cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“I've Seen You Read”: Reading Strategies in a First-Grade Class

Abstract This study reports on first-graders' differentiated values of reading strategies that emerged within a multiethnic urban classroom over the course of 20 weeks. The researcher served as a participant observer during the language arts block four days a week, conducted formal interviews with each child, and met weekly with the teacher. At the end of the study, the findings were shared with the children. They responded in writing, orally in a whole class discussion, and orally in small group meetings with the researcher. The paper focuses on the ways students revealed their assumptions about appropriate reading strategies through both behavior and reflective talk. Tensions that developed during these weeks between strategies that rely on the “pieces” of language, such as phonics, versus those that relied on the “wholes,” like memory, are also addressed.
Aging and tactile temporal order

Although it is generally held that speed of processing declines with age, there have been few studies in which tactile temporal processing has been examined with older subjects. In the present study, temporal order judgments were obtained from a group of younger subjects (n = 28, mean age = 23.5 years) and a group of older subjects (n = 93, mean age = 69.8 years). The subjects judged the temporal order of two patterns presented to the same finger, four patterns presented to the same finger, and two patterns presented to different hands. Depending on the task, the average thresholds for the older subjects ranged from two to five times longer than the thresholds from the younger subjects. In absolute terms, the largest difference between the young and older subjects was seen in correctly identifying the order of four patterns, a difference of more than 500 msec. There was some support for the decline in temporal processing being due in part to a slowing in cognitive processing, and, depending on the task, in part to stimulus persistence and difficulty in pattern identification.
Color Center in Amethyst Quartz

Treatment with x-rays increased the intensity of color of natural amethyst up to fivefold, and an electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum was detected. The intensity of the spectrum was proportional to the intensity of the optical absorption near 545 mµ. The EPR spectrum of the color center corresponded to a positive hole trapped on a substitutional Fe3+ ion in the quartz structure. We ascribe the color to a charge-transfer transition, Fe4+ + O2— → Fe3+ + O1-.
Low-dislocation indium-alloyed GaAs

Abstract We have grown crystals of In-alloyed GaAs, In x Ga 1 - x As, by the LEC method from pyrolytic BN crucibles without the intentional addition of any donor or acceptor impurities. The values of x ranged from 0.0028 to 0.023, depending on the initial melt composition and the extent of solidification of the original melt when the sample crystallized. The values of x were determined by energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, Zeeman atomic absorption analysis, and photoluminescence measurement of the bandgap shift, the last method calibrated by neutron activation analysis. In the range of In content studied, the effective distribution coefficient of In between crystal and melt is 0.118. Dislocation density, revealed by KOH etching, decreases as x increases, approaching zero in some regions of the crystal cross section. The influence of metal-As stoichiometry is similar to the case of undoped and unalloyed GaAs, and operates through the same mechanisms. With sufficient As in the melt the alloy crystals are semi-insulating, but if the As content of the melt is too low initially or drops too low during growth, the crystal is low-resistivity p-type.
Potential Anticonvulsants IV: Condensation of Isatin with Benzoylacetone and Isopropyl Methyl Ketone

A series of new 3-hydroxy-3-substituted oxindoles were prepared and screened for anticonvulsant activity. A number of these 3-hydroxyoxindoles had activity in the maximal electroshock seizure test.
Femtosecond 3D IR spectroscopy

By using a novel fifth order pulse sequence and Fourier transforming the three coherence times of the response signal, three-dimensional spectra were obtained for a series of model systems.
Numerical Simulation of the Flow of Highly Viscous Drops Down a Tapered Tube

The flow of a highly viscous drop surrounded by an inviscid fluid inside a tapered tube is analyzed according to a Newtonian, liquid-drop model in which a variational method is used to simultaneously solve the hydrodynamic equations for low Reynolds-number flow and the equations for membrane equilibrium with a constant membrane tension. It is found that the flow in the end caps is plug and radial in the conical section of the drop. The results are compared to a simplified analytical theory that makes these assumptions. Very good agreement is found between the two approaches. Both approaches are used to analyze existing experimental results of passive neutrophils flowing down a tapered tube. The theoretical models give a good fit to published experimental data by Bagge et al. (1977) at driving pressures of 20 and 40 mm H2O for a membrane cortical tension of 0.024 dyn/cm and an apparent cytoplasmic viscosity of about 2400 and 1400 poise, respectively.
Two novel EGFP insertion alleles reveal unique aspects of Pax2 function in embryonic and adult kidneys

