cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An alternative time for telling: when conceptual instruction prior to problem solving improves mathematical knowledge.

Background The sequencing of learning materials greatly influences the knowledge that learners construct. Recently, learning theorists have focused on the sequencing of instruction in relation to solving related problems. The general consensus suggests explicit instruction should be provided; however, when to provide instruction remains unclear. Aims We tested the impact of conceptual instruction preceding or following mathematics problem solving to determine when conceptual instruction should or should not be delayed. We also examined the learning processes supported to inform theories of learning more broadly. Sample We worked with 122 second- and third-grade children. Method In a randomized experiment, children received instruction on the concept of math equivalence either before or after being asked to solve and explain challenging equivalence problems with feedback. Results Providing conceptual instruction first resulted in greater procedural knowledge and conceptual knowledge of equation structures than delaying instruction until after problem solving. Prior conceptual instruction enhanced problem solving by increasing the quality of explanations and attempted procedures. Conclusions Providing conceptual instruction prior to problem solving was the more effective sequencing of activities than the reverse. We compare these results with previous, contrasting findings to outline a potential framework for understanding when instruction should or should not be delayed.
1,4‐Dihydropyridine Ca2+ channel antagonists and activators: A comparison of binding characteristics with pharmacology

This comparison of the binding characteristics and pharmacology of 1,4-dihydropyridines indicates that the high-affinity binding sites studied in cardiac and smooth muscle cells represent a major site of action of these drugs, and that this site is the Ca2+ channel or a closely related protein. Electrophysiological studies suggest that the effects of both Ca2+ channel inhibitors and activators are voltage dependent. The apparent lack of agreement between the equilibrium dissociation constants for [3H]1,4-dihydropyridines and their potency in cardiac muscle may be due to conformational modifications that occur in the 1,4-dihydropyridine binding site as a result of voltage or other changes during membrane isolation. The selective effect of 1,4-dihydropyridines for vascular smooth muscle relative to cardiac muscle may be explained, in part, by differences in membrane potentials and Ca2+ channel regulatory mechanisms and, in part, by differences in receptor structure. 1,4-Dihydropyridine antagonists and activators appear to bind to a common site that is not the same as the binding site for nondihydropyridine Ca2+ channel antagonists.
Endothelial Sirtuin 1 Deficiency Perpetrates Nephrosclerosis through Downregulation of Matrix Metalloproteinase-14: Relevance to Fibrosis of Vascular Senescence

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) depletion in vascular endothelial cells mediates endothelial dysfunction and premature senescence in diverse cardiovascular and renal diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these pathologic effects remain unclear. Here, we examined the phenotype of a mouse model of vascular senescence created by genetically ablating exon 4 of Sirt1 in endothelial cells (Sirt1(endo-/-)). Under basal conditions, Sirt1(endo-/-) mice showed impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation and angiogenesis, and fibrosis occurred spontaneously at low levels at an early age. In contrast, induction of nephrotoxic stress (acute and chronic folic acid-induced nephropathy) in Sirt1(endo-/-) mice resulted in robust acute renal functional deterioration followed by an exaggerated fibrotic response compared with control animals. Additional studies identified matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP-14) as a target of SIRT1. In the kidneys of Sirt1(endo-/-) mice, impaired angiogenesis, reduced matrilytic activity, and retention of the profibrotic cleavage substrates tissue transglutaminase and endoglin accompanied MMP-14 suppression. Furthermore, restoration of MMP-14 expression in SIRT1-depeleted mice improved angiogenic and matrilytic functions of the endothelium, prevented renal dysfunction, and attenuated nephrosclerosis. Our findings establish a novel mechanistic molecular link between endothelial SIRT1 depletion, downregulation of MMP-14, and the development of nephrosclerosis.
Antibiotics versus resistant bacteria: a continual challenge.

At times it seems that almost every publication concerning antimicrobial agents begins with a comment about the emergence and spread of resistance in microbes to such agents. These continual statem...
Protective Immunity Induced by Oral Immunization with a Rotavirus DNA Vaccine Encapsulated in Microparticles

DNA vaccines are usually given by intramuscular injection or by gene gun delivery of DNA-coated particles into the epidermis. Induction of mucosal immunity by targeting DNA vaccines to mucosal surfaces may offer advantages, and an oral vaccine could be effective for controlling infections of the gut mucosa. In a murine model, we obtained protective immune responses after oral immunization with a rotavirus VP6 DNA vaccine encapsulated in poly(lactide-coglycolide) (PLG) microparticles. One dose of vaccine given to BALB/c mice elicited both rotavirus-specific serum antibodies and intestinal immunoglobulin A (IgA). After challenge at 12 weeks postimmunization with homologous rotavirus, fecal rotavirus antigen was significantly reduced compared with controls. Earlier and higher fecal rotavirus-specific IgA responses were noted during the peak period of viral shedding, suggesting that protection was due to specific mucosal immune responses. The results that we obtained with PLG-encapsulated rotavirus VP6 DNA are the first to demonstrate protection against an infectious agent elicited after oral administration of a DNA vaccine.
Addressing the knowledge gap in clinical recommendations for management and complete excision of clinically atypical nevi/dysplastic nevi: Pigmented Lesion Subcommittee consensus statement.

