cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiple frequency spin-lattice relaxation time and conductivity measurements of FIC Li2S+SiS2 glasses

Abstract The glass series Li2S+SiS2 is known to be one of the very best fast Li+ ion-conducting glasses and for this reason, it has provided a unique opportunity to examine both the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation (NSLR) of the 7Li+ cation and the ionic conductivity over wide and overlapping regions of frequency and temperature. Since the decoupling indices for these glasses are so high, a wide temperature range above the NSLR rate maximum (in the frequency-independent regime) can be observed and compared directly to the frequency-independent conductivity. As expected, activation energies compared in this way agree very well and this result is used to resolve the long-standing disagreement that has exissted between conductivity and spin-lattice relaxation rate measurements. The frequency-dependent region of the relaxation has been modeled using both the empirical time-domain Kohlrausch- Williams-Watts function and the Cole-Davidson distribution of relaxation times model. Using a frequency range of 4–40 MHz, the first multiple frequency and simultaneous fit of the NSLR rate, R1, to these functions is provided. Though both functions appear to fit the data well, the KWW function is shown to give the better fit. More important is the result that just as the frequency-dependent conductivity can be fit to a relaxation function over wide ranges of frequency and temperature, so can the NSLR rate.
The SARS coronavirus papain like protease can inhibit IRF3 at a post activation step that requires deubiquitination activity

The outcome of a viral infection is regulated by complex interactions of viral and host factors. SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) engages and regulates several innate immune response pathways during infection. We have previously shown that the SARS-CoV Papain-like Protease (PLpro) inhibits type I interferon (IFN) by inhibiting IRF3 phosphorylation thereby blocking downstream Interferon induction. This finding prompted us to identify other potential mechanisms of inhibition of PLpro on IFN induction. We have used plasmids expressing PLpro and IRF3 including an IRF3 mutant that is constitutively active, called IRF3(5D). In these experiments we utilize transfections, chromatin immunoprecipitation, Electro-mobility Shift Assays (EMSA) and protein localization to identify where IRF3 and IRF3(5D) are inhibited by PLpro. Here we show that PLpro also inhibits IRF3 activation at a step after phosphorylation and that this inhibition is dependent on the de-ubiquitination (DUB) activity of PLpro. We found that PLpro is able to block the type I IFN induction of a constitutively active IRF3, but does not inhibit IRF3 dimerization, nuclear localization or DNA binding. However, inhibition of PLpro’s DUB activity by mutagenesis blocked the IRF3 inhibition activity of PLpro, suggesting a role for IRF3 ubiquitination in induction of a type I IFN innate immune response. These results demonstrate an additional mechanism that PLpro is able to inhibit IRF3 signaling. These data suggest novel innate immune antagonism activities of PLpro that may contribute to SARS-CoV pathogenesis.
Cell-cycle-specific changes in chromatin organization

Summary Cell-cycle-specific changes in the organization of chromatin have been observed using the natural polyanion heparin as a probe. The heparin-mediated release of DNA from intact nuclei has been measured in mitotically synchronized populations of Chinese hamster (line CHO) cells during early interphase. Changes in the patterns of release of DNA from nuclei at different times postmitosis suggest that significant changes in the organization of chromatin occur during G 1 . These changes may be related to G 1 -specific histone modification.
Data fusion based on convex optimization

A distributed fusion problem is addressed where cross-covariance matrices of estimated variables are unknown. We first try to estimate the cross-covariances, and then calculate the weighting coefficients to combine the estimates linearly. We consider two approaches, one where we do not use priors for the covariance matrices of the model and another, where we use priors and engage the Bayesian machinery. For the former, we exploit the maximum-entropy principle in finding the optimal cross-covariance estimate and for the latter, we employ Wishart distributions as priors and search for the maximum a posteriori estimate. Both problems turn out to require convex optimization which can be solved by existing techniques. When the cross-covariance estimates are obtained, the weighting coefficients can easily be calculated so that fusion can take place. Simulation results that demonstrate the performance of the proposed methods are provided.
Design and public policy considerations for accessible e-book readers

Public policy increasingly plays a role in influencing the work that we do as HCI researchers, interaction designers, and practitioners. "Public policy" is a broad term that includes both government policy and policy within non-governmental organizations, such as standards bodies. The "Interacting with Public Policy" forum focuses on topics at the intersection of human-computer interaction and public policy. Jonathan Lazar, Editor | JLazar@towson.edu
Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia associated with an unusual 8;14 translocation

Abstract An 8;14 chromosome translocation with the break points t(8;14)(q11;q32) is described in bone marrow cells of a patient with null cell terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The patient, who is dysmorphic and mentally retarded, has a normal 46,XY constitutional chromosome karyotype. A review of the more usual cytogenetic findings in this type of leukemia and a comparison of B-cell lymphoproliferative cytogenetic associations are presented.
Stay cool with less work : China's new energy-efficiency standards for air conditioners