The Pax2 gene encodes a DNA binding protein with multiple functions in the developing intermediate mesoderm and urogenital tract. Loss of Pax2 in mice results in the complete absence of kidneys, ureters, and sex specific epithelial structures derived from the intermediate mesoderm in both males and females. In this report, we describe two new alleles of Pax2 created by inserting the enhanced green fluorescent protein coding region into the 5' untranslated leader sequence. One allele is a hypomorph that generates less protein and exhibits structural defects in kidneys and ureters upon homozygosity. A second allele is a true null that can be used to image Pax2 expressing cells in a mutant background. Organ culture and embryo analyses point to a loss of epithelial cell polarity and increased mobility in cells that have deleted Pax2 function. These experiments provide new insight into the role of Pax2 protein levels in determining correct renal architecture and cell fate. These new Pax2 alleles are valuable genetic reagents for in vivo studies of urogenital development.
Spectroscopic characterization of Brooker’s merocyanine in Silicalite-1 and ZSM-5 leading to second harmonic generation

The use of porous materials has become increasingly significant in the pursuit of novel composite materials with nonlinear optical properties. The microporous channels in Silicalite-1 and ZSM-5, which have identical crystal frameworks but different chemical composition, were used to study the role of zeolite composition on dye adsorption and organization, leading to second-harmonic generation (SHG). The dye molecule, known as Brooker’s merocyanine (4-[(1-methyl-4(1H)-pyridinylidene)ethylidene]-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-one), exhibits one of the largest known molecular hyperpolarizabilities for small dye molecules, but it crystallizes centrosymmetrically. When Brooker’s merocyanine was adsorbed to Silicalite-1 powder, no SHG was detected, but when adsorbed to ZSM-5, the powder was SHG-active. Spectroscopic characterization of the new materials was used to determine the dye loading in each zeolite. The hydrophilic ZSM-5 channels proved to be essential for dye adsorption and alignment within the channels as compared to the hydrophobic Silicalite-1 which did not appreciably adsorb the dye. The effect of dye protonation and isomerization on adsorption to each zeolite was also studied, with neither having an effect on the amount of dye adsorbed.
Tensile response of an Fe–40Al–0.7C–0.5B alloy

Abstract The uniaxial tensile properties of a B2 Fe–40Al based alloy containing 0.7 at.% carbon and 0.5 at.% boron have been obtained at room and elevated temperatures in air as a function of strain rate and compared to the response of a similar alloy without boron (i.e Fe–40Al–0.6C). Furthermore, tests were also conducted as a function of strain rate in oxygen at room temperature to elucidate the effect of environment on these properties. Both alloys contain a dispersion of a perovskite carbide within the grains and at grain boundaries. In addition, the quaternary alloy contains a fine dispersion of metastable borides and complex faults within the grains. Yield stress and tensile elongation appear strain rate insensitive (in the regime tested) for the boron-containing alloy at room temperature in oxygen, whereas some loss in elongation is encountered at the slowest rate in the ternary alloy; in all cases, fracture path is intergranular. In air, at room temperature, a strong strain-rate dependence of elongation is recognized in both alloys, their response being identical at the faster rates but diverging at the slow rates. A strong correlation is noted between the increase in percent transgranular cleavage and the drop in tensile elongation. The brittle-to-ductile transition temperature is sensitive to strain rate, shifting to higher temperatures rapidly with increasing strain rate. A variety of fracture paths is encountered depending on test temperature and strain rate.
Surface coats of the mouse blastocyst and uterus during the preimplantation period.

A glycoprotein coat is demonstrable on the free surface of both the blastocyst and uterine luminal epithelium of the mouse on day 4 and day 5 of normal pregnancy, and on day 7 of delayed implantation, using concanavalin A-peroxidase and ruthenium red. The coats are apparently negatively charged, as shown by their binding with colloidal thorium dioxide. The cell coat on uterine epithelium is appreciably thicker than that on the blastocyst. The information currently available is sufficient to suggest that simplistic mechanisms such as change in charge or total thickness cannot be the sole basis of initial adhesion, but that some localized reduction of the uterine surface coat accompanies adhesion. However, considerably more information is necessary concerning the nature of the surface coats before a more comprehensive understanding of the role of adhesion in implantation can be achieved.
Amenability of Crossed Products of C*-Algebras

It is shown that the class of amenable (resp. strongly amenable)C*-algebras is closed under the process of taking crossed products with discrete amenable groups. Under certain circumstances, amenability is also preserved under taking a “crossed product” with an amenable semigroup of linear endomorphisms. These facts are used to show that certain simpleC*-algebras\(\mathcal{O}_n \) studied by J. Cuntz are amenable but not strongly amenable (thus answering a question of B. E. Johnson), yet are stably isomorphic to strongly amenable algebras.
Universal Description of Granular Metals at Low Temperatures: Granular Fermi Liquid

Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439(Dated: February 2, 2008)We present a uniﬁed description of the low temperature phase of granular metals that revealsa striking generality of the low temperature behaviors. Our model explains the universality ofthe low-temperature conductivity that coincides exactly with that of the homogeneously disorderedsystems and enables a straightforward derivation of low temperature characteristics of disorderedconductors.
On patrolling a channel