Importance The management of clinically atypical nevi/dysplastic nevi (CAN/DN) is controversial, with few data to guide the process. Management recommendations for DN with positive histologic margins were developed by the Delphi method to achieve consensus among members of the Pigmented Lesion Subcommittee (PLS) of the Melanoma Prevention Working Group (MPWG) after reviewing the current evidence. Objectives To outline key issues related to the management of CAN/DN: (1) biopsies of CAN and how positive margins arise, (2) whether incompletely excised DN evolve into melanoma, (3) current data on the outcomes of DN with positive histologic margins, (4) consensus recommendations, and (5) a proposal for future studies, including a large-scale study to help guide the management of DN with positive margins. Evidence Review The literature, including recent studies examining management and outcomes of DN with positive margins between 2009 to 2014, was reviewed. Findings A consensus statement by the PLS of the MPWG following review of the literature, group discussions, and a structured Delphi method consensus. Conclusions and Relevance This consensus statement reviews the complexities of management of CAN/DN. A review of the literature and 2 rounds of a structured Delphi consensus resulted in the following recommendations: (1) mildly and moderately DN with clear margins do not need to be reexcised, (2) mildly DN biopsied with positive histologic margins without clinical residual pigmentation may be safely observed rather than reexcised, and (3) observation may be a reasonable option for management of moderately DN with positive histologic margins without clinically apparent residual pigmentation; however, more data are needed to make definitive recommendations in this clinical scenario.
Exploring the Bases of Partisanship in the American Electorate: Social Identity vs. Ideology

This article uses data from the 1952-2004 American National Election Studies and the 2004 U.S. National Exit Poll to compare the influence of ideology and membership in social groups on party identification. Contrary to the claim by Green, Palmquist, and Schickler (2002) that party loyalties are rooted in voters’ social identities, we find that party identification is much more strongly related to voters’ ideological preferences than to their social identities as defined by their group memberships. Since the 1970s, Republican identification has increased substantially among whites inside and outside of the South with the most dramatic gains occurring among married voters, men, and Catholics. Within these subgroups, however, Republican gains have occurred mainly or exclusively among self-identified conservatives. As a result, the relationship between ideology and party identification has increased dramatically. This has important implications for voting behavior. Increased consistency between ideology and ...
An Ethical Coding Perspective

F acial plastic surgery is a unique milieu in which to practice. We do a variety of procedures for which insurance reimbursement is provided, many others for which no coverage is available, and a third group for which qualification for third-party indemnification may or may not apply, dependent on the indications in a given patient. This scenario gives rise to what I have come to call “coding anxiety.”
Phosphodiesters and NMR: a tale of rabbits and chickens

Abstract Comparative biochemistry can often encourage a wider view of a biochemical system by showing how different species have solved similar problems using different biochemicals (enzymes). Further, by comparing how similar the two solutions are, it can be seen to what extent universal principles are involved.
Perturbation analysis of the limit cycle of the free van der Pol equation

A power series expansion in the damping parameter $\varepsilon $ of the limit cycle $U(t;\varepsilon )$ of the free van der Pol equation $\ddot U + \varepsilon (U^2 - 1)\dot U + U = 0$ is constructed and analyzed. Coefficients in the expansion are computed up to $O(\varepsilon ^{24} )$ in exact rational arithmetic using the symbolic manipulation system MACSYMA and up to $O(\varepsilon ^{163} )$ using a FORTRAN program. The series is analyzed using Pade approximants. The convergence of the series for the maximum amplitude of the limit cycle is limited by two pairs of complex conjugate singularities in the complex $\varepsilon $-plane. These singularities are the same as those which limit the convergence of the series expansion of the frequency of the limit cycle. A new expansion parameter is introduced which maps these singularities to infinity and leads to a new expansion for the amplitude which converges for all real values of $\varepsilon $. Amplitudes computed from this transformed series agree very we...
Interests, Gender, and Science:

