec., ½ sec.), in two presentation orders, to four groups totalling 80 Ss. Word anagrams took longer to solve than nonsense anagrams. There was also a significant interaction between exposure time and presentation order. The results are interpreted as supporting a cognitive analysis of anagram problem solving.
Numerical approximation of the Schrödinger equation with the electromagnetic field by the Hagedorn wave packets

In this paper, we approximate the semi-classical Schrodinger equation in the presence of electromagnetic field by the Hagedorn wave packets approach. By operator splitting, the Hamiltonian is divided into the modified part and the residual part. The modified Hamiltonian, which is the main new idea of this paper, is chosen by the fact that Hagedorn wave packets are localized both in space and momentum so that a crucial correction term is added to the truncated Hamiltonian, and is treated by evolving the parameters associated with the Hagedorn wave packets. The residual part is treated by a Galerkin approximation. We prove that, with the modified Hamiltonian only, the Hagedorn wave packets dynamics give the asymptotic solution with error O(e1/2), where e is the scaled Planck constant. We also prove that, the Galerkin approximation for the residual Hamiltonian can reduce the approximation error to O(ek/2), where k depends on the number of Hagedorn wave packets added to the dynamics. This approach is easy to implement, and can be naturally extended to the multidimensional cases. Unlike the high order Gaussian beam method, in which the non-constant cut-off function is necessary and some extra error is introduced, the Hagedorn wave packets approach gives a practical way to improve accuracy even when e is not very small.
Inaccuracy of self-reported low sodium diet.

Objectives: This study evaluates how often the self-report of a low sodium (Na) intake is reflected by a low 24-h urinary sodium excretion and examines the influence of incomplete urinary collections on this comparison. Methods: In a study in which 24-h urine collections were obtained for measurement of Na and creatinine excretion, 120 participants were asked whether their Na intake was low, medium, or high. A 24-h urine collection was considered complete if creatinine excretion was ≥20 mg/kg in men or ≥15 mg/kg in women, and incomplete if below those amounts. The kappa statistic was computed to assess the level of agreement between 24-h Na excretion, dichotomized at 100 meq and self-report responses. Results: Agreement between self-reported and actual Na excretion was poor. The kappa statistic was 0.18 for the total sample, 0.04 for complete collectors, and 0.51 for incomplete collectors, respectively. Overall, 24-h Na excretion exceeded 100 meq among 75% of those reporting an average or high Na intake, but it also exceeded 100 meq among 57% of those reporting a low sodium intake. Further, among those reporting a low sodium intake, Na excretion exceeded 100 meq in 80% of those who submitted a complete collection, but in only 29% of those who submitted an incomplete collection. Conclusions: These findings suggest that many individuals who report a low salt diet actually excrete ≥100 meq/day. Na intake is also frequently underestimated because many 24-h urine collections are incomplete. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Incorporating origin shifts into the QR algorithm for symmetric tridiagonal matrices

The QR iteration for the eigenvalues of a symmetric tridiagonal matrix can be accelerated by incorporating a sequence of origin shifts. The origin shift may be either subtracted directly from the diagonal elements of the matrix or incorporated by means of an implicit algorithm. Both methods have drawbacks: the direct method can unnecessarily degrade small eigenvalues, while the implicit method can effectively loose the shift and thereby retard the convergence. This paper presents a new method which has neither drawback.
Assigning Oxidation States to Organic Compounds via Predictions from X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy: A Discussion of Approaches and Recommended Improvements