A simple formula is found to be just as accurate as a complicated one for estimating the probability of detection achievable by an ingenious searcher patrolling a channel or barrier. The difference between “detection” and “closure” is emphasized in an extension.
Cromwell's Rule and the Role of the Prior in the Economic Metric: An Application to the Portfolio Allocation Problem

I show that using Bayesian decision theory to draw inference about the economic significance of a model requires careful specification of model uncertainty in the prior density. As an example, I use the Bayesian investor's portfolio allocation problem to show that failure to include probability point mass on the null hypothesis that returns are not predictable will overstate the economic significance of the predictive model. The dissonance seen in previous research between the statistical and economic significance of asset return predictability appears to be an artifact of how model uncertainty is treated in the specification of the prior.
Local Alpha Dose from Uranium Bearing Particles in Lungs of Former Miners and Millers

Lung tissue samples from former uranium miners and millers, collected at autopsy, were irradiated in contact with solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD), using a thermal neutron flux to obtain neutron induced autoradiographs of uranium bearing particles expected to be embedded in these tissue samples. Star-shaped patterns were observed in the autoradiographs and became registered in the SSNTD as star-tracks. These star-tracks constitute experimental evidence that uranium is not uniformly distributed in these lung samples. Concentration ratios C l /C were considered nonuniformity indexes determined from local uranium concentrations C l estimated from the autoradiographs and the average uranium concentration C. The latter was determined by alpha spectrometry assuming uniform distribution of uranium. These ratios were then used to estimate local alpha dose rates to the sites surrounding the uranium bearing particles taking into account the activity ratios 238 U/ 234 U and 238 U/ 230 Th. A local alpha dose from uranium bearing particles was estimated to be of the order of 1 Gy for a period just over 10 years of exposure.
Nausea, Vomiting, and Abdominal Pain After Roux-en-Y Anastomosis: Motility of the Jejunal Limb

The Roux-en-Y anastomosis is a surgical procedure performed to divert the pancreaticobiliary juices from the gastric pouch in patients who have alkaline reflux gastritis or esophagitis, or both, that develop after vagotomy and Billroth I or II operations. After the Roux-en-Y procedure the inflammation subsides but is often replaced by a characteristic group of symptoms—chronic abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting worsened by eating. Using a semiconductor recording probe, we investigated the Roux limb in 7 subjects who were fasted and then fed (liquid and solid meals). In the fasted state the migrating motor complex was either completely absent or grossly disrupted. Only 1 subject converted to a fedstate motility pattern in the Roux limb after a liquid meal (Osmolite), and all 7 subjects failed to convert to a fed state after a solid meal. These studies suggest that the Roux-en-Y syndrome of pain, nausea, and vomiting is secondary to a defect in motor function and that the Roux limb is acting as an area of functional obstruction.
Accurate Calculation of Mg II 3s-np Oscillator Strengths

A careful and accurate semiempirical calculation of transition matrix elements yielded the oscillator strengths of resonance lines for the lowest np configurations in Mg II. Through an extension of previous work, particular attention was given to the determination of branching ratios for the fine-structure levels in the upper states. The new f-values provide strong theoretical support to the recent astronomical determinations by Fitzpatrick (1997) and could settle the question of the Mg abundance in the interstellar medium. The branching ratio f(3s-4p3/2)/f(3s-4p1/2) = 1.78, a value that deviates from the assumed ratio of 2 used in earlier work.
Transformation of four-component vertical seismic profiling records from Kola superdeep borehole, Russia

Abstract Multicomponent vertical seismic profiling (VSP) provides valuable and reliable information about the geologic structure of the subsurface and is one of the best ways to study seismic anisotropy. However, some VSP tools have no orientation instrumentation, and additional preprocessing steps may be required. Using the example of the 1992 VSP survey on the Kola Superdeep Borehole, Russia, we describe a general approach to the data reduction for a VSP tool with any number of channels. Due to data redundancy provided by the four-component Kola VSP tool, we are able to increase signal-to-noise ratio, estimate coupling variations, perform geophone gain corrections, and carry out an additional quality control. We describe the computer implementation of the method based on the seismic processing system currently being developed. The program is able to apply tool-rotation correction based on the polarization properties of the first break. This rotation technique works well in the case of offset VSPs; whereas for zero-offset VSPs, we recommend more robust rotation procedure based on the use of the direct shear wave. We find that plotting of instantaneous polarization azimuths provides a useful device to control the performance of tool-correction approaches.
On the analysis of time dependent cylindrical discharges

