cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
As the Worm Turns: An Infant with Exotropia

Abstract A two-year-old full-term boy with a history of an intermittent exotropia presented to the pediatric ophthalmology clinic for routine follow-up. He was found to have a stable sensorimotor examination however dilated funduscopic examination of the right eye was significant for a dim foveal reflex with a new discrete, white, elevated retinal lesion superotemporal to the fovea with surrounding subretinal exudates. An examination under anesthesia (EUA) was performed two days later that revealed a subretinal posterior pole granuloma with hyperfluorescence and late leakage from the lesion without telangiectatic vessels on fluorescein angiography. A repeat EUA one month later demonstrated an increase in surrounding subretinal and overlying intraretinal fluid. The patient was started on topical 1% prednisolone with a presumed diagnosis of Toxocara granuloma. At EUA, three months later, the subretinal and intraretinal fluid had resolved. The topical steroids were tapered, and the patient continues to be followed closely.
Demystifying the Risk Assessment Process for Laboratory-Based Experiments Utilizing Invasive Genetic Elements: It Is More Than Gene Drive

Advances in recombinant DNA approaches have resulted in the development of transgene architectures that severely bias their own inheritance, a process commonly referred to as “gene drive.” The rapi...
Inter-rater and test-retest reliability of computerized clinical vestibular tools.

Background Clinical vestibular technology is rapidly evolving to improve objective assessments of vestibular function. Understanding the reliability and expected score ranges of emerging clinical vestibular tools is important to gauge how these tools should be used as clinical endpoints. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate inter-rater and test-retest reliability intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of four vestibular tools and to determine expected ranges of scores through smallest real difference (SRD) measures. Methods Sixty healthy graduate students completed two 1-hour sessions, at most a week apart, consisting of two video head-impulse tests (vHIT), computerized dynamic visual acuity (cDVA) tests, and a smartphone-assisted bucket test (SA-SVV). Thirty students were tested by different testers at each session (inter-rater) and 30 by the same tester (test-retest). ICCs and SRDs were calculated for both conditions. Results Most measures fell within the moderate ICC range (0.50-0.75). ICCs were higher for cDVA in the inter-rater subgroup and higher for vHITs in the test-retest subgroup. Conclusions Measures from the four tools evaluated were moderately reliable. There may be a tester effect on reliabilities, specifically vHITs. Further research should repeat these analyses in a patient population and explore methodological differences between vHIT systems.
Effect of increasing the freeway posted speed limit on entry ramp speed-change lane crash frequency

Abstract The objective of this research is to model the effect of increasing the freeway posted speed limit on entry ramp speed-change lane crash frequency. The entry ramps along I-85, I-77, I-277, and I-485 in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States were considered to collect data, identify critical predictor variables, develop safety performance functions (SPFs) by severity, and validate the SPFs. Data for 76 and 20 entry ramp speed-change lanes (reference and comparison groups) were used for modeling and validation/calibration, respectively. The Negative Binomial log-link distribution-based models were the best-fit as the crash data are over-dispersed. The traffic volume, the speed difference between the freeway and the ramp, and the ramp configuration are significant predictor variables to estimate total, property damage only (PDO), and non-incapacitating and possible injury crash frequency at entry ramp speed-change lanes. The Empirical Bayes (EB) method was then applied to examine the effect of increasing the freeway posted speed limit on 48 entry ramp speed-change lanes (treatment/test group) on I-485. The findings from the EB method-based analysis indicate that there was a decrease in the total, non-incapacitating and possible injury, and PDO crash frequencies at 18, 37, and 18 (38%, 77%, and 38%) of the selected 48 entry ramp speed-change lanes after the increase in the freeway posted speed limit on I-485. An increase or no change in the total, non-incapacitating and possible injury, and PDO crash frequencies was also observed at some entry ramp speed-change lanes after the increase in the freeway posted speed limit on I-485.
Preliminary Evaluation of a Breast Cancer Screening Shared Decision-Making Aid Utilized Within the Primary Care Clinical Encounter:

Introduction:The US Preventative Services Task Force recommends shared decision-making (SDM) between women aged 40 and 49 years and their physician regarding timing of mammography screening. This p...
Annual Research Review: Cross-cultural similarities and differences in parenting