The traditional assignment of oxidation states to organic molecules is problematic. Accordingly, in 1999, Calzaferri proposed a simple and elegant solution that is based on the similar electronegativities of carbon and hydrogen: hydrogen would be assigned an oxidation state of zero when bonded to carbon. Here, we show that X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, a core electron spectroscopy that is sensitive to oxidation states of elements, generally agrees with his suggestion. We also list the typical (IUPAC) rules for assigning oxidation states, review recent suggestions of Loock and Steinborn that are based on Pauling’s earlier approach, discuss the traditional (IUPAC and Pauling–Loock–Steinborn) assignments of oxidation states to organic molecules, review Calzaferri’s suggestion, introduce X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), show the general agreement of Calzaferri’s suggestion with XPS results, provide supporting examples from the literature, and discuss the limitations of Calzaferri’s recommendation v...
Photophysical properties of pyrene in zeolites 3. A direct time-resolved diffuse reflectance study in alkali cation-exchanged zeolites X and Y

Abstract Time-resolved diffuse reflectance spectroscopy is used to investigate the photolysis of pyrene (Py) impregnated alkali cation-exchanged zeolites X and Y. These studies suggest that pyrene molecules are distributed in at least two different sites (active and non-active) on the zeolites X and Y. Excitation of pyrene adsorbed in non-active sites produces singlet excited states of pyrene with characteristic spectrum and photoionized species by absorbing a second photon, and triplet excited states through inter-system crossing; however, pyrene adsorbed in active sites is photoionized through a single-photon process. The products of the photoionization are the cation radical of pyrene and the ionized electron that is captured by the zeolite framework cation (e.g. Na 3+ 4 for sodium-exchanged zeolite Y). The absorption spectrum of the captured electron in the zeolite framework cation depends on the alkali cation exchanged. Coadsorbed water blocks the oxygen quenching of 3 Py* and trapped electron whereas the absorption spectrum of the trapped electron shifts to about 620 nm regardless of the alkali cation exchanged in the zeolite.
Scanning In Your Supermarket And Problems Therein

As the conveyor belt stopped the checker picked up an item, and passed it over a slot on the counter and in that instant the register displayed the name of the item and a price. The customer had just experienced in operation Sperry Univac's AccuScanTM Grocery Checkout System. The supermarket checkout system is designed to read and decode those mysterious bars and stripes appearing in ever increasing numbers on grocery, drug and other supermarket products. A low power Helium Neon continuous wave laser with beam expander optics and a Photo-multiplier comprise the scanner, the heart of the AccuScanTM System. The scanner provides the video signals used by the AccuScanTM System to decode the symbol. The Laser/Photomultiplier optical and scanning system will be described in detail with attention to the adverse operating characteristics in which the system must operate, and the problems encountered in designing the system and AccuScan'sTM solutions. This is a performance history of installed systems and actual environmental solutions which must be found in order to scan in the supermarket environment at a cost effective price.© (1978) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Abstract 3158: Identifying novel genes critical to invasion in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) have a poor patient prognosis, which is attributed to their invasive nature. Our goal was to identify specific genes that are important in OSCC invasion utilizing genome-wide expression data generated from HNSCC patient tumor samples of varying degrees of invasiveness. Invasion was assessed using the histological parameter pattern of invasion (POI), which describes the manner in which tumor cells infiltrate the normal tissue at the tumor-host interface. POI was used to categorize tumor resections into five types (1-5), type 5 being the most invasive with a “widely dispersed pattern of tumor infiltrate” and correlated significantly with the appearance of local recurrence and decreased overall survival of the patients after surgery. Global gene expression data was acquired from analysis of the surgical resections from 9 OSCC patient samples collected at Montefiore Medical Center between 2001 and 2008. Tumor cell-enriched cores from FFPE samples were used to generate global gene expression data using the Illumina® WG-DASL array to compare gene expression in four tumors that were WPOI type 5 and five tumors that were WPOI type 3. RNA extracted from flash-frozen tumor samples following surgical resection from the same patients was used to obtain global gene expression data using the Illumina® HumanHT-12 v4 Expression BeadChip. Candidate genes were assessed using in vitro invasion assays following siRNA knockdown of specific gene expression using siGENOME smart pools from Dharmacon. When both gene expression datasets were analyzed, we identified 104 genes that were overexpressed at least 1.5-fold in the WPOI type 5 tumors compared to the less invasive WPOI type 3 tumors. Fifty genes were initially tested based on functional criteria. In our initial screen, 16 of these genes showed a significant reduction in tumor cell invasion when expression was knocked down by siRNA in an OSCC cell line. The top gene from the screen, APOE, is now being further examined to determine a mechanistic explanation for its effect on invasion. Downstream signaling of APOE receptors and how this may interact with invasion are currently being assessed. This initial screen of global gene expression data in combination with pattern of invasion has revealed APOE as a novel gene that may play a critical role in OSCC invasion. Citation Format: Sangeeta K. Jayakar, Olivier D. Loudig, Margaret Brandwein-Gensler, Ryung S. Kim, Michael B. Prystowsky, Jeffrey E. Segall, Thomas J. Belbin. Identifying novel genes critical to invasion in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. [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 3158. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3158
Working Through the Holocaust Blockbuster: Schindler's List and Hitler's Willing Executioners, Globally and Locally