Expressions are developed for electron, ion and total current in a cylindrical discharge excited by an externally generated delta function of electrons. The problem solved is an idealized model of a cylindrical discharge excited by an α-particle or by a spark light source. Approximations based on the nature of the first Townsend coefficient and the ion velocity are used. The expression for total current shows excellent agreement with published experimental curves.
Quantitative measurement of transverse injector and free stream interaction in a nonreacting SCRAMJET combustor using laser-induced iodine fluorescence

A preliminary quantitative study of the compressible flowfield in a steady, nonreacting model SCRAMJET combustor using laser-induced iodine fluorescence (LIIF) is reported. Measurements of density, temperature, and velocity were conducted with the calibrated, nonintrusive, optical technique for two different combustor operating conditions. First, measurements were made in the supersonic flow over a rearward-facing step without transverse injection for comparison with calculated pressure profiles. The second configuration was staged injection behind the rearward-facing step at an injection dynamic pressure ratio of 1.06. These experimental results will be used to validate computational fluid dynamic (CFD) codes being developed to model supersonic combustor flowfields.
Estimation of time- and state-dependent delays and other parameters in functional differential equations

A parameter estimation algorithm is developed which can be used to estimate unknown time- or state-dependent delays and other parameters (e.g., initial condition) appearing within a nonlinear nonautonomous functional differential equation. The original infinite dimensional differential equation is approximated using linear splines, which are allowed to move with the variable delay. The variable delays are approximated using linear splines as well. The approximation scheme produces a system of ordinary differential equations with nice computational properties. The unknown parameters are estimated within the approximating systems by minimizing a least-squares fit-to-data criterion. Convergence theorems are proved for time-dependent delays and state-dependent delays within two classes, which say essentially that fitting the data by using approximations will, in the limit, provide a fit to the data using the original system. Numerical test examples are presented which illustrate the method for all types of delay.
Bioactivity of selenium from Brazil nut for cancer prevention and selenoenzyme maintenance

Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) is one of very few consumable products with exceptionally high levels of selenium. The mean selenium concentrations of two shipments of Brazil nut used in the present study were determined to be 16 and 30 micrograms/g. In contrast, most common foods contain much less selenium, from 0.01 to 1 micrograms/g. Previous research on selenium cancer chemoprevention invariably used a pure compound, whereas little information is available on the efficacy of selenium delivered naturally in a food form. This paper reports the results of two mammary cancer prevention experiments in the rat dimethylbenz[a]anthracene model by continuous feeding of selenium-rich Brazil nut (processed to a smooth-textured nut material for mixing in the diet). A dose-dependent inhibitory response was observed at dietary selenium concentrations of 1-3 micrograms/g. Interestingly, Brazil nut was found to be just as powerful as sodium selenite, if not more so, at similar levels of dietary selenium intake. Mammary cancer protection gland, and plasma. The magnitude of tissue selenium accumulation was proportional to the amount of Brazil nut added to the diet. The nutritional biopotency of selenium in Brazil nut was also evaluated by the repletion of two selenoenzymes, glutathione peroxidase and type I 5'-deiodinase, in selenium-deficient rats. Supplementation with Brazil nut as the sole source of selenium produced an efficient gradient of enzyme restoration at 0.05-0.2 microgram/g of dietary selenium. A parallel comparison with sodium selenite indicated that the selenium in Brazil nut and selenite selenium were equally bioactive. Although at this point it can only be inferred that the above biologic effects are likely to be attributable to the high selenium content of Brazil nut, there is persuasive evidence to suggest that the models under investigation are responding to the selenium rather than to the other components of Brazil nut.
Phase transition as a function of orbital degeneracy in a generalized Hubbard model

We study a two-band Hubbard model with one copper and one oxygen orbital in each cell. These orbitals are hybridized within a cell, and different cells are coupled via oxygen-oxygen hopping. The Hubbard interaction is set equal to zero on oxygen and infinity on copper. We show that, for sufficiently small oxygen bandwidth, the system is insulating at half filling whatever the value of \ensuremath{\Delta} (the energy difference between the oxygen and copper orbitals). This contradicts the prediction of the slave-boson mean-field theory that there is a metal-insulator transition at a fixed value of \ensuremath{\Delta}=${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{\mathit{c}}$, independent of the oxygen bandwidth in the narrow-bandwidth limit. In order to understand this discrepancy, we study a generalized model in which the degeneracy of the copper orbitals in a given cell is N. Slave-boson mean-field theory is exact in the N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty} limit, indicating that there is a phase transition at some value of N. This question is studied further by a combination of 1/N expansion around the N=\ensuremath{\infty} point, and numerical diagonalization up to N=16. It is found that for the physical case of N=2, the results obtained from the large-N theory are qualitatively and quantitatively reliable only for \ensuremath{\Delta}g${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}}_{\mathit{c}}$, i.e., when there is no Bose condensation in the N\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty} limit.
An Experimental Study of the Influence of Manufacturing Errors on the Planetary Gear Stresses and Planet Load Sharing