Abstract In response to electricity shortages, China announced a new set of minimum energy-efficiency standards for room air conditioners (RACs), with the first tier going into effect on March 1, 2005 and the second tier taking effect on January 1, 2009. This paper first reviews the requirements of the new Chinese standards for air conditioners and compares them to similar standards in other countries. It then presents results from an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of the standards and the impact of the new standards on energy savings, electric generation capacity, and CO2 emissions reductions. China's recent efforts to regulate the efficiency of RACs will yield significant consumer economic savings as well as avoided construction of a large number of power plants and avoided emissions of GHG and other local pollutants.
Concomitant analysis for oxygen uptake and ammonia evolution during the monoamine oxidase reaction.

Abstract The use of the transfer rate of a volatile substance (ammonia) for the expeditious development of a method for quantitation of this substance during respirometric tests was discussed. A quantitative study of the conditions and details of the method were presented.
Effectiveness of Corporate Well-Being Programs A Meta-Analysis

Health is a major component of well-being and quality of life (QOL) and an increasingly costly one. We examine the role of employers for promoting QOL. A meta-analysis examines the impact of fifty well-being programs, which address six health issues and use seven marketing approaches. The analysis indicates that well-being programs and marketing approaches significantly improve employee health and depend on company size and employee gender. Results, based on sixty studies, show there is significant opportunity to efficiently tailor corporate health programs.
Use of Remote-Site Incubators to Produce Arctic Grayling Fry of Wild Parentage

Abstract Remote-site incubators (RSIs) adjacent to five streams were evaluated as part of a program to reestablish spawning stocks of Arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus in Upper Red Rock Lake in southwest Montana. From 2000 to 2002, wild adult Arctic grayling were caught from the only study stream that currently supports natural spawning. Adults were artificially spawned, and the fertilized eggs were immediately placed into 12 RSIs in 2000, 8 in 2001, and 10 in 2002. Apart from daily removal of dead eggs and dead fry, no prophylaxis was administered. Median numbers of accumulated degree-days (and calendar days) to first observation of eye-up, hatch, and swim-up were 106.1 (10.5), 139.2 (14.0), and 169.2 (17.5), respectively. Mean (±95% confidence interval) percent emergence was greater in 2000 (73.4 ± 15.1%) than in 2001 and 2002 (pooled mean, 26.5 ± 11.9%). Mean percent emergence at a warm (∼13°C) site (East Elk Springs Creek; 69.8 ± 22.0%) was higher than the pooled mean for the other four sites (35.3 ±...
Directing Colloidal Self-Assembly through Roughness-Controlled Depletion Attractions

The surfaces of colloidal particles resulting from many new fabrication methods are not molecularly smooth, so understanding how surface roughness can affect the depletion attraction between the particles and their assembly is very important. We show that the depletion attraction between custom-shaped microscale platelets can be suppressed when the nanoscale surface asperity heights become larger than the depletion agent. In the opposite limit, the attraction reappears and columnar stacks of platelets are formed. Exploiting this, we selectively increase the site-specific roughness on only one side of the platelets to direct the mass production of a single desired assembly: a pure dimer phase.
C-glycosylflavonoids from passiflora coactilis

Eleven c-glycosylflavones were isolated from the leaves of passiflora coactilis, including two new 4′-o-glucosides of 2″-rhamnosylorientin and 2″-rhamnosylvitexin.
A deterministic view on the capacity of bandlimited functions

In this paper, the relationship between Kolmogorov's capacity and Shannon's capacity in the context of communication with square-intgrable, bandlimited signals subject to additive noise is illustrated. Upper and lower bounds on the Kolmogorov capacity are derived, that improve upon previous results. The functional form of these bounds is analogous to the one of the capacity of the additive white Gaussian noise channel, showing an essential similarity between the deterministic and the stochastic approaches, and suggesting that communication limits are a fundamental physical concept that transcends the details of the specific mathematical description chosen for their representation.
A comparison of two techniques for measuring and crossdating tree rings

Abstract Crossdating is the core principle of dendrochronology. Our study compared two techniques for measuring and crossdating tree rings using Juniperus virginiana L. (eastern redcedar) as a case study. We used a pseudo 2 × 2 study design comparing the traditional skeleton plot/sliding measuring stage technique to a semi-automatic image analysis program across two technicians. Crossdating was evaluated in COFECHA. Raw measurements of total, earlywood, and latewood widths from the two methods were analyzed using the Verify for Windows program, ANOVA, and correlation matrices. Total ring width and earlywood width were well correlated between techniques and technicians but questionable ring boundaries from image analysis program should be checked under a stereoscope. Juniperus virginiana latewood widths were significantly different between techniques and technicians; therefore, we do not recommend combining latewood measurements from species with limited latewood variability for dendrochronological analysis. A standard definition of the earlywood-latewood boundary that can be replicated across technicians is needed to combine latewood measurements from the sliding measuring stage and image analysis systems.
On the non-almost-reducibility set of an almost periodic linear differential system affinely depending on a parameter