(2000). Working Through the Holocaust Blockbuster: Schindler's List and Hitler's Willing Executioners, Globally and Locally. The Germanic Review: Literature, Culture, Theory: Vol. 75, No. 4, pp. 296-316.
Focusing on fast food restaurants alone underestimates the relationship between neighborhood deprivation and exposure to fast food in a large rural area

Individuals and families are relying more on food prepared outside the home as a source for at-home and away-from-home consumption. Restricting the estimation of fast-food access to fast-food restaurants alone may underestimate potential spatial access to fast food. The study used data from the 2006 Brazos Valley Food Environment Project (BVFEP) and the 2000 U.S. Census Summary File 3 for six rural counties in the Texas Brazos Valley region. BVFEP ground-truthed data included identification and geocoding of all fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, supermarkets, and grocery stores in study area and on-site assessment of the availability and variety of fast-food lunch/dinner entrees and side dishes. Network distance was calculated from the population-weighted centroid of each census block group to all retail locations that marketed fast food (n = 205 fast-food opportunities). Spatial access to fast-food opportunities (FFO) was significantly better than to traditional fast-food restaurants (FFR). The median distance to the nearest FFO was 2.7 miles, compared with 4.5 miles to the nearest FFR. Residents of high deprivation neighborhoods had better spatial access to a variety of healthier fast-food entree and side dish options than residents of low deprivation neighborhoods. Our analyses revealed that identifying fast-food restaurants as the sole source of fast-food entrees and side dishes underestimated neighborhood exposure to fast food, in terms of both neighborhood proximity and coverage. Potential interventions must consider all retail opportunities for fast food, and not just traditional FFR.
Modelling lake stage and water balance of Lake Tana, Ethiopia

The level of Lake Tana, Ethiopia, fluctuates annually and seasonally following the patterns of changes in precipitation. In this study, a mass balance approach is used to estimate the hydrological balance of the lake. Water influx from four major rivers, subsurface inflow from the floodplains, precipitation, outflow from the lake constituting river discharge and evapotranspiration from the lake are analysed on monthly and annual bases. Spatial interpolation of precipitation using rain gauge data was conducted using kriging. Outflow from the lake was identified as the evaporation from the lake's surface as well as discharge at the outlet where the Blue Nile commences. Groundwater inflow is estimated using MODular three-dimensional finite-difference ground-water FLOW model software that showed an aligned flow pattern to the river channels. The groundwater outflow is considered negligible based on the secondary sources that confirmed the absence of lake water geochemical mixing outside of the basin. Evaporation is estimated using Penman's, Meyer's and Thornwaite's methods to compare the mass balance and energy balance approaches. Meteorological data, satellite images and temperature perturbation simulations from Global Historical Climate Network of National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration are employed for estimation of evaporation input parameters. The difference of the inflow and outflow was taken as storage in depth and compared with the measured water level fluctuations. The study has shown that the monthly and annually calculated lake level replicates the observed values with root mean square error value of 0·17 and 0·15 m, respectively. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The step in cellular DNA synthesis blocked by Newcastle disease or mengovirus infection.