This article reviews contemporary research on cross-cultural similarities and differences in parenting. The article begins by providing a definition of culture and how both parenting and culture can change over historical time. The article then presents some classic theoretical frameworks for understanding culture and parenting before considering why parenting may be similar across cultures and why parenting may be different across cultures. The article next turns to a review of cross-cultural similarities and differences in several aspects of parenting, including physical caregiving, cognitive stimulation, warmth and acceptance, control and monitoring, and discipline. Cultural normativeness and beliefs on the legitimacy of parental authority are then considered as potential moderators that contribute to cross-cultural similarities and differences in relations between parenting and child outcomes. The article then considers implications for parenting interventions and laws and policies related to parenting. Finally, the article suggests directions for future research.
Modeling Compositional Flows

Porous-media flows that are strongly influenced by the effects of changing fluid compositions are considerably more complicated than the flows examined in Chapter Three, and solving the equations governing such compositional flows is a correspondingly complex task. There are two main reasons for this increase in difficulty. To begin with, the transport laws for a system of N components give rise to a system of N coupled partial differential equations, which require more effort simply because of the larger number of unknowns to be solved for. In addition, the flow coefficients and fluid densities in the equations vary in response to pressure and composition in complicated ways governed by the thermodynamic constraints, as Chapter Two discusses. Thus the nonlinearity of the system imposes another level of hardship. Indeed, the complexity of compositional flows is the prime motivation for modeling them numerically.
John Thelwall and the Materialist Imagination; John Thelwall in the Wordsworth Circle: The Silenced Partner

The recovery of John Thelwall as an object of serious attention began in the 1960s with E.P. Thompson and he has now achieved genuine recognition. Thelwall's writings enjoy scholarly editions of hi...
Chemotherapy for advanced CNS ependymoma.

Background. The role of chemotherapy in recurrent ependymoma is poorly defined. This study was performed to help clarify the benefits of chemotherapy in this setting. Patients and methods. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients with advanced ependymoma of the CNS who received chemotherapy in our institution between 1974 and 1993, inclusive. Sixteen consecutive patients were treated with regimens containing either nitrosourea, platinum, or other combinations exclusive of nitrosourea or platinum. No patient received nitrosourea and platinum concurrently. Two methods were used to define response. The first was a direct comparison of radiographic images before and after chemotherapy more than one month apart. A second broader definition of response that employed four other criteria in addition to imaging studies (symptoms, signs, performance status, and neurologic functional status) was also used. Results. Results were as follows (response rate by imaging studies followed by response rate by scoring in parenthesis): Platinum-based chemotherapy resulted in a 67% (83%) response rate with 33% (0%) remaining stable. Nitrosourea-based regimens resulted in a 25% (60%) response rate with 50% (10%) remaining stable. When combinations other than platinum or nitrosourea were used, 11% (22%) responded and 56% (44%) remained stable. Relative differences in response rates between chemotherapy regimens persisted when the data were analyzed by grade. Median time to progression was 6, 10, and 3 months, respectively. Conclusion. Platinum-based chemotherapy regimens appear to result in higher response rates with lower rates of progression than nitrosourea-based regimens. Other regimens that do not include cisplatinum or nitrosourea appear to be even less effective.
The parallel complexity of algorithms for pattern formation models (extended abstract)

This paper investigates the computational complexity of several important models that are currently used by physicists to study pattern formation. The results represent one of the first applications of the tools of parallel computational complexity theory to complex physical systems. The specific models we study are diffusion limited aggregation, fluid invasion, invasion percolation, and invasion percolation with trapping. It is known that all of these processes yield complex, fractal patterns. The paper shows that decision problems based on fluid invasion and diffusion limited aggregation are P-complete. In contrast, we give NC2 algorithms for the two variants of invasion percolation. The results may have a practical significance for numerical simulations and could lead to fundamental insights into the nature of complex pattern forming systems. The P-completeness theorems are interesting because they involve simulations of physical systems and are more intricate than other P-completeness proofs. The NC algorithms are interesting because they are given for two procedures that seem inherently sequential.
Cloning and expression of the cDNA sequence encoding the lysosomal glycosidase Di-N-acetylchitobiase