We construct a linear differential system with limit-periodic coefficients that depends on a parameter µ ∈ ℝ and is not almost reducible for any µ in some closed interval M ⊂ ℝ.
Innate and adaptive immune responses to human Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection

Tuberculosis is a leading cause of death from infectious diseases world-wide, and multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis continues to spread in many parts of the world. MDR tuberculosis is a potential bioterrorist threat, as therapy is prolonged with potentially toxic agents, and the cure rate is much lower than that for treatment of drug-susceptible tuberculosis. Development of methods to enhance innate and adaptive defenses against M. tuberculosis are an attractive means to provide protection against both MDR and drug-susceptible tuberculosis. Before such strategies can be developed, an improved understanding must be gained of the immune response to M. tuberculosis. Our laboratory is mainly focused on understanding the mechanisms by which natural killer (NK) cells lyse M. tuberculosis-infected cells, determining the molecular mechanisms involved in the induction of regulatory T cells (Tregs), and characterizing the mechanisms by which NK cells affect expansion of Tregs in M. tuberculosis infection. As several studies demonstrated defective immune responses in tuberculosis patients, our studies will pinpoint the nature of this defective immune response and permit development of methods to reverse this defect. In the long run, these findings will permit development of novel methods to stimulate immunity against tuberculosis, a strategy that will contribute to development of an effective vaccine to prevent tuberculosis and novel immunotherapy to treat the disease.
In vivo imaging flow cytometer.

We introduce an in vivo imaging flow cytometer, which provides fluorescence images simultaneously with quantitative information on the cell population of interest in a live animal. As fluorescent cells pass through the slit of light focused across a blood vessel, the excited fluorescence is confocally detected. This cell signal triggers a strobe beam and a high sensitivity CCD camera that captures a snapshot image of the cell as it moves down-stream from the slit. We demonstrate that the majority of signal peaks detected in the in vivo flow cytometer arise form individual cells. The instrument’s capability to image circulating T cells and measure their speed in the blood vessel in real time in vivo is demonstrated. The cell signal irradiance variation, clustering percentage, and potential applications in biology and medicine are discussed.
Crystal Structure of [Me2NCH(O)]2Mg[(μ-OPri)2Al(OPri)2]2

Magnesium aluminum isopropoxide coordinates two solvent molecules when crystallized from dimethylformamide yielding the title compound, [Me2NCH(O)]2Mg[(μ-OPr i )2Al(OPr i )2]2, a potential CVD and sol–gel precursor of spinel, MgAl2O4: monoclinic, P21/c, a = 18.876(3) A, b = 12.5225(19) A, c = 18.578(3) A, β = 108.333(2)°, V = 4168.6(11) A3, Z = 4, Mg[(μ-OPr i )2Al(OPr i )2]2. Magnesium aluminum isopropoxide coordinates two solvent molecules when crystallized from dimethylformamide yielding the title compound, [Me2NCH(O)]2Mg[(μ-OPr i )2Al(OPr i )2]2, a potential CVD and sol–gel precursor of spinel, MgAl2O4.
Abundances of K, Rb, Sr and Ba in some ultramafic rocks and minerals

Abundances of K, Rb, Sr and Ba in eclogites, garnet peridotite and constituent minerals from isotopic dilution analysis, noting upper earth mantle composition estimation
A Comparison of the Clinical and Radiographic Results of Press Fit Condylar Rotating-Platform High-Flexion and Low Contact Stress Mobile Bearing Prosthesis in Total Knee Arthroplasty: Short term Results

Purpose This study compared the results of rotating-platform high-flexion (RP-F) total knee arthroplasty with low contact stress (LCS) for clinical and radiographical assessment after a short-term period. Materials and methods 68 total knee arthroplasties using a RP-F and LCS system were analyzed retrospectively. Thirty-five of the 68 were osteoarthritic knees and were followed-up for more than 2 years. The clinical evaluation included range of motion (ROM), Knee Society Knee Score and Function Score (KSKS and KSFS), tailor position and kneeling. The radiographic evaluation included femorotibial angle, position of implants, radiolucent line and position of patella. Results The postoperative ROM, KSKS, and KSFS improved statistically in both implants. Comparing RP-F with LCS there were statistically no differences in ROM (p=0.863), KSKS (p=0.835), KSFS (p=0.535) and tailor position (p=0.489). There were no significant radiographic differences. Conclusions Total knee arthroplasty with RP-F and LCS showed similar clinical and radiographic results; it also showed excellent and predictable results at the short-term follow up. However, in RP-F there was 1 case of early osteolysis, 1 case of patella clunk syndrome and 1 case of painful patella crepitus; therefore, further case studies and follow-up are needed.
Enhancing Role-Play Activities With Pocket Camcorder Technology: Strategies for Counselor-Educators

Counselor-educators can benefit from specific guidelines and creative suggestions when implementing role-play and technology-related teaching strategies in counseling training programs. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to: (a) discuss the use of role-play and video recording in counselor education; (b) introduce counselor-educators to pocket camcorders, which are portable, user-friendly digital video cameras that can be used to create and immediately view video footage in the classroom with students; (c) describe specific role-playing strategies that can be enhanced through the use of pocket camcorders and implemented in a variety of counseling courses; and (d) discuss potential ethical issues that may arise when integrating role-play and video-recording techniques into the counselor preparation curriculum.
Net effects of bicycle share programs on bike safety.