Abstract Infection of L cells with Newcastle disease or mengovirus results in rapid inhibition of cellular protein and DNA synthesis. Sedimentation analyses indicate that high molecular weight cellular DNA is not degraded during infection with either virus even when DNA synthesis is 90% inhibited; nor are the activities of enzymes essential for DNA synthesis significantly reduced in extracts of infected cells. Sedimentation analyses in alkaline gradients show that nascent DNA chains grow with normal kinetics under conditions where overall DNA synthesis is inhibited by viral infection. Inhibition of DNA synthesis during viral infection probably reflects reduced numbers of chromosomal regions active in replication rather than reduced rates of polymerization within such regions. Treatment of cells with chemical inhibitors of protein synthesis has an effect similar to viral infection in that DNA chain elongation occurs normally although apparently the number of actively replicating chromosomal regions is reduced. Earlier and present results are compatible with the view that initiation of DNA synthesis upon regulatory units of DNA replication is the step in DNA synthesis that requires concurrent protein synthesis. Viral inhibition of cellular protein synthesis may thus be the primary insult which in turn affects adversely the initiation of DNA synthesis.
Signs of Law: The Roberta Kevelson Seminar on Law and Semiotics at Penn State University’s Dickinson School of Law

This Special Issue focuses on the confrontation of US Law School students with legal semiotics in the final period of their studies. Their experience, opinion and interest have hitherto never been documented. Here are the reports of thirteen Seminar students, presented in four categories: (1) personal experience, (2) the Seminar theme ‘Signs of Law’, (3) the Critical Power of Semiotics and (4) Semiotics in US Courtrooms. They are a unique material for the exploration of semiotics as an element of legal training. The second Part of this Issue offers the two Prize-winning student essays: Harvill and Garrett. There are also two contributions to the Round Table, which took place in the course of the Seminar: a teleconferenced expose of A. Wagner and the closing address of Jan M. Broekman.
Obstructions to the existence of static cosmic strings in an Abelian Higgs model

There are obstructions in the Bogomol'nyi critical phase to the existence of a cylindrically symmetric cosmic string solution of the Einstein equations coupled with the Abelian Higgs model. In the compact case, the obstruction is exact, which forbids the presence of gravitational condensates and leads to the quantization of the energy scale of symmetry breaking. In the noncompact case, the obstruction is an inequality which says that, at a given level of broken symmetry, the topological charge or winding number of a string cannot be too large in order to maintain finite energy.
Personal income taxes in developing countries

Comparative work on income taxes in developing countries has commonly looked at average tax rates. These rates are often constructed by dividing revenue collections by some measure of private or personal income. Recent controversies have, however, focused on the incentive effects of marginal tax rates. This article develops and applies a simple methodology to compare marginal official tax rates across a sample of fifty developing countries. As would be expected given differences in fiscal capacity, the poorest and the lower-middle-income countries impose relatively low marginal rates, and the rates for the upper-middle-income and developed countries are higher. Conversely, several low and lower-middle income countries' tax thresholds start at income levels which are low relative to their mean income when compared with those of developed countries. The results warn against trying to derive information on the disincentive effect of a country's tax schedule from the highest marginal rate; the authors' data show that this is not an accurate indicator of overall disincentive effects.
The Agenda-Setting Impact of Major Presidential TV Addresses