In this commentary on Nye, Su, Rounds, and Drasgow (2012) and Schmidt (2011), I address the value of occupational interest inventories for understanding sex differences in occupational choice and the extent to which occupational interests are malleable. In particular, I argue (a) that some subscales in interest inventories are too heterogeneous to be given a single label and that the labels that are applied to some subscales are inaccurate and misleading; (b) that “things versus people” is an inaccurate and misleading characterization of a dimension that is frequently associated with interest inventories and linked to sex differences; (c) that vocational interests will be valid predictors of job performance primarily in cases in which the job has been held for some time by a diverse group of people and not in cases in which jobholders have been homogeneous; (d) that sex differences in interests are malleable and sensitive to small and subtle environmental cues; and (e) that women’s interest in math and science will increase if they have a feeling of belonging and an expectation of success.
inFORM: dynamic physical affordances and constraints through shape and object actuation

Past research on shape displays has primarily focused on rendering content and user interface elements through shape output, with less emphasis on dynamically changing UIs. We propose utilizing shape displays in three different ways to mediate interaction: to facilitate by providing dynamic physical affordances through shape change, to restrict by guiding users with dynamic physical constraints, and to manipulate by actuating physical objects. We outline potential interaction techniques and introduce Dynamic Physical Affordances and Constraints with our inFORM system, built on top of a state-of-the-art shape display, which provides for variable stiffness rendering and real-time user input through direct touch and tangible interaction. A set of motivating examples demonstrates how dynamic affordances, constraints and object actuation can create novel interaction possibilities.
Determination of the optical constants of an inhomogeneous transparent LaF(3) thin film on a transparent substrate by spectroscopic ellipsometry.

The optical constants of a thin inhomogeneous transparent film of LaF3 on a transparent vitreous silica substrate have been determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry. To overcome the lack of accuracy in the spectroscopic-ellipsometry measurements of transparent samples, an achromatic compensator was used with a rotating-analyzer ellipsometer. As a result, we were able to determine the depth profile of the film and also determine the refractive index of LaF3 and its dispersion in the near-UV-visible region to the third decimal place, even though the film thickness was only λ/4 (~150 nm).
The limited growth of vegetated shear layers

[1] In contrast to free shear layers, which grow continuously downstream, shear layers generated by submerged vegetation grow only to a finite thickness. Because these shear layers are characterized by coherent vortex structures and rapid vertical mixing, their thickness controls exchange between the vegetation and the overlying water. Experiments conducted in a laboratory flume show that the growth of these obstructed shear layers is arrested once the production of shear-layer-scale turbulent kinetic energy (SKE) is balanced by dissipation of SKE within the canopy. This equilibrium condition, along with a mixing length closure scheme, was used in a one-dimensional numerical model to predict the mean velocity profiles of the experimental shear layers. The agreement between model and experiment is very good, but field application of the model is limited by a lack of description of the drag coefficient in a submerged canopy.
Ruptured middle cerebral artery aneurysm and bilateral chronic subdural hematomas.

BACKGROUND While rupture of a cerebral aneurysm into the subdural space is rare, aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in the presence of subdural hematoma(s) is much more uncommon. Such a patient requires changes in routine perioperative management. CASE DESCRIPTION A patient with a ruptured middle cerebral artery bifurcation aneurysm and bilateral subdural hematomas is presented. He underwent successful aneurysm clipping and subdural hematoma evacuations. At the time of surgery, measures commonly used to obtain brain relaxation were avoided. The patient was kept normovolemic, normocarbic, and normotensive. He recovered completely and resumed his prior occupation. CONCLUSIONS Changes in standard techniques for a patient undergoing a pterional craniotomy for a ruptured cerebral aneurysm are required when bilateral extra-axial mass lesions are present.
Animation of the Traveling Salesman Problem

Visualization of algorithms has become increasingly more popular as classrooms are upgraded with better technology and graphically interactive systems. This technique is attractive to educators and students alike. With increased performance in languages such as Java and the ease of implementation for graphical interfaces, one can construct graphical systems for effectively animating and visualizing algorithms. In this paper, we present an implementation of such a system for The Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP). Our goal is to bring TSP to life by graphically representing the states of two popular solutions to this problem, namely backtracking and branch and bound, and animating the transitions between those states.
Injection versus medialization laryngoplasty for the treatment of unilateral vocal fold paralysis.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To determine whether injection laryngoplasty or medialization laryngoplasty is more effective in the long-term treatment of unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP). Study Design: A retrospective study of patients with UFVP who underwent either injection or medialization laryngoplasty at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences between July 29, 2003 and November 18, 2005. Methods: The data analyzed included patient characteristics and type of intervention, along with the pretreatment and post-treatment parameters of videostrobolaryngoscopy, perceptual voice analysis, and patients' subjective assessment of voice handicap. Results: Thirty-four patients were evaluated, 15 new and 19 from a previous study. The average time from intervention to post-treatment evaluation in the new cohort was 4.8 months (range, 1.5–10.5 months). The average time from intervention to post-treatment in the combined cohort was 6.4 months (range, 1–24 months). Improvements were demonstrated in each of the measured voice parameters in both the injection and the medialization groups, and no significant differences were found in the degree of improvement between the two groups. Limited data on aerodynamic and acoustic voice measurements showed a trend toward improvement in each treatment group. Conclusions: Injection and medialization laryngoplasty were comparable in achieving voice improvement at the average long-term follow-up of 6 months. Laryngoscope, 2010
Calcium sensitization produced by G protein activation in airway smooth muscle.