In this paper, results of an experimental study are presented to describe the impact of certain types of manufacturing errors on gear stresses and the individual planet loads of an n-planet planetary gear set (n=3-6). The experimental setup includes a specialized test apparatus to operate a planetary gear set under typical speed and load conditions and gear sets having tightly controlled intentional manufacturing errors. The instrumentation system consists of multiple strain gauges mounted on the ring gear and a multichannel data collection and analysis system. A method for computing the planet load-sharing factors from root strain-time histories is proposed. Influence of carrier pinhole position errors on gear root stresses is quantified for various error and torque values applied to gear sets having three to six planets. The results clearly indicate that manufacturing errors influence gear stresses and planet load sharing significantly. Gear sets having larger number of planets are more sensitive to manufacturing errors in terms of planet load-sharing behavior.
Large capture-range of a single-beam gradient optical trap

We have observed long-range trapping with a single-beam gradient force optical trap. 6 to 10 µm polystyrene beads that are initially ≈100 µm away from the trap-center can be pulled into the trap-center. Particle-tracking enables us to determine the trajectory of a bead as it moves towards the trap-center and map out a capture zone inside which trapping can occur.
Intermolecular chemistry of a dialkylcarbene: Adamantanylidene

Abstract We describe the CC addition and CH insertion reactions of adamantanylldene with various substrates.
Intramuscular pressure varies with depth: The tibialis anterior muscle studied in 12 volunteers

Pressures in the tibialis anterior muscle were recorded at rest and during exercise with transducer-tipped catheters in 12 volunteers while they were supine or standing. The recordings were repeated with venous stasis created by an inflated tourniquet cuff on the thigh. Catheters were placed at 3 different sites in the muscle: catheter I adjacent to the deep surface of the fascia over the anterior compartment; catheter II between the fascia and the central tendon; and catheter III deep in the muscle close to the interosseous membrane. In both the supine and standing positions the intramuscular pressure at rest and the muscle relaxation pressure during exercise, obtained by catheter II, were greater than the corresponding pressures measured by the superficially located catheter I in the normal as well as in the volume loaded limb. The same conditions for pressure measurement consistently revealed lower pressures recorded by catheter III compared to II, but the difference was not significant. Our results indicate that intramuscular pressure increases centripetally, as the centrally lying tendon is approached. We conclude that pressure measurements for diagnosis of acute and chronic compartment syndromes and in ergonomic studies should be based on recordings from a standard location of the catheter within the muscle and a standard posture of the subject.
Characteristics of Hook Formation by Bean Seedlings

Explants were isolated from 6-day-old etiolated bean seedlings (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Black Valentine) containing the cotyledons with 4 mm of hypocotyl just below the node and/or the epicotyl. During incubation on distilled water, uneven growth of the hypocotyl or epicotyl occurred resulting in the formation of a hook. The more rapid growth of the side which became convex was not dependent upon the presence of the slower growing concave side. It was concluded that the main axis has an intrinsic capacity for asymmetric growth. The growth leading to hook formation was inhibited by α-naphthaleneacetic acid at concentrations above 0.2 milligram per liter.
Nanometrology Room Design: The Performance and Characterization of the Kevin G. Hall High-Accuracy Laboratory

New buildings focused on the practice of nanotechnology reflect a pressing need to develop advanced techniques to enable reliable work at the nanoscale. Often when planning a nanotechnology building, a decision must be made to include high-accuracy nanometrology rooms. The purpose of these rooms is to provide high-quality space that can be utilized on a daily basis to facilitate experiments requiring nanoscale precision, to develop new instrumentation, and to develop new techniques capable of probing the nanoscale. Typically, these rooms reduce vibration (including acoustic noise) and electromagnetic interference to very low levels while maintaining a high level of temperature stability. This study describes the characterization and performance of the Kevin G. Hall Nanometrology Laboratory located in the Birck Nanotechnology Center at Purdue University.
Attitudinal effects as a function of undergraduate statistics course design: Personalized (self-directed) vs. traditional

Two undergraduate statistics course designs were compared for their effects on attitudes involving perceived competency with respect to course content, the concept of psychology as a science, the social atmosphere within a course and the interest and value in the area of statistics and research design. One design involved the traditional format of lecture-laboratory-discussion while the other was modeled after Keller's personalized program involving the application of principles of behavioral analysis. The Keller design produced more positive attitudes with respect to perceived competency and the notion of psychology as a science. The attitudes toward the social atmosphere and the interest and value in the course were higher at the beginning of the personalized design and did not change as a result of the students' experiences in the courses. The outcomes seem to be a result of both the specific course design and the context or learning system in which the student functions.
Partition, Democracy, and Turkey's Kurdish Minority