Di-N-acetylchitobiase (chitobiase) is a lysosomal glycosidase involved in the degradation of asparagine-linked glycoproteins. Previous studies have revealed that chitobiase is unique among lysosomal glycosidases in that it may not be expressed universally in mammals. In this study we have isolated full-length cDNA clones for human placenta and rat liver chitobiase. The cDNAs from both species encode a glycosylated polypeptide of approximately 40 kDa that displays chitobiase activity when expressed in COS-1 cells. By using the rat cDNA sequence as a hybridization probe, genomic DNA from several species was analyzed for chitobiase gene sequences. The results from these experiments suggest bovine and dog, two species that are believed to be chitobiase-deficient, maintain the chitobiase gene as part of their genetic load. The first three exons of the bovine chitobiase gene were cloned and found to encode an open reading frame that is 77% identical to both human and rat chitobiase. Northern blotting and amplification of mRNA by the polymerase chain reaction indicate that the chitobiase gene in bovine is functional, however, the level of expression is low. The presence of residual amounts of chitobiase enzyme activity in bovine liver and brain was demonstrated. Congruency of the very low levels of chitobiase enzyme to a similarly low level of chitobiase gene expression in bovine indicates that chitobiase in this species has a minor role in hydrolyzing the reducing end GlcNAc of asparagine-linked glycoproteins within the lysosomes. This is in contrast to a species such as human that express substantial quantities of this glycosidase. Thus, the extreme range of chitobiase gene expression among species explains why either 1 or 2 GlcNAc residues remain intact at the reducing end of stored oligosaccharides when either chitobiase-expressing or chitobiase-deficient species, respectively, suffers from a lysosomal storage disease.
In vivo exposure to plant flavonols. Influence on frequencies of micronuclei in mouse erythrocytes and sister-chromatid exchange in rabbit lymphocytes.

No consistent increases in the micronucleus frequency were observed in bone marrow or peripheral blood erythrocytes from mice treated with quercetin, rhamnetin, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, or hesperetin dihydrochalcone under various exposure and sampling conditions. Over the dose range of 100-1000 mg/kg, quercetin failed to increase significantly erythrocyte micronucleus frequencies either (1) in bone marrow of male mice at 6 h after the second of 2 i.p. or oral doses given 24 h apart, or at 48, 96 or 192 h after a single i.p. or oral dose, or (2) in peripheral blood of male or female mice sampled for 7 consecutive days following a single i.p. dose. Feeding 5% or 10% quercetin for 8 days also failed to increase the micronucleus frequency in bone marrow erythrocytes of female or male mice. Hesperetin dihydrochalcone and neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, at p.o. doses of 100-1000 mg/kg, did not increase the micronucleus frequency in bone marrow erythrocytes 6 h after the second of 2 doses 24 h apart, nor did rhamnetin at 48 or 96 h after a single i.p. dose of 1000 mg/kg. Galangin, in contrast, did significantly increase the micronucleus frequency in bone marrow and blood erythrocytes under certain conditions, but the largest increases were only between 2 and 3 times control values and these were observed at highly toxic doses. Rabbits given up to 250 mg/kg quercetin i.p. showed no treatment-related increase in the sister-chromatid-exchange frequency in peripheral blood lymphocytes sampled at 1 and 7 days after treatment. These results fail to confirm published data which report a markedly increased frequency of micronuclei in bone marrow erythrocytes from quercetin-treated mice, show no quercetin-related alterations in the sister-chromatid-exchange frequency in rabbit lymphocytes, and indicate that clastogenesis in bone marrow erythroblasts due to oral or i.p. administration of the flavonols studied is at most very weak.
A randomized clinical trial of an identity intervention programme for women with eating disorders.

Disturbances in the self-concept are broadly recognized as a psychosocial risk factor in the etiology of the eating disorders and as such, have been identified an important focus in the eating disorder psychotherapies (for examples see Fairburn, Cooper & Shafran, 2003; Wonderlich et al, 2008). Yet despite the centrality of self-concept disturbances in theoretical models of the disorders, theoretically derived and empirically supported interventions that target changes in the self-concept as the mechanism of eating disorder symptom change and health recovery are lacking. In this paper, we report results of a randomized trial of a new psychotherapy for the eating disorders of anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), referred to as the identity intervention program (IIP). IIP is based on an empirically supported model that focuses on impairments in organizational properties of the total collection of self-cognitions, referred to as self-schemas, as a key determinant of the maladaptive attitudes and behaviors that characterize the disorders. The IIP seeks to build new positive self-schemas that are distinct and separate from other conceptions of the self in memory as the means to promote recovery and health. The trial examined whether IIP in combination with nutritional counseling would be more effective than supportive psychotherapy and nutritional counseling in reducing the attitudinal and behavioral symptoms that characterize the eating disorders and improving functional health and psychological well-being.
Hepatitis C Virus Infection in San Francisco's HIV‐infected Urban Poor