Graves et al. examined the association between implementation of a public bicycle share program (PBSP) and the proportion of bicycling-related injuries involving head injury.(1) This is an important question because of the absence of helmet requirements in PBSPs. The authors conclude that the proportion of bike injuries involving head injury increased in cities with PBSPs after program implementation, suggesting this is attributable to an increase in the number of bicyclists not wearing helmets. While a rise in the relative rate of head injuries among bike injuries is concerning, the authors neglect to discuss the important finding in their data that the absolute numbers of head injuries and all injuries declined in cities with PBSPs after program implementation. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print September 11, 2014: e1. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302166). Language: en
L’utilisation d’objets comme outils : un développement continu

The developmental origins of humans' ability to use objects flexibly as tools remains controversial. Although the dominant approach for conceptualizing tool use development focuses on a qualitative shift in cognition near the end of the first year, we suggest that perception-action theory offers important clues for how infants' earlier exploratory behaviors set the stage for the emergence of tool use. In particular, we consider how infants' attempts to relate objects and surfaces enables them to learn how objects function as extensions of the hand and provide opportunities for practicing the actions that will be recruited for tool use later in development. In this connection, we discuss behavioral and kinematic studies on object manipulation, which show that infants relate objects to surfaces in a discriminative manner and gain greater motor control of banging over the course of the first year. In conclusion, a perception-action perspective suggests that tool use emerges more continuously over developmental time than has traditionally been maintained.
Hyperspectral image segmentation and unmixing using hidden Markov trees

This paper is concerned with joint Bayesian endmember extraction and linear unmixing of hyperspectral images using a spatial prior on the abundance vectors. We hypothesize that hyperspectral images are composed of two types of regions. For the first type, the material proportions of adjacent pixels are similar and can be jointly characterized by a single vector, and in the second, neighboring pixels have very different abundances and are characterized by unique mixing proportions. Using this hypothesis we propose a new unmixing algorithm which simultaneously segments the image into such regions and performs unmixing. The experimental results show that the new algorithm can lead to improved MSE of both the extracted endmembers and the estimated abundances in low SNR cases.
Effects of an intensive short-term diet and exercise intervention: comparison between normal-weight and obese children

Lifestyle intervention programs currently emphasize weight loss secondary to obesity as the primary determinant of phenotypic changes. We examined whether the effects of a short-term lifestyle inte...
Killing of human immunodeficiency virus-infected primary T-cell blasts by autologous natural killer cells is dependent on the ability of the virus to alter the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I molecules

In the current study, we evaluated whether the capacity of HIV to modulate major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules has an impact on the ability of autologous natural killer (NK) cells to kill the HIV-infected cells. Analysis of HIV-infected T-cell blasts revealed that the decrease in MHC class I molecules on the infected cell surface was selective. HLA-A and -B were decreased on cells infected with HIV strains that could decrease MHC class I molecules, whereas HLA-C and -E remained on the surface. Blocking the interaction between HLA-C and -E and their corresponding inhibitory receptors increased NK cell killing of T-cell blasts infected with HIV strains that reduced MHC class I molecules. Moreover, we demonstrate that NK cells lacking HLA-C and -E inhibitory receptors kill T-cell blasts infected with HIV strains that decrease MHC class I molecules. In contrast, NK cells are incapable of destroying T-cell blasts infected with HIV strains that were unable to reduce MHC class I molecules. These findings suggest that NK cells lacking inhibitory receptors to HLA-C and -E kill HIV-infected CD4+ T cells, and they indicate that the capacity of NK cells to destroy HIV-infected cells depends on the ability of the virus to modulate MHC class I molecules.
Implications of the Charge Regulation Model for the Interaction of Hydrophilic Surfaces in Water

Both attraction and repulsion can be found when hydrophilic surfaces in aqueous solutions are only a few nanometers apart. These forces determine to a large extent the interaction of such diverse systems as large molecules, lipid bilayers, and clay platelets. When attraction changes into repulsion below a certain separation, a potential minimum is observed. There is no good explanation for the potential minimum and the repulsion. They are not predicted by the DLVO theory and have therefore been ascribed to a range of phenomena. Here, an existing modification of the DLVO theory by incorporating regulation of the surface charge is used to quantitatively describe published experiments on the repulsion between oxidic surfaces. The agreement suggests that charge regulation is the cause of the minimum and the repulsion. The implications of the potential minimum are discussed.
Discrete roles of copper ions in chemical unfolding of human ceruloplasmin.