Scholars have argued that the outbreak of civil wars destroys the possibilities for ethnic cooperation and conclude that the most effective remedy for ethnic civil conflict is to redraw national borders. Building upon the Kurdish conflict in Turkey, this article shows that peaceful coexistence after ethnic civil wars is possible as long as the state sufficiently democratizes by respecting the political and cultural rights of the ethnic group. These in-depth interviews with members of the Kurdish political elite, together with other informal conversations with dozens of people, show that, despite decades of conflict, the respondents do not deem ethnicity to be a primary obstacle against a peaceful coexistence.
2-phosphoglycerate phosphatase and serine biosynthesis in Veillonella alcalescens

The constituent enzymes for the phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated serine biosynthetic pathways in Veillonella alcalescens were identified and included phosphoserine phosphatase, 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase, glycerate dehydrogenase, phosphoserine aminotransferase, and serine-pyruvate aminotransferase. Cell extracts of the organism were also found to cause the specific dephosphorylation of 2-phosphoglycerate. The phosphatase was purified 39-fold by manganese chloride precipitation, ammonium sulfate precipitation, and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Sephadex G-200 gel filtration data established an apparent molecular weight of 50000 for the enzyme. The 2-phosphoglycerate phosphatase had a pH optimum of 5.5 and was distinct from phosphoglyceromutase. Assays conducted with the purified enzyme on a number of other phosphorylated intermediates indicated that the phosphatase was most specific for 2-phosphoglycerate. Glucerate, hydroxypyruvate, and serine inhibited the enzyme, whereas succinate stimulated activity. Veillonella 2-phosphoglycerate phosphatase is the first such enzyme to be described in a prokaryote and is probably involved in glycerate generation for the nonphosphorylated serine biosynthetic pathway.
SU-E-J-10: A Moving-Blocker-Based Strategy for Simultaneous Megavoltage and Kilovoltage Scatter Correction in Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Image Acquired During Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy

Purpose: To evaluate a moving-blocker-based approach in estimating and correcting megavoltage (MV) and kilovoltage (kV) scatter contamination in kV cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) acquired during volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). Methods: XML code was generated to enable concurrent CBCT acquisition and VMAT delivery in Varian TrueBeam developer mode. A physical attenuator (i.e., “blocker”) consisting of equal spaced lead strips (3.2mm strip width and 3.2mm gap in between) was mounted between the x-ray source and patient at a source to blocker distance of 232mm. The blocker was simulated to be moving back and forth along the gantry rotation axis during the CBCT acquisition. Both MV and kV scatter signal were estimated simultaneously from the blocked regions of the imaging panel, and interpolated into the un-blocked regions. Scatter corrected CBCT was then reconstructed from un-blocked projections after scatter subtraction using an iterative image reconstruction algorithm based on constraint optimization. Experimental studies were performed on a Catphan 600 phantom and an anthropomorphic pelvis phantom to demonstrate the feasibility of using moving blocker for MV-kV scatter correction. Results: MV scatter greatly degrades the CBCT image quality by increasing the CT number inaccuracy and decreasing the image contrast, in addition to the shading artifacts caused by kV scatter. The artifacts were substantially reduced in the moving blocker corrected CBCT images in both Catphan and pelvis phantoms. Quantitatively, CT number error in selected regions of interest reduced from 377 in the kV-MV contaminated CBCT image to 38 for the Catphan phantom. Conclusions: The moving-blockerbased strategy can successfully correct MV and kV scatter simultaneously in CBCT projection data acquired with concurrent VMAT delivery. This work was supported in part by a grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (RP130109) and a grant from the American Cancer Society (RSG-13-326-01-CCE).
Coherent excitation/detection in pulsed ICR-MS

Abstract Conventional excitation and detection schemes for pulsed ion-cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ICR-MS) utilize extremely broad bandwidth electronics in an effort to cover a wide mass range in a single experiment. However, in many cases such broad bandwidth coverage is unnecessary, and coherent pulsed excitation/super-heterodyne detection can be used. This approach has a number of benefits: (a) powder distributions of the excitation pulses are easily characterized; (b) low-noise, narrow band-pass detection electronics may be utilized; and (c) receiver immunity to non-coherent noise sources and instrumental artifacts can be greatly improved. A simple coherent excitation/detection system is described which has been developed for use in narrow mass-range experiments; applicability of such a system to wide mass-range problems is also discussed.
Infantile G(M1) gangliosidosis: complete morphology and histochemistry of two autopsy cases, with particular reference to delayed central nervous system myelination.