We determined whether activation of G proteins can affect the force developed for a given intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]; i.e., the Ca2+ sensitivity) by mechanisms in addition to changes ...
Neurointervention, Embolization Materials for

Materials for interventional procedures in the central nervous system, head and neck, and spinal disorders are smaller and more flexible than those utilized in the rest of the treatment of body or the heart. The neurointerventionalist must be knowledgeable about the specifications and compatibilities of various microguidewires, microcatheters, guide catheters, and embolic devices. Product catalogs are valuable but are often quickly outdated. Online information from the manufacturers and reliable sources, such as Medline and Trials.gov are essential in the appropriate use of these products in neurointerventional therapy.
Putting the ‘Kerala Model’ to Rest: Lessons for a New Era of Development in India

In a country where two out of five citizens, about 450 million people, live in poverty, it is no exaggeration to say that the development experience of Kerala – a coastal state on the southwestern tip of India – stands out as extraordinary. Despite a history of anemic economic growth, this state of 32 million boasts effectively universal literacy rates and life expectancy levels close to many Western societies. Because of this, the “Kerala model” has been hailed by NGOs, development experts, and Western academics as an alternative path for human development in which a robust welfare system rather than economic growth drives social progress.The real story, however, is quite different from this received wisdom about the “Kerala model”. Through the use of historical evidence and quantitative data, this paper shows that government welfare policies in Kerala had less positive impact on social development and more negative impact on economic development than commonly perceived. Not only do many of the state’s successes trace back to institutions that predate the welfare state, the socioeconomic realities within Kerala reveal a society trying its best to break free from the yoke of statism. In fact, dirigiste policies explain how a highly educated, healthy society has been unable to achieve robust economic growth despite substantial latent capacities. Today, Kerala serves both as an example – of how investments in human capital pay off handsomely even in the midst of other economic challenges – and as a harbinger – of an “emerging India” that is impressive in its potential but often underachieving in its results.
Making Rational Reinstatement Decisions

A study of 187 students reinstated to the College of Education at Iowa State University from 1981–1987 showed that a student's previous academic deficit in college and classification (grade level) in school are characteristics significantly related to success on reentry.
MicroRNA-150 Suppression of Angiopoetin-2 Generation and Signaling Is Crucial for Resolving Vascular Injury

Objective— Increased vascular permeability is a hallmark of sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Angiopoietin (Ang2) induces vascular leak, and excess Ang2 generation is associated with patient mortality from these diseases. However, mechanisms dampening Ang2 generation during injury remain unclear. Interestingly, microRNA (miR)-150 levels were decreased in septic patients. miR regulate signaling networks by silencing mRNAs containing complementary sequences. Thus, we hypothesized that miR-150 suppresses Ang2 generation and thereby resolves vascular injury. Approach and Results— Wild-type or miR-150 −/− mice or endothelial cells were exposed to lipopolysaccharide or sepsis, and Ang2 levels, adherens junction reannealing, endothelial barrier function, and mortality were determined. Although Ang2 transiently increased during lipopolysaccharide-induced injury in wild-type endothelial cells and lungs, miR-150 expression was elevated only during recovery from injury. Deletion of miR-150 caused a persistent increase in Ang2 levels and impaired adherens junctions reannealing after injury, resulting thereby in an irreversible increase in vascular permeability. Also, miR-150 −/− mice died rapidly after sepsis. Rescuing miR-150 expression in endothelial cells prevented Ang2 generation, thereby restoring vascular barrier function in miR-150 −/− mice. miR-150 terminated Ang2 generation by targeting the transcription factor, early growth response 2. Thus, early growth response 2 or Ang2 depletion in miR-150 −/− endothelial cells restored junctional reannealing and reinstated barrier function. Importantly, upregulating miR-150 expression by injecting a chemically synthesized miR-150 mimic into wild-type mice vasculature decreased early growth response 2 and Ang2 levels and hence mortality from sepsis. Conclusions— miR-150 is a novel suppressor of Ang2 generation with a key role in resolving vascular injury and reducing mortality resulting from sepsis. # Significance {#article-title-54}
Syntactic Parsing for Ranking-Based Coreference Resolution