Human ceruloplasmin (CP) is a multicopper oxidase essential for normal iron homeostasis. The protein has six β-barrel domains with one type 1 copper in each of domains 2, 4, and 6; the remaining copper ions form a catalytic trinuclear cluster, one type 2 and two type 3 coppers, at the interface between domains 1 and 6. We have characterized urea-induced unfolding of holo- and apo-forms of CP by far-UV circular dichroism, intrinsic fluorescence, 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid binding, visible absorption, copper content, and oxidase activity probes (pH 7, 23 °C). We find that holo-CP unfolds in a complex reaction with at least one intermediate. The formation of the intermediate correlates with decreased secondary structure, exposure of aromatics, loss of two coppers, and reduced oxidase activity; this step is reversible, indicating that the trinuclear cluster remains intact. Further additions of urea trigger complete protein unfolding and loss of all coppers. Attempts to refold this species result in ...
Analytic Continuation Applied To Microwave Apertures

Microwave holography is a useful experimental technique for imaging remote or inaccessible objects and for diagnostics of antennas, radomes, and scatterers; however, diffraction restricts image resolution. This paper describes a method for improving resolution in microwave holography. The holograms are either spherical or circular. Porter's scalar theory of curved holograms is extended to vector fields by using rectangular components to treat the effects of wave polarization. The mathematical formulation is a Helmholtz diffraction integral. This integral is written as a convolution for currents on line segments. The convolution is applied to the spatial frequency spectra of images. The spectra of dipole antennas are analytically continued, and the current distributions are exactly reconstructed. An experimental example is described; it is diffraction of a half-wavelength wide slit in a conducting screen. The analytic continuation of the holographically reconstructed nearfield produced images with resolution approximately 1/4 wavelength. Before continuation, resolution was 0.6 wavelength. In addition, the boundary condition of vanishing tangential over the metal screen was better satisfied in the image produced by continuation.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Proteomic biomarker discovery: It's more than just mass spectrometry

The previous decade witnessed an enormous number of studies with the singular goal of identifying protein biomarkers for diseases such as cancer. A large majority of these studies have focused on comparative studies of serum or plasma obtained from disease-affected and control patients. In these studies, proteins identified in the samples using MS were compared with the hope that differences between samples would reveal useful biomarkers. Unfortunately, finding clinically relevant biomarkers has often been elusive and frustrating. As with most research efforts, both successes and failures, much has been learned about what strategies work and which do not. Part of the problem can be attributed to underestimating the effort required to discover novel biomarkers and depending too heavily on MS analysis of peripheral blood samples. Fortunately, the future for biomarker discovery still appears bright. MS technology continues to increase in sensitivity, throughput, and accuracy while novel types of samples and clever experimental designs coupled with innovative bioinformatics will make this vision of routine biomarker discovery a reality. To achieve ultimate success is going to require concomitant application of a number of different technologies, all providing the information necessary for discovering and validating clinically useful biomarkers.
TEACHER LAYOFFS: AN EMPIRICAL ILLUSTRATION OF SENIORITY VERSUS MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS

Abstract School districts are confronting difficult choices in the aftermath of the financial crisis. Today, the financial imbalance in many school districts is so large that there may be few alternatives to teacher layoffs. In nearly all school districts, layoffs are currently determined by some version of teacher seniority. Yet, alternative approaches to personnel reductions may substantially reduce the harm to students from staff reductions relative to layoffs based on seniority. As a result, many school district leaders and other policy makers are raising important questions about whether~other criteria, such as measures of teacher effectiveness, should inform layoffs. This policy brief, a quick look at some aspects of the debate, illustrates the differences in New York City public schools that would result if layoffs were determined by seniority in comparison to a measure of teacher effectiveness.
Management of drug allergy in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Management of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is complicated by a high frequency of adverse drug reactions to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and pentamidine. Because of the lack of suitable alternative antiparasitic drugs, some patients who have experienced previous allergic-type reactions to antimicrobial agents may require readministration with incriminated drugs. We report the outcome of seven drug-allergic patients with AIDS evaluated from 1982 to 85. Readministration of pentamidine was carried out without repeated reactions in three patients, and sulfadiazine and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim were readministered after very cautious test dosing in two other patients. A generalized maculopapular rash developed after 10 days of sulfadiazine therapy for Toxoplasma chorioretinitis but has been managed with prednisone, 20 to 30 mg/day for 3 months, and sulfadiazine has been continued. The administration of prednisone, 100 to 200 mg daily for treatment of severe cutaneous vasculitis from azulfidine in another patient, did not result in suprainfection. The complexities and potential legal risk of readministration of drugs in the drug-allergic patient with AIDS are emphasized in that coincidental deaths occurred in two patients 48 and 96 hours after readministration of pentamidine.
Introduction to the special issue on growth models for longitudinal data in educational research