Inborn metabolic errors causing lysosomal storage, such as β-galactosidase deficiency (GM1 gangliosidosis [GM1]), have well-recognized effects on cellular function and morphology. In some classically “neuronal” storage diseases, including GM1, neuroradiologic observations of infants have suggested a delay in myelination on the basis of persistently “immature” signal intensities monitored over time. We sought to evaluate in a semiquantitative fashion the pattern and degree of myelination in two infantile GM1 patients, one boy and one girl, autopsied at 15 months of age. We assigned myelination degrees for defined sites on an ordinal scale of 0 to 4, and compared them to published population-based values for autopsied infants. In both patients, earlier-myelinating structures were comparable in development to that expected for postconceptional age, whereas later-myelinating structures were delayed. These data correlate well with the neuroradiologic diagnosis of myelination delay in these infants and suggest that the metabolic defect has a primary influence on myelin development, in addition to effects related to neuronal storage. Furthermore, our analysis by light and electron microscopy and lectin histochemistry of both CNS and systemic tissues, several of which had not been described, add to the understanding of the stored material in different cell types.
Estimation of the Nelson‐Siegel parsimonious modeling of yield curves using an exponential GARCH process

Refers to previous research on the yields of default‐free securities and uses the Nelson‐Siegel model for estimating yield curve as a basis for developing a model which decomposes the risk premium into long‐term risk, two factors influencing the rate of decay (curvature) and a feed back factor. Applies this to 1984‐1993 data for treasury bills to test for predictive validity and shows that the feedback factor (prediction error of the most recent period) improves this by around 10 per cent. Goes on to apply a multivariate exponential GARCH process to the components to produce a prediction model for the term structure of interest rates. Promises further research to refine this estimation and compare it with the expectations hypothesis as a basis for strategy.
Psychotic symptoms in combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder.

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is known often to be comorbid with other anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders. Psychotic symptoms have also been noted in PTSD and have been reported to be more common in Hispanic veterans. However, the occurrence of psychotic symptoms, including the degree to which they are accounted for by comorbid disorders, have received limited systematic investigation. Our study objectives were to assess psychotic symptoms according to DSM-III-R criteria in patients with a primary diagnosis of comhat-related PTSD and determine the associations of those symptoms with psychiatric comorbidity and ethnicity. Method: Fifty-three male combat veterans consecutively admitted to a PTSD rehabilitation unit were assessed for psychotic symptoms and Axis I disorders. Ninety-one percent were Vietnam veterans; 72% were white, 17% were Hispanic, and 11% were black. Associations between psychotic symptoms and comorbid depression, substance use disorders, and minority status were compared by chi-square analyses; associations between psychotic symptoms and both PTSD and dissociative symptom severity were compared by t test analysis. Results: Forty percent of patients reported a psychotic symptom or symptoms in the preceding 6 months. These symptoms featured auditory hallucinations in all but 1 case. The psychotic symptoms typically reflected combat-themes and guilt, were nonbizarre, and were not usually associated with formal thought disorder or flat or inappropriate affect. Psychotic symptoms were significantly associated with current major depression (p <.02), but not with alcohol or drug abuse or with self-rated PTSD and dissociation severity. Psychotic symptoms and current major depression were more common in minority (black and Hispanic) than white veterans (p <.(X)2). Conclusion: Psychotic symptoms can be a feature of combat-related PTSD and appear to be associated with major depression. The association with minority status may be a function of comorbidity.
Cardiovascular considerations in selections of anti-panic pharmacotherapy

Abstract Patients with panic disorder may be at increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. There is also preliminary evidence that some cardiovascular risk factors may be increased in patients with panic disorder. Since anti-panic medications can alter cardiovascular function, the cardiovascular effects of these medications should be considered, particularly when used in patients with cardiovascular disease. This article will review the cardiovascular side effects of anti-panic medications.
The reduced and altered activities of PAX5 are linked to the protein―protein interaction motif (coiled―coil domain) of the PAX5―PML fusion protein in t(9;15)-associated acute lymphocytic leukemia

The paired box domain of PAX5 was reported to fuse with the sequence of promyelocytic leukemia (PML) to produce PAX5-PML chimeric protein in two patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In the present studies, we found, by gel shift assays, that PAX5-PML bound to a panel of PAX5-consensus sequence acts as a homodimer with reduction of its DNA-binding affinities in comparison with wild-type PAX5. In transient transfection assays using 293T and HeLa cells, and retrovirus transduction of murine hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells together with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis, PAX5-PML inhibited wild-type PAX5 target gene transcriptional activity. Studies comparing PAX5-PML with PAX5-PML(ΔCC) demonstrated that the coiled-coil (CC) protein interaction domain located within the PML moiety was required for PAX5-PML homodimer complex formation and partial transcriptional repression of genes controlled by PAX5. Fluorescent microscopic examination of transiently expressed YFP-tagged proteins in HeLa and 293T cells demonstrated that YFP-PAX5-PML and YFP-PAX5-PML(ΔCC) exhibited a diffuse granular pattern within the nucleus, similar to PAX5 but not PML. By fluorescent recovery after photobleach (FRAP), we have shown that PAX5-PML fusion protein has reduced intranuclear mobility compared with wild-type PAX5. Furthermore, the dimerization domain (CC) of PML was responsible for the reduced intranuclear mobility of PAX5-PML. These results indicate that the CC domain of PAX5-PML is important for each of the known activities of PAX5-PML fusion proteins.
The natural history of extracranial metastasis from glioblastoma multiforme