OBJECTIVE: To measure Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) prevalence, incidence, and initiation of HCV therapy in a representative HIV-infected cohort of the urban poor.
Feng Shui and Chinese Rituals of Death across the Oregon Landscape

An abstract of the papers by Andrew Ryall Briggs for the Master of Science in Geography presented March 13, 2002.
Childhood Hodgkin's disease: patterns of relapse.

One hundred seventy-nine consecutive children with Hodgkin's disease seen at Stanford University Medical Center between the years 1961-1980 have been analyzed for survival and freedom-from-relapse as a function of clinical versus laparotomy staging as well as primary treatment modalities. Of laparotomy-staged patients, 86% are alive at 10 years after primary radiation with chemotherapy reserved for relapse, as compared with 90% managed by planned combined modality therapy (p = 0.62). Patients who were clinically staged and managed with primary radiation have only a 69% survival (p = 0.05). A favorable subgroup of patients with lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin's disease experienced a low relapse rate regardless of primary treatment modality. Patterns of relapse in clinically staged patients reflect understaging, with most relapses in distant, nonirradiated sites, whereas the less frequent relapses in laparotomy-staged patients usually reflect regional recurrence. It is concluded that laparotomy staging is hi...
Perturbed bioelectrical properties of the mouse cecum following hepatectomy and starvation: the role of bacterial adherence.

Previous work in our laboratory has demonstrated that bacterial adherence alone to the intestinal epithelium, as occurs following catabolic stress, significantly perturbs the normal electrophysiology of the cecal mucosa. The aim of this study was to further characterize these effects in the mouse ce
Analysis of Mesoamerican Plumbate Pottery Surfaces by Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)

Abstract Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is a highly sensitive microprobe technique with many potential applications in chemistry-based archaeological provenance research. Laser sampling makes it possible to characterize individual components of heterogeneous matrices or to characterize surface materials, such as pigments, slips, and glazes on ceramics. Quantifying the analytical data poses a significant challenge, but an approach suggested by Gratuze et al . (2000) seems to perform well if the major oxides are measured. In the present study, LA-ICP-MS is used to characterize the slipped surfaces on specimens of a famous Mesoamerican tradeware known as Plumbate. First, systematic chemical variation with depth in the slipped surface layer is investigated in order to determine how much material to remove by pre-ablation before taking measurements for provenance determination. Slip-compositional subgroups are found to coincide well, but not completely, with paste-compositional subgroups identified in a separate study that employed instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Comparison of LA-ICP-MS data on raw materials from the presumed source region (Pacific coastal southern Mesoamerica near the present border between Mexico and Guatemala) to the slip-compositional groups yields highly specific source attributions that agree with provenances determined for the INAA paste groups. This evidence indicates that the distinctive Plumbate paste preparation and firing technology was shared by two groups of potters who exploited two distinct ceramic resource bases within the Pacific coastal source region. The dominance of Plumbate at sites outside these two source areas indicates the importance of intra-regional commercial interaction during the Late Classic through Early Postclassic periods.
Modelling the fate of PCBs and MIREX in aquatic ecosystems using the TOXFATE model