A brief introduction to this special issue of Educational Research and Evaluation is given. Current trends in the analysis of longitudinal data begin with a model for change within the individual, as in latent growth modeling or multilevel modeling of individual growth data. This individual-level model can then be nested within a higher order model for variation in individual-level parameters. The 5 papers within this special issue each present unique contributions to the study of individual growth models in educational research and will contribute to a greater awareness of innovations in growth modeling procedures among educational researchers.
Selective CO methanation catalysts for fuel processing applications

Abstract Selective CO methanation as a strategy for CO removal in fuel processing applications was investigated over Ru-based catalysts. Ru metal loading and crystallite size were shown to affect catalyst activity and selectivity. Even operating at a gas-hourly-space-velocity as high as 13,500 h −1 , a 3% Ru/Al 2 O 3 catalyst with a 34.2 nm crystallite was shown to be capable of reducing CO in a reformate to less than 100 ppm over a wide temperature range from 240 to 280 °C, while keeping hydrogen consumption below 10%. We present the effects of metal loading, preparation method, and crystallite size on performance for Ru-based catalysts in the selective methanation of CO in the presence of H 2 and CO 2 .
Scholarly Communication and Public Policies: The Experience of the Association of Research Libraries

ABSTRACT As members of the Association of Research Libraries support the research and scholarship being conducted at their institution, they rely on their association to shape and influence public policies on their behalf. While some of the policy issues have remained the same over the years, the changes in technology that are resulting in new forms of scholarship and the increasingly complex and interconnected environment create new opportunities and challenges for policy development. This article describes some of the important policy issues for scholarly communication and highlights current activities.
Reversal of cirazoline- and phenylpropanolamine-induced anorexia by the α1-receptor antagonist prazosin

Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) is a phenethylamine anorectic drug that exerts direct agonist effects predominantly on α1-adrenoceptors, with some α2-adrenergic activity. Microinjections of PPA, as well as the α1-adrenergic receptor agonists cirazoline, methoxamine, and 1-phenylephrine, into rat paraventricular nucleus (PVN) suppress feeding. The present study further evaluates the α1-adrenergic basis of PPA-induced anorexia by examining the effects of systemic injections of the α1-adrenergic antagonist prazosin (PRAZ, 2 and 5 mg/kg, IP) on the anorexia induced by systemic injections of PPA (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg, IP), as well as cirazoline (0.05, 0.1, and 0.2 mg/kg, IP). Although neither PRAZ dose alone altered food intake in the present study, 2 mg/kg PRAZ effectively reversed the feeding-suppressive effects of both PPA and cirazoline. These results strongly support the hypothesis that α1-adrenoceptor stimulation mediates the anorexia induced by drugs such as PPA and cirazoline.
Healthy young and middle age adults: What will it take to vaccinate them for influenza?

Starting in 2010, healthy adults age 19-49 will be recommended for annual influenza vaccination. Because they were not previously targeted, little is known about their vaccine-related attitudes and behaviors. Using nationally representative survey data from 2009 to 2010, we found that adults newly recommended for influenza vaccination (as compared to previously recommended groups) are less likely to believe flu vaccines are safe (44% vs. 63%), to have ever been vaccinated (36% vs. 64%), to be vaccinated following a healthcare provider recommendation (44% vs. 52%), and to visit a doctor's office during vaccination season (41% vs. 69%). To boost rates of influenza vaccination in this population, new and untraditional strategies aimed at encouraging first-time vaccination are needed.
Bidirectional regulation of stress responses by galanin in mice: Involvement of galanin receptor subtype 1

The neuropeptide galanin has been shown to play a role in psychiatric disorders as well as in other biological processes including regulation of pain threshold through interactions with three G-protein coupled receptors, galanin receptor subtypes 1-3 (GalR1-3). While most of the pharmacological studies on galanin in stress-related disorders have been done with rats, the continuous development of genetically engineered mice involving galanin or its receptor subtype(s) validates the importance of mouse pharmacological studies. The present study on mice examined the homeostatic, endocrinological and neuroanatomical effects of the galanin, injected intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.), in regulation of stress responses after restraint stress. Furthermore, the roles of GalR1 on these effects were studied using GalR1 knockout (KO) mice. The core body temperature and the locomotor activity were monitored with radio telemetry devices. Galanin (i.c.v.) decreased locomotor activity and exerted a bidirectional effect on the restraint stress-induced hyperthermia; a high dose of galanin significantly attenuated the stress-induced hyperthermic response, while a low dose of galanin moderately enhanced this response. The bidirectional effect of galanin was correlated with changes in stress hormone levels (adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone). To neuroanatomically localize the effects of galanin on stress response, cFos immunoreactivity was assessed in galanin receptor rich areas; paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus and the locus coeruleus (LC), respectively. A high dose of galanin significantly induced cFos activity in the LC but not in the PVN. In GalR1KO mice, a high dose of galanin failed to induce any of the above effects, suggesting the pivotal role of GalR1 in decreased locomotor activity and stress-resistant effects caused by galanin i.c.v. injection studied here.
Encoding vs. retention: Differential effects of cue manipulation on working memory performance in schizophrenia