Extracranial metastasis is a unique but rare manifestation of glioblastoma multiforme. It is thought to arise from glioblastoma cells disseminated into the blood stream. We undertook a comprehensive analysis of 88 cases of extracranial glioblastoma (5 were gliosarcomas) published between 1928 and 2009. Cases included in the analysis were primary or secondary glioblastomas that subsequently invaded organs outside the brain or spinal cord. The median age was 38 years and the median overall survival time was 10.5 months (range 0.0-60.0 months). The median time from symptom onset to diagnosis of primary glioblastoma was 2.5 months, from diagnosis to detection of extracranial metastasis was 8.5 months, and from metastasis to death was 1.5 months. From 1940 to 2009, there has been progressive lengthening of the interval from detection of extracranial metastasis to death, at a rate of 0.7 months per decade (95% confidence interval 0.5-1.0 month). Use of magnetic resonance imaging correlates with an increase in overall survival but not age, gender, or site of primary glioblastoma. Patients treated with surgery + radiation + chemotherapy + cerebrospinal fluid shunting had the longest average survival interval from metastasis to death when compared to those treated with surgery alone, radiation alone, surgery + radiation, and surgery + radiation + chemotherapy. Lung metastasis is a prognostic factor of extremely poor outcomes. We conclude that patients with glioblastoma extracranial metastasis have poor prognosis, but there has been a progressive lengthening of survival in each successive decade from 1940 to 2000.
Does Aid Dependence Worsen Governance

ABSTRACT Aid dependence has been linked in the literature with worsening quality of governance. Using Kaufmann et al.'s six dimensions of governance (Voice and Accountability, Political Stability, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law, and Control of Corruption), this article reinvestigates this relationship with new data and a more robust methodology. Under pooled Time Series Cross-Sectional (panel data) analysis, only the Rule of Law appears to have a negative relationship with aid, and at only the 0.10 significance level. To control for potential endogeneity and reverse causality, aid is lagged and subsequently instrumented. Potential omitted variables bias is controlled with a fixed effects model. Components of aid such as technical cooperation and average grant element are also explored. Findings suggest that aid can play a positive role when its components are considered and that the causal link between aid dependence and worsening quality of governance may be tenuous at best and...
Evaluating prognostics performance for algorithms incorporating uncertainty estimates

Uncertainty Representation and Management (URM) are an integral part of the prognostic system development.1As capabilities of prediction algorithms evolve, research in developing newer and more competent methods for URM is gaining momentum.2Beyond initial concepts, more sophisticated prediction distributions are obtained that are not limited to assumptions of Normality and unimodal characteristics. Most prediction algorithms yield non-parametric distributions that are then approximated as known ones for analytical simplicity, especially for performance assessment methods. Although applying the prognostic metrics introduced earlier with their simple definitions has proven useful, a lot of information about the distributions gets thrown away. In this paper, several techniques have been suggested for incorporating information available from Remaining Useful Life (RUL) distributions, while applying the prognostic performance metrics. These approaches offer a convenient and intuitive visualization of algorithm performance with respect to metrics like prediction horizon and a-λ performance, and also quantify the corresponding performance while incorporating the uncertainty information. A variety of options have been shortlisted that could be employed depending on whether the distributions can be approximated to some known form or cannot be parameterized. This paper presents a qualitative analysis on how and when these techniques should be used along with a quantitative comparison on a real application scenario. A particle filter based prognostic framework has been chosen as the candidate algorithm on which to evaluate the performance metrics due to its unique advantages in uncertainty management and flexibility in accommodating non-linear models and non-Gaussian noise. We investigate how performance estimates get affected by choosing different options of integrating the uncertainty estimates. This allows us to identify the advantages and limitations of these techniques and their applicability towards a standardized performance evaluation method.
Gender and Homework Management Reported by High School Students

This study linked gender and grade level to five features of homework management reported by 426 high school students (setting an appropriate work environment, managing time, and controlling attention, motivation, and potentially interfering emotions). In addition, it linked gender and grade level to relevant homework behaviours and affective reactions toward homework. The results revealed that grade level (grades 9–10 vs. grades 11–12) did not relate to any of the above homework measures. On the other hand, compared with boys, girls more frequently reported working to manage their workspace, budget their time, and monitor their emotions. They also reported that they spent more time doing homework, were less likely to come to class without homework, and considered homework less boring.