Predictive modelling of the fate of two persistent toxic organic chemicals, PCBs and Mirex, is discussed in light of the results from oceanographic scale investigations from the Niagara River to Lake Ontario, to the St. Lawrence River Estuary aquatic ecosystem. A mathematical model, TOXFATE, is used to run simulations of the fate of Mirex in Lake Ontario, a relatively small part of the total system, using a mass balance approach. TOXFATE features simulations of the fate of Mirex in lake water, plankton, benthos, suspended and bottom sediments, small and large fish (sculpins and salmonids). A friendly user interface (TOXSHELL) facilitates running the program on microcomputers. Concentrations of {open_quotes}dissolved{close_quotes} (the fraction not removed by high-speed centrifugation) persistent toxic organic chemicals in the Niagara River are in the ng L{sup 1} or ng m{sup -3} range, yet, the total load transported into Lake Ontario can be considerable given the high discharge of some 6000 m{sup 3}sec{sup -1}. The river draining Lake Ontario is the St. Lawrence, and PCB loads actually double due to the various sources along the river. The insecticide and flame retardant, Mirex was essentially introduced from only two point sources, the Niagara and Oswego Rivers. The chemical is stillmore » detectable some 1000 km downstream of the main site near Niagara Falls of its original introduction to this river-lake-estuary system. The system`s recovery from Mirex pollution is related to the major natural aquatic processes of the system and is not compounded by continuing point and non-point source inputs. Simulations show the fast response of Mirex concentration in water following a reduction in loadings in the early 1960s and a much slower reaction of bottom sediments and fish to the same loadings reduction.« less
“That Photo”: Journalism and Bearing Witness to History

On August 31, 1970, the Philadelphia Daily News published a photograph snapped by Elwood Smith of several Black Panthers being forced to strip by gun-wielding Philadelphia police officers. Within days, Smith's image became known as “that photo,” widely recognized throughout the city. Through a visual analysis of Smith's photograph alongside reader and editorial responses to the image, this essay interrogates the role of journalism in mediating the relationship between the past and present. I argue that the “history” witnessed by Daily News readers extended beyond the violence sanctioned by Philadelphia police against the Panthers in that frozen moment. Invoking discourses surrounding a past of racial violence perpetrated by Whites against Black bodies, Daily News readers discursively linked the strip search to historic rituals of bodily trauma. In calling readers to witness Smith's photograph, journalists summoned the visual's power to challenge structures of police authority within the city of Philadelph...
Rationality of Naive Forecasts of Long-Term Rates

Brooks and Gray in the Fall 2004 JPM examined the accuracy of economists9 long-term interest rate forecasts in Wall Street Journal surveys. They concluded that no-change naive forecasts were better than the consensus WSJ forecasts. In fact, no-change forecasts are not naive forecasts but instead rational economic forecasts. We should thus extend the Brooks and Gray conclusions that no-change forecasts are better than economists9 consensus forecasts of the long-term Treasury rate to other long-term interest rates.
The IBM diskette and diskette drive

The diskette and diskette drive have had a major influence on data processing. They provide a low-cost, compact, highperformance solution to the need for a reusable magnetic medium and have largely replaced the punched card in many applications. Early applications were simple program-load functions. Today these have expanded to a wide range of medium exchange, information storage, and data processing applications. This paper examines the history of the development of these products within IBM. The discussion includes some of the alternatives considered and some of the problems encountered during these developments.
Development of a Personal Space Measure

The development of a measure of simulated personal space, using standardized instructions, is described. Reliability and validity were assessed.
Structure of the mouse glial fibrillary acidic protein gene: implications for the evolution of the intermediate filament multigene family

Abstract We report the complete sequence of the gene encoding mouse glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), the intermediate filament (IF) protein specific to astrocytes. The 9.8 kb gene includes nine exons separated by introns ranging in size from 0.2 to 2.5 kb. A comparison of the organization of the GFAP gene with that of genes encoding other IF proteins reveals that the structure of IF genes is highly conserved in spite of considerable divergence at the amino acid level. Thus, most of the evolutionary events leading to the placement of introns in IF genes must have occurred prior to the duplication and subsequent divergence of IF genes from a presumptive common ancestral sequence. The conserved gene organization is unrelated to structural features of IF proteins. A curious feature of the GFAP gene is the large number of repeated sequences found in the introns. Six tracts of reiterated di- or trinucleotides are present, plus tandem repeats of two different novel sequences. One repeat is unique to the GFAP gene; the other occurs elsewhere in the mouse genome, although at relatively low frequency.
Graphene monolayer rotation on Ni(111) facilitates bilayer graphene growth

Synthesis of bilayer graphene by chemical vapor deposition is of importance for graphene-based field effect devices. Here, we demonstrate that bilayer graphene preferentially grows by carbon-segregation under graphene sheets that are rotated relative to a Ni(111) substrate. Rotated graphene monolayer films can be synthesized at growth temperatures above 650 °C on a Ni(111) thin-film. The segregated second graphene layer is in registry with the Ni(111) substrate and this suppresses further C-segregation, effectively self-limiting graphene formation to two layers.
Liability for oil spill damages: Issues, methods, and examples