Background: Deficits in working memory performance are among the most widely replicated findings in schizophrenia. Roles of encoding vs. memory retention in working memory remain unresolved. The present study evaluated working memory performance in schizophrenia using an AX-type continuous performance test (AX-CPT) paradigm. Methods: Participants included 48 subjects with schizophrenia and 27 comparison subjects. Behavior was obtained in 3 versions of the task, which differed based upon ease of cue interoperability. In a simple cue version of the task, cue letters were replaced with red or green circles. In the complex cue version, letter/color conjunctions served as cues. Results: In the base version of the task, patients showed increased rates of false alarms to invalidly cued targets, similar to prior reports. However, when the cue stimuli were replaced with green or red circles to ease interpretation, patients showed similar false alarm rates to controls. When feature conjunction cues were used, patients were also disproportionately affected relative to controls. No significant group by interstimulus interval interaction effects were observed in either the simple or complex cue conditions, suggesting normal retention of information even in the presence of overall performance decrements. Conclusions: These findings suggest first, that cue manipulation disproportionately affects AX-CPT performance in schizophrenia and, second, that substantial behavioral deficits may be observed on working memory tasks even in the absence of disturbances in mnemonic retention.
Neonatal sex steroids affect responses to Seoul virus infection in male but not female Norway rats.

Previous studies illustrate that after inoculation with Seoul virus (i.e., the naturally occurring hantavirus found in Norway rats), adult male rats produce higher antibody responses, exhibit higher Th1 responses (i.e., IgG2a, IL-2, and IFNγ), and shed virus longer than females, but these difference are not altered by manipulation of sex steroids in adulthood. To determine whether sex steroid hormones organize adult responses to hantavirus infection, at 2–4 days of age, male rats were gonadectomized and female rats were injected with testosterone. As adults, animals were inoculated with 104pfu of Seoul virus. Neonatally gonadectomized males (NGM), control females (CF), and neonatal testosterone-treated females (NTF) had lower anti-Seoul virus IgG and IgG2a responses than control males (CM) 20, 30, and 40 days post-inoculation. Neonatal testosterone treatment had no effect on female antibody responses to infection. NGM, CF, and NTF shed virus in saliva and feces for a shorter duration than CM. There was no effect of neonatal hormone manipulation either on the percentage of animals with detectable virus or on the number of virus copies within each target organ. Genetic males, regardless of hormone manipulation, had higher virus replication in lung tissue than did genetic females. Neonatal sex steroids influence the sexual dimorphism in host immune function but do not modify virus replication in target tissues.
Update on Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia and Cardiovascular Interventions

Although heparin/protamine has been the standard anticoagulation regimen in cardiac surgery for decades, it induces negative reactions within the vasculature. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a highly prothrombotic immune reaction to heparin that may result in death, limb ischemia leading to amputation, graft occlusion, and other severe thrombotic events. Patients undergoing cardiac surgery are at high risk for HIT antibody seroconversion and at risk for clinical HIT. For patients with acute or subacute HIT and needing urgent cardiac surgery, accepted protocols for alternative, non-heparin anticoagulation are needed. The direct thrombin inhibitor bivalirudin offers promise in this area and is currently being evaluated in multicenter trials as an alternative for heparin/protamine in patients with HIT undergoing cardiac surgery.
Disruption of FADS2 gene in mice impairs male reproduction and causes dermal and intestinal ulceration

Delta-6 desaturase (D6D) catalyzes the first step in the synthesis of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) such as arachidonic (AA), docosapentaenoic (DPAn-6), and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids, as well as the last desaturation of DPAn-6 and DHA. We created D6D-null mice (−/−), which enabled us to study HUFA deficiency without depleting their precursors. In −/−, no in vivo AA synthesis was detected after administration of [U-13C]linoleic acid (LA), indicating absence of D6D isozyme. Unexpectedly, all of the −/− developed ulcerative dermatitis when fed a purified diet lacking D6D products but containing ample LA. The −/− also exhibited splenomegaly and ulceration in duodenum and ileocecal junction. Male −/− lacked normal spermatozoa with a severe impairment of spermiogenesis. Tissue HUFAs in −/− declined differentially: liver AA and DHA by 95%, and a smaller decrease in brain and testes. Dietary AA completely prevented dermatitis and intestinal ulcers in −/−. DPAn-6 was absent in −/− brain under AA supplementation, indicating absence of D6D isozyme for DPAn-6 synthesis from AA. This study demonstrated a distinct advantage of the D6D-null mice (−/−) to elucidate (1) AA function without complication of LA deprivation and (2) DHA function in the nervous system without AA depletion or DPAn-6 replacement seen in traditional models.—Stroud, C. K., T. Y. Nara, M. Roqueta-Rivera, E. C. Radlowski, P. Lawrence, Y. Zhang, B. H. Cho, M. Segre, R. A. Hess, J. T. Brenna, W. M. Haschek, and M. T. Nakamura. Disruption of FADS2 gene in mice impairs male reproduction and causes dermal and intestinal ulceration.
Anti‐inhibitor coagulant complex for the rescue therapy of acquired inhibitors to factor VIII: case report and review of the literature