Recent research efforts have led to the development of a state-of-the-art supervised coreference model, the cluster-ranking model. However, it is not clear whether the features that have been shown to be useful when employed in traditional coreference models will fare similarly when used in combination with this new model. Rather than merely re-evaluate them using the cluster-ranking model, we examine two interesting types of features derived from syntactic parses, tree-based features and path-based features, and discuss the challenges involved in employing them in the cluster-ranking model. Results on a set of Switchboard dialogues show their effectiveness in improving the cluster-ranking model: using them to augment a baseline coreference feature set yields a 8.6‐11.7% reduction in relative error.
Gamma-Ray Attenuation at Energies of Approximately 6 and 8 MeV

Well-collimated beams of thermal-neutron-capture gamma rays from titanium and nickel, having average energies of about 6 and 8 MeV, respectively, were used to measure narrow-beam and total gamma-ra...
A Review of “Indexing, from Thesauri to the Semantic Web”

Indexing of texts has been practiced for centuries and has become increasingly important with the advent of the Internet. The book Indexing, from Thesauri to Semantic Web provides a thoughtful, wel...
Host contact and shedding patterns clarify variation in pathogen exposure and transmission in threatened tortoise Gopherus agassizii: implications for disease modelling and management.

Most directly transmitted infections require some form of close contact between infectious and susceptible hosts to spread. Often disease models assume contacts are equal and use mean field estimates of transmission probability for all interactions with infectious hosts. Such methods may inaccurately describe transmission when interactions differ substantially in their ability to cause infection. Understanding this variation in transmission risk may be critical to properly model and manage some infectious diseases. In this study, we investigate how varying exposure and transmission may be key to understanding disease dynamics in the threatened desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii. We created heterogeneity in Mycoplasma agassizii exposure (the putative bacterial agent of a respiratory disease) by varying the duration of interactions between naturally infected and uninfected captive desert tortoises. Using qPCR, we identified new infections and compared models of transmission probability as a function of contact duration and pathogen load. We then examined the contact patterns of a wild tortoise population using proximity loggers to identify heterogeneity in contact duration. The top-ranked model predicting M. agassizii transmission included a dose term defined as the product of the number of days in proximity to an infected host and the infection level of that host. Models predicted low transmission probability for short interactions, unless the infectious host had a high load of M. agassizii: such hosts were predicted to transmit infection at higher rates with any amount of contact. We observed predominantly short-lived interactions in a free-ranging tortoise population and thus, expect transmission patterns in this population to vary considerably with the frequency and duration of high infection levels. Mean field models may misrepresent natural transmission patterns in this and other populations depending on the distribution of high-risk contact and shedding events. Rapid outbreaks in generally solitary species may result from changes to their naturally low-risk contact patterns or due to increases in the frequency of severe infections or super-shedding events - population characteristics that should be further investigated to develop effective management strategies.
Physicians’ Management Practices and Perceived Health Risks When Postconcussion Symptoms Persist:

BACKGROUND: Concussion guidelines recommend physical and cognitive rest until all postconcussion symptoms resolve, in part because of potential health risks, including catastrophic injury related to a second impact. However, when postconcussion symptoms persist for weeks or months, these risks are poorly characterized. HYPOTHESIS: Physicians' perceived health risks and management strategies for patients with persistent postconcussion symptoms will vary. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3. METHODS: A survey of the physician members of the American College of Sports Medicine assessed the perceived health risks related to advancing activity, the indications for neuroimaging, and the referral patterns for patients with persistent postconcussion symptoms. RESULTS: A total of 572 physicians completed the survey (response rate, 27.2%). The majority of physicians recommended physical rest (97.4%) and cognitive rest (93.8%) within the first week of injury. Perceived health risks related to advancing activity in the symptomatic patient differed at 2 weeks versus 3 months after injury (P CONCLUSION: When postconcussion symptoms persist, the perceived health risks, management practices, and access to multidisciplinary care vary among physicians. Language: en
Uniform Zinc Oxide Nanowire Arrays Grown on Nonepitaxial Surface with General Orientation Control

Bottom-up synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires requires a highly engineered substrate to achieve alignment and orientation control. Here, we report textured ZnO film as an inexpensive substrate to fulfill the requirement. The textured film is coated conformally on various surface topographies and allows the epitaxial growth of ZnO nanowires with vertical, tilted, or lateral orientations. The textured film can also be formed into three-dimensional structure for growing novel nanostructures. The growth flexibility can potentially simplify device fabrication and optimize device performance.
Self-aligned Amorphous Silicon Thin Film Transistors with Mobility above 1 cm2V−1s−1 fabricated at 300°C on Clear Plastic Substrates