Liability is an important incentive‐based instrument for preventing oil spills and provides a sustainable approach for restoring coastal resources injured by spills. However, the use of liability for environmental damages raises many challenges, including quantification of money measures of damages. In this article, case studies are used to illustrate the issues, methods, and challenges associated with assessing a range of damages, from those that can be measured relatively easily using market information to more “esoteric,”; and much more difficult, cases involving non‐market‐valued losses. Also discussed are issues raised by the new national and international regulatory focus on restoration and by the simplified, compensatory formula used by some states.
Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Augments Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Production in Skeletal Muscle Cells through the Activation of Transforming Growth Factor-β-activated Kinase 1 (TAK1)-dependent Signaling Pathway

We have investigated the effect of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) on the production of extracellular matrix-degrading proteases in skeletal muscles. Using microarray, quantitative PCR, Western blotting, and zymography, we found that TNF-α drastically increases the production of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 from C2C12 myotubes. In vivo administration of TNF-α in mice increased the transcript level of MMP-9 in skeletal muscle tissues. Although TNF-α activated all the three MAPKs (i.e. ERK1/2, JNK, and p38), inhibition of ERK1/2 or p38 but not JNK blunted the TNF-α-induced production of MMP-9 from myotubes. Inhibition of Akt also inhibited the TNF-α-induced production of MMP-9. TNF-α increased the activation of transcription factors NF-κB and AP-1 but not SP-1 in myotubes. Overexpression of a dominant negative inhibitor of NF-κB or AP-1 blocked the TNF-α-induced expression of MMP-9 in myotubes. Similarly, point mutations in AP-1- or NF-κB-binding sites in MMP-9 promoter inhibited the TNF-α-induced expression of a reporter gene. TNF-α increased the activity of transforming growth factor-β-activating kinase-1 (TAK1). Furthermore, overexpression of a dominant negative mutant of TAK1 blocked the TNF-α-induced expression of MMP-9 and activation of NF-κB and AP-1. Our results also suggest that TNF-α induces MMP-9 expression in muscle cells through the recruitment of TRAF-2, Fas-associated protein with death domain, and TNF receptor-associated protein with death domain but not NIK or TRAF-6 proteins. We conclude that TAK1-mediated pathways are involved in TNF-α-induced MMP-9 production in skeletal muscle cells.
Design and implementation of a five axis robotic micromanipulator for inserting parts into precision collets

Abstract The design, construction, and testing of a five-axis micromanipulator for attachment to the wrist of a large industrial robot is described. The micromanipulator is capable of inserting a part into a collet which is only 0.1–0.2 mm (0.004–0.008 in) larger in diameter than the part, thus compensating for robot positioning errors. The micromanipulator weighs 2.3 kg (5 lbs) and is 64 mm (2.5 in) thick and 127 mm (5 in) square with two linear axes having ±3 mm (0.13 in) of travel, two angular axes having ±4 angular degrees of motion, and one linear degree-of-freedom having ±25 mm (1.0 in) of travel. Hydraulic actuators, operated at 6.9 MPa (1000 lbf/in2), provide 2700 N (600 1bf) of force along the linear axes, and 68 N-m (600 in-lbf) of torque about angular axes. Repeatability of the device is 0.025 mm (0.001 in).
Spintronics: Coherent terahertz control

Spin and charge terahertz excitations in solids are promising for implementing future technologies such as spintronics and quantum computation, but coherently controlling them has been a significant challenge. Researchers have now manipulated coherent spin waves in an antiferromagnet using the intense magnetic field of ultrashort terahertz pulses.
Basonuclin as a cell marker in the formation and cycling of the murine hair follicle

Basonuclin, a zinc-finger protein, is found in stratified squamous epithelia and hair follicles. In the basal keratinocytes of mouse epidermis, basonuclin is detected mainly in the cytoplasm. During the development of murine hair follicles, this protein concentrates in the nuclei of the basal cells that form the primary hair germs. As follicle morphogenesis proceeds, the epithelial cells possessing nuclear basonuclin invade the dermis and surround the follicular papilla. In mature anagen follicles, nuclear basonuclin is principally restricted to the basal layers of the outer root sheath and bulbar matrix; these regions are known to contain cells capable of proliferation, and to lack the features of terminal differentiation. During catagen, the compartment of cells containing nuclear basonuclin regresses, and in telogen, only a small number of these cells remain to form the secondary hair germ at the follicle base. During the next anagen, this basonuclin-containing population expands and regenerates the hair-producing portion of the follicle. It is concluded that in all hair cycles, the transient segment of the follicle originates from germinative cells possessing nuclear basonuclin.
DFT Studies of the Ring-Opening Mechanism of SB-3CT, a Potent Inhibitor of Matrix Metalloproteinase 2