Summary. A 62-year-old African–American man with a history of hypertension, asthma, and prostate cancer, but no prior history of haemophilia presented with gross haematuria following a motor vehicle accident. Coagulation studies revealed a prolonged partial thromboplastin time. Subsequent mixing study and factor analysis confirmed factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency. The patient subsequently developed a knee haemarthrosis associated with persistent haematuria and a profoundly elevated FVIII inhibitor titre. Fresh frozen plasma was initiated upon presentation. Once FVIII inhibitor was discovered, immunosuppressive agents were started. Concurrent treatment with acute bypass agents including porcine FVIII, and recombinant human factor VIIa (rFVIIa;NovoSeven®), was also given. Ultimately, anti-inhibitor coagulant complex (Autoplex® T) was administered, stabilizing the haematuria and haemarthrosis. There was no additional bleeding 6 months after the last dose of anti-inhibitor coagulant complex. This case is consistent with others in which anti-inhibitor coagulant complex therapy was used successfully to manage patients with serious acute bleeding problems who are found to have acquired inhibitors to factor VIII.
Fortress Europe in the field: academics, immigrants, and methodological considerations for educational studies

This article addresses the difficulty of local-level qualitative educational research in Amsterdam in light of changes related to contemporary political discourse on decades of immigration, especially from the 1970s onward, and increasingly critical assessments of Dutch education in the literature. It considers recent developments in the Netherlands while taking into account similar processes elsewhere in the European Union, with the aim of understanding taboos and problems associated with research on immigration, racism, and discrimination. Specifically, we utilize one researcher’s efforts to gain access to educationally based field sites to focus attention on the links between contextual political discourses and policies excluding immigrants with efforts to sociologically examine the experiences of immigrants. We conclude with a discussion of broader challenges faced by social scientists, including the benefits and disadvantages of having outsider status, attempting to utilize ethnographic methodology a...
The power of the mind: the cortex as a critical determinant of muscle strength/weakness

We tested the hypothesis that the nervous system, and the cortex in particular, is a critical determinant of muscle strength/weakness and that a high level of corticospinal inhibition is an importa...
Mixing and matching usage data: techniques for mining varied activity data sources

Digital systems underlie a wide range of teaching and learning activities in higher education today. The scope and reach of digital systems now increasingly extend to activities as they occur even inside lecture halls, classrooms, and informal study areas. Learning management systems, interactive student response systems, lecture capture systems, and digitally controlled smart classrooms are examples of technology trends that bring along with them an unprecedented amount of instrumentation quietly collecting lots of data about teacher and learner activities in and across these various spaces. In snapshots, these usage streams offer data that can be helpful for understanding and supporting a particular service. If combined across time and location, the varied data sources potentially open windows onto even more interesting activity patterns and relations. These mosaics, however, can be somewhat difficult to analyze due to the dimensionality of the combined data. Matrix techniques can ease the difficulties of exploring and discovering user activity patterns in such situations. This paper surveys commonly implemented matrix techniques that can be used to enable data mining of user activity information when temporal and spatial data sets are mixed and matched from varied sources.
Top‐Down Meets Bottom‐Up: Dip‐Pen Nanolithography and DNA‐Directed Assembly of Nanoscale Electrical Circuits

Interfacing bottom-up chemical and biological assembly schemes with top-down lithography to fabricate complex devices is presently a major goal in nanoscience and technology. Bridging the gap between self-assembly techniques and modern top-down lithography offers a way to incorporate additional functionality (for example, in the form of chemical or biological recognition and sensing capabilities) into conventional electronic and optical devices, and provides a rapid means to test the potential viability of multiple chemically synthesized device components and self-assembly strategies. In this paper we present a method that allows multiple, independent chemical recognition events to be incorporated in close proximity in a single device. We focus on the problem of assembling specific metal nanoparticles into electrical junctions using DNA-directed assembly because we believe such an approach ultimately offers the opportunity to combine self-assembly and biosensor development with basic studies of electrical transport through biofunctionalized nanostructures. Many studies have focused on understanding the electrical properties of chemically synthesized structures including