We have developed a fabrication process for amorphous-silicon thin-film transistors (a-Si:H TFTs) on free-standing clear plastic substrates at temperatures up to 300 o C. The 300 o C fabrication process is made possible by using a unique clear plastic substrate that has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE < 10ppm/ o C) and a glass transition temperature higher than 300 o C. Our TFTs have a conventional inverted-staggered gate back-channel passivated geometry, which we designed to achieve two goals: accurate overlay alignment and a high effective mobility. A requirement that becomes particularly difficult to meet in the making of TFT backplanes on plastic foil at 300 o C is minimizing overlay misalignment. Even though we use a substrate that has a relatively low CTE, accurately aligning the TFTs on the free-standing, 70-micrometer thick substrate is challenging. To deal with this immediate challenge, and to continue developing processes for free-standing web substrates, we are introducing techniques for self-alignment to our TFT fabrication process. We have self-aligned the channel to the gate by exposing through the clear plastic substrate. To raise the effective mobility of our TFTs we reduced the series resistance by decreasing the thickness of the amorphous silicon layer between the source-drain contacts and the accumulation layer in the channel. The back-channel passivated structure allows us to decrease the thickness of the a-Si:H active layer down to around 20nm. These changes have enabled us to raise the effective field effect mobility on clear plastic to values above 1 cm 2 V -1 s -1
Effects of leading-edge ice accretion geometry on airfoil performance

A systematic study of the effect of simulated ice shape geometry on airfoil aerodynamics was performed. A wind tunnel test was performed using a flapped NLF( l)-0414 airfoil where aerodynamic parameters including hinge moment were measured. The ice shapes tested were designed to simulate a single glaze ice horn with leading-edge radius, size and airfoil surface location varied. In all nine ice simulations were tested at six different leading edge locations. The objective of this research was to determine the sensitivity of iced airfoil aerodynamics to ice shape geometry. Configurations were also tested at three different Reynolds numbers (0.5, 1.0, and 1.8~10~). It was determined that ice horn leading-edge radius had only a small effect on airfoil aerodynamics. However, the aerodynamic performance was very sensitive to ice shape size and location. An almost linear relationship between loss in maximum lift and ice horn location was found with the largest loss at the furthest location back on the upper surface. Reynolds number was found to have little effect on the aerodynamic results on the airfoil with simulated ice shapes.
Transcriptome and Secretome Based Assay Matrix to Define Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Immune Potency

in this large scale manufacturing facility were similar to at the academic facility. Leveraging a proven step-wise industry transfer process to capture academic experience along with extensive collaborative training and strong analytics led to this successful CAR cell therapy process transfer from academia to industry. This resulted in comparable CTL019 cell expansion growth curves to those observed from academia. Cell processing for the Phase II trials initiated outside the US, including Europe, Canada and Australia, is carried out at the state-of-the-art global manufacturing facility. (Figure 1)
Evaluating Complex Educational Systems with Quadratic Assignment Problem and Exponential Random Graph Model Methods

This chapter has three objectives: (1) to describe how social network analyses (SNA) can be used to explore complexity dynamics in education; (2) to provide a primer on SNA methods; and (3) to explore statistical procedures for hypothesis testing with SNA. SNA has experienced increasing popularity in recent years, but resources available to researchers wanting to learn about this methodology are sparse. That which is available typically fails to link SNA to complexity theory, although this would seem an obvious context. This chapter briefly describes major principles of complexity theory and how network analyses are useful for exploring social dynamics. We then explain what SNA is, the types of analyses it performs, and its various uses. This section delves into issues such as designing SNA analyses, data collection procedures, and converting non-matrix data for use in SNA. Lastly, the chapter describes statistical procedures for analyzing network data. In particular, we explain how to conduct multiple regression quadratic assignment procedures and p* to test hypotheses about network dynamics. Issues of using network coefficients with traditional, variable-based statistics are discussed. Examples of applicable research questions and research studies are provided to help readers formulate questions and research designs.
EPA GHG Certification of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles: Development of Road Grade Profiles Representative of US Controlled Access Highways

In collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has conducted a national analysis of road grade characteristics experienced by U.S. medium- and heavy-duty trucks on controlled access highways. These characteristics have been developed using TomTom's commercially available street map and road grade database. Using the TomTom national road grade database, national statistics on road grade and hill distances were generated for the U.S. network of controlled access highways. These statistical distributions were then weighted using data provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for activity of medium- and heavy-duty trucks on controlled access highways. Here, the national activity-weighted road grade and hill distance distributions were then used as targets for development of a handful of sample grade profiles potentially to be used in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Model certification tool as well as in dynamometer testing of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and their powertrains.
On dijoins

For every nonnegative integer arc weight function w, the minimum weight of a dicut is at least as large as the maximum number of dijoins such that no arc a is contained in more than w(a) of these dijoins. We give two examples of digraphs with strict inequality for some weight w and discuss the possibility that, together with an example due to Schrijver, these are the only “minimal” such examples.
Effect of Precooking Conditions on Color of Cooked Beef Patties