The ability to set the national agenda is an important power of the modern presidency. Policy-specific, nationally televised speeches provide presidents with the best rhetorical opportunity to set the national agenda; however, research on presidential agenda setting has not systematically explored their effects. Although the conventional understanding of presidential agenda setting suggests that presidents should be able to focus media attention through televised addresses, research paints a mixed picture of the president’s ability to do so. We answer the following questions: Are televised presidential speeches effective in increasing news coverage of presidential priorities? And what explains the likelihood that a national address will significantly increase media attention? We find that 35% of the president’s national addresses across four policy areas increase media attention in the shortterm, with only 10% of the speeches in our sample increasing media attention beyond the month of the speech. We also find that the likelihood that a national address will increase media attention hinges on previous media attention, public concern, and, to a lesser extent, the president’s approval ratings.
The visible computer: a fast track to understanding computing

The "visible computer" project at Duke University enables freshman level students to observe the essential mechanisms of computation in a few minutes and to understand them in a few weeks. The system has full motion color graphics to display the internal structures of an idealized machine. It enables students to type in Pascal code and watch every step as the code is parsed, translated to assembly language, loaded into memory, and executed. The course introduces students to programming, teaches the essential mechanisms of computer hardware and software, and teaches the frontiers and limitations of the field, time complexity, parallel computation, noncomputability, and artificial intelligence. The authors describe the four levels of the "visible computer" system and their usefulness in educational environments. >
Directionality in the GammaTracker Handheld Radioisotope Identifier

Several computationally simple methods are presented for determining the direction to one or more radiation sources using the GammaTracker handheld radioisotope identifier. GammaTracker will display a heading indicating the direction to one or more sources; no gamma-ray images will be shown to the user. The details of each directionality method are presented and performance is compared using radiation transport simulations of gamma-ray point sources at varying activity levels on a natural background. All methods achieved sufficiently high pointing accuracy and precision in the tested scenarios, which included background-to-source ratios up to 10:1. The prospects for implementation in the GammaTracker firmware architecture are discussed.
Evidence for a ridge subduction event in the Ordovician rocks of north-central Maine

Modern and past ridge subduction events are characterized by the intrusion of midocean-ridge basalt (MORB) magmas into an overlying accretionary prism. The fi eld relationships and trace-element geochemistry of Ordovician mafi c igneous rocks of the Weeksboro-Lunksoos and Munsungun anticlinoria of north-central Maine indicate that they resulted from such an event. The Bean Brook gabbro intrudes the Hurricane Mountain melange and other related sedimentary strata of continental derivation. The gabbro and associated Dry Way volcanics have MORB trace-element chemistries, while the Bluffer Pond and Stacyville volcanics are more enriched (E-MORB), all of which indicate derivation from a mid-ocean ridge. On petrogenetic diagrams, mafi c samples plot in MORB fi elds, or when Th is used as a discriminator, in arc fi elds along trends that originate from MORB fi elds and extend toward the composition of upper continental crust. These trends are consistent with the presence of silicic and metasedimentary xenoliths in the Dry Way volcanics and Bean Brook gabbro and indicate the magmas were not subduction products, but were contaminated by Th-rich upper continental crust. The nearby Chain Lakes Massif likely represents the basement to the “Chain Lakes microcontinent,” and the geographic relationship and ages of the massif, Hurricane Mountain melange, and Dry Way‐Bean Brook magmatic rocks indicate northwestdirected subduction (modern coordinates) on the southeastern margin of the Chain Lakes microcontinent, within the Early to Middle Ordovician Taconic ocean. Subduction at this boundary probably terminated because of the ridge subduction, analogous to Neogene California.
Clear Cell Sarcoma/Melanoma of Soft Parts

Is it a sarcoma or is it a melanoma? Clear cell sarcoma (CCS), also called clear cell sarcoma of tendons and aponeuroses [1, 2], has features of both. CCS represents perhaps 1 % of all sarcomas. Since it starts in soft tissue and usually does not affect skin [3], CCS is anatomically distinct from melanoma. Patients are typically younger, between 15 and 45 years of age, and women are more commonly affected than men. The foot and ankle are common primary locations for this rare sarcoma. Age and site distribution for adult patients are shown in Figs. 18.1 and 18.2.