In three separate trials, the visually and instrumentally determined color of patties cooked either fresh, frozen, or after thawing was evaluated. In trial 1, the effects of thawing and packaging were evaluated. The internal color of patties cooked to 71°C within 12 h of thawing at 7°C remained red-pink. Only after thawing for 18 h or longer did cooking to 71°C result in a well-done appearance. The color of patties thawed while vacuum packaged and then cooked was more red than the color of non-vacuum-packaged patties after cooking. Spectral analysis of the raw product indicated that the effects of thawing and packaging on cooked color were linked to the level of metmyoglobin (metMb); higher levels of metMb resulted in a less red patty color after cooking. In trials 2 and 3, the metMb level was varied by storage and/or processing conditions. Differences in the metMb level before freezing seemed to decrease during freezing and thawing. Differences in metMb before processing did not significantly (P > 0.05) affect cooked color. Patties cooked from the frozen state were less red than those cooked directly after processing. After 24 h of thawing, patties cooked to 71°C were brown, irrespective of metMb level. Premature browning, i.e., the appearance of patties being well-done at temperatures lower than 71°C, only occurred in thawed patties. After 24 h of thawing, patties appeared well-done at 65°C. It is concluded that handling, other than internal temperature, strongly influences cooked beef patty color. Therefore, the color of cooked beef patties should not be used as an indicator of internal temperature.
A voice search approach to replying to SMS messages in automobiles.

Automotive infotainment systems now provide drivers the ability to hear incoming Short Message Service (SMS) text messages using text-to-speech. However, the question of how best to allow users to respond to these messages using speech recognition remains unsettled. In this paper, we propose a robust voice search approach to replying to SMS messages based on template matching. The templates are empirically derived from a large SMS corpus and matches are accurately retrieved using a vector space model. In evaluating SMS replies within the acoustically challenging environment of automobiles, the voice search approach consistently outperformed using just the recognition results of a statistical language model or a probabilistic context-free grammar. For SMS replies covered by our templates, the approach achieved as high as 89.7% task completion when evaluating the top five reply candidates.
Development and Validation of a Species- and Gene-Specific Molecular Biomarker: Vitellogenin mRNA in Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)

The main focus of environmental endocrine disruption is understanding how hormone mimics may be affecting reproduction and development. The principle mode of action for hormones is to regulate gene expression. The vitellogenin mRNA assay described in this paper was developed to study the specific mechanisms of action by proposed xenoestrogens. The establishment of this method is widely applicable to different species and to different genes. This gene specificity is what makes it such a good method to characterize a particular mechanism of action. Vitellogenin was chosen due to its current value as a plasma protein biomarker for estrogen exposure. The vitellogenin mRNA assay serves as a valuable complement to plasma vitellogenin, as it increases the sensitivity of detection as well as its potential to detect an earlier estrogenic response. Once validated, it can be used in biomonitoring as an effective method to detect a specific mechanism of action in samples exposed to xenoestrogens.
Derivation and Internal Validation of a Clinical Prediction Tool for 30-Day Mortality in Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

Abstract Background There are limited data to predict which patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding are at risk for adverse outcomes. We aimed to develop a clinical tool based on admission variables to predict 30-day mortality in lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Methods We used a validated machine learning algorithm to identify adult patients hospitalized with lower gastrointestinal bleeding at an academic medical center between 2008 and 2015. The cohort was split randomly into derivation and validation cohorts. In the derivation cohort, we used multiple logistic regression on all candidate admission variables to create a prediction model for 30-day mortality, using area under the receiving operator characteristic curve and misclassification rate to estimate prediction accuracy. Regression coefficients were used to derive an integer score, and mortality risk associated with point totals was assessed. Results In the derivation cohort (n = 4044), 8 variables were most associated with 30-day mortality: age, dementia, metastatic cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic pulmonary disease, anticoagulant use, admission hematocrit, and albumin. The model yielded a misclassification rate of 0.06 and area under the curve of 0.81. The integer score ranged from −10 to 26 in the derivation cohort, with a misclassification rate of 0.11 and area under the curve of 0.74. In the validation cohort (n = 2060), the score had an area under the curve of 0.72 with a misclassification rate of 0.12. After dividing the score into 4 quartiles of risk, 30-day mortality in the derivation and validation sets was 3.6% and 4.4% in quartile 1, 4.9% and 7.3% in quartile 2, 9.9% and 9.1% in quartile 3, and 24% and 26% in quartile 4, respectively. Conclusions A clinical tool can be used to predict 30-day mortality in patients hospitalized with lower gastrointestinal bleeding.
Faraday rotation probe of laser-plasma bubble structures in Petawatt-driven wakes

We exploited the Faraday effect to imprint polarization shifts on a transverse probe that captured the structure of a GeV laser-plasma accelerator. Our measurements suggested a plasma bubble diameter  50.8±10.1 μm.
CORROSION OF IRRADIATED URANIUM ALLOYS

As a result of heat treatment under irradiation, Nb--U-- Zr alloys exhibited corrosion rates at 260 C in initially pure water as low as 1880 mg/ cm/sup 2/day. Rates are based on original exposed area. (C.J.G.)
Reliability of High-speed Videoendoscopic Ratings of Essential Voice Tremor and Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia.

Summary Objectives The main objectives of this study were to (1) examine intrarater and inter-rater reliabilities in perceptual ratings of vocal fold vibratory patterns and supraglottic characteristics for essential vocal tremor and adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD) using high-speed videoendoscopy (HSV), and (2) to investigate the specificity of the parameters in differentiating these two voice disorders. Methods HSV recordings of 34 cases diagnosed with essential vocal tremor, AdSD, or AdSD with vocal tremor were evaluated blindly by two voice speech pathologists. The two raters examined all HSV video segments twice across nine supraglottic and vocal fold vibratory characteristics for inter-rater and intrarater reliabilities. A separate consensus rating was then developed, with the results analyzed to explore differentiation. Results Raters demonstrated moderate intrarater reliability with mean Spearman's rho correlation coefficients of 0.68 (rater 1) and 0.73 (rater 2). Moderate inter-rater reliability for the two raters was seen across all parameters with a mean Cohen's kappa coefficient of 0.51. Raters showed higher intrarater and inter-rater reliabilities for supraglottic parameters. Only the presence of tremor differentiated between the two voice disorders in cases with a consistent diagnosis. Conclusions The high level of concomitance between vocal tremor and AdSD may affect subjective perceptual analysis of supraglottic and vocal fold vibratory patterns. Results indicate similar global involvement of supraglottic laryngeal structures for both vocal tremor and AdSD.
MicroRNA-31 is required for astrocyte specification.

Previously, we determined microRNA-31 (miR-31) is a non-coding tumor suppressive gene frequently deleted in glioblastoma (GBM); miR-31 suppresses tumor growth, in part, by limiting the activity of NF-κB. Herein, we expand our previous studies by characterizing the role of miR-31 during neural precursor cell (NPC) to astrocyte differentiation. We demonstrate that miR-31 expression and activity is suppressed in NPCs by stem cell factors such as Lin28, c-Myc, SOX2 and Oct4. However, during astrocytogenesis, miR-31 is induced by STAT3 and SMAD1/5/8, which mediate astrocyte differentiation. We determined miR-31 is required for terminal astrocyte differentiation, and that the loss of miR-31 impairs this process and/or prevents astrocyte maturation. We demonstrate that miR-31 promotes astrocyte development, in part, by reducing the levels of Lin28, a stem cell factor implicated in NPC renewal. These data suggest that miR-31 deletions may disrupt astrocyte development and/or homeostasis.
Web accessibility at university libraries and library schools: 2002 follow-up study

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that library programs and services must be accessible to people with disabilities. In an era in which much information resides in digitized form on the World Wide Web, the ADA's mandate must be interpreted as applying not only to physical space but also to cyberspace. Just as in the physical world, proper design is a crucial issue. Only accessibly-designed Web pages ensure that all people, including those with print disabilities, have access to Web-based information. Previous studies indicate that a large proportion of campus, as well at the main libraries on these campuses. This study looks at all 56 North American ALA-accredited schools of library and information science (SLIS), as well at the main libraries on these campuses. Accessibility data collected in February 2002 are compared to 2000 data. The findings continue to give cause for concern: It is reasonable to assume that low Web page accessibility at the nation's library schools reflects a lack of awareness about this issue among the leaders and trainers in the library profession.
Evaluating Various Undergraduate Perspectives of Elementary-Level Mathematical Writing

Writing is recognized as a critical skill in science, technology, engineering, and mathematical fields, as it provides opportunities for individuals to think critically about learned information, integrate knowledge, communicate understanding, and contribute new information to the field. Requirements for applying mathematical knowledge to writing require a seamless blend of content-specific knowledge, domain-specific vocabulary, and an understanding of written expression. Relatively, little is known about how mathematics writing is currently being assessed in K-12 classrooms to promote the acquisition and growth of students’ writing. This exploratory survey research sought to evaluate how undergraduate students across various career majors, at a large university in the USA, perceive the writing quality of elementary mathematics writing samples. Research determined that respondents valued accuracy of the mathematics, logical explanation, effort of the response, as well as organization/mechanics of the writing. The extremes of mathematical writing had the most reliable scores, bringing attention to the need to develop quality assessments (e.g., rubrics) that address subjectivity of writing quality indicators and explicitly communicate expectations of mathematics writing. Implications for practice and future research are presented.