SB-3CT is a 2-[(arylsulfonyl)methyl]thiirane that achieves potent inhibition, by a thiirane-opening mechanism, of the MMP2 and MMP9 zinc metalloproteases. The deprotonation mechanism for thiirane opening of SB-3CT and for the opening of its oxirane analogue, both relevant to the inhibition of MMP2, was investigated computationally using the acetate anion as the Bronsted base and in methanol and acetonitrile as solvents. The activation barriers for the reaction show a significant stereoelectronic effect. The lowest energy paths have the breaking C−H bond gauche to both sulfone oxygens and with this C−H bond anti to the breaking C−S bond of the thiirane. The calculated primary isotope effect agrees with experimental data.
Hypoxic-Ischemic Oligodendroglial Injury in Neonatal Rat Brain

Neonatal periventricular white matter injury is a major contributor to chronic neurologic dysfunction. In a neonatal rat stroke model, myelin basic protein (MBP) immunostaining reveals acute periventricular white matter injury. Yet, the extent to which myelin proteins can recover after neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury is unknown. We developed a quantitative method to correlate the severity of the hypoxic-ischemic insult with the magnitude of loss of MBP immunostaining. Seven-day-old (P7) rats underwent right carotid ligation, followed by exposure to 8% oxygen for 1, 1.5, 2, or 2.5 h. On both P12 and P21, white matter integrity was evaluated by densitometric analysis of MBP immunostaining, and the amount of tissue injury was evaluated by morphometric measurements of cerebral hemisphere areas. The most severe hypoxic-ischemic insults (2.5 h) elicited marked reductions in MBP immunostaining ipsilaterally on both P12 and P21. In contrast, in mildly lesioned animals (1.5 h), MBP immunostaining was reduced ipsilaterally on P12, but 2 wk after lesioning, on P21, there was a substantial restoration of MBP immunostaining. The restoration in MBP immunostaining could reflect either functional recovery of injured oligodendroglia or proliferation and maturation of oligodendroglial precursors. Our data demonstrate that quantitative measurement of MBP immunostaining provides a sensitive indicator of acute oligodendroglial injury. Most importantly, we show that in this neonatal rodent stroke model, restoration of myelin proteins occurs after moderate, but not after more severe, cerebral hypoxia-ischemia.
Power systems balancing with high penetration renewables: The potential of demand response in Hawaii

Abstract The State of Hawaii’s Clean Energy policies call for 40% of the state’s electricity to be supplied by renewable sources by 2030. A recent study focusing on the island of Oahu showed that meeting large amounts of the island’s electricity needs with wind and solar introduced significant operational challenges, especially when renewable generation varies from forecasts. This paper focuses on the potential of demand response in balancing supply and demand on an hourly basis. Using the WILMAR model, various levels and prices of demand response were simulated. Results indicate that demand response has the potential to smooth overall power system operation, with production cost savings arising from both improved thermal power plant operations and increased wind production. Demand response program design and cost structure is then discussed drawing from industry experience in direct load control programs.
Methods for determining the distribution of bacteria in the skin

Five methods used to study bacteria in the skin are reviewed: swabbing, scrubbing, or scraping; biopsy; impression plate; adhesive stripping; and air-sampling for bacteria-shedders.
Efficiencies of weighted averages in stationary autoregressive processes

Abstract The criterion of second-order efficiency is used to distinguish among estimators, which have the same asymptotic variance, of the mean of a stationary autoregressive process. The best linear unbiased estimator is typically unknown, since it depends on the parameters of the process. It is demonstrated by second-order efficiency that the sample mean performs poorly under certain conditions, whereas some weighted averages maintain a more consistent performance as the parameters of the underlying process are allowed to vary. Numerical examples are shown for second-and third-order autoregressive processes.
Abstract 907: Subtypes, race and long-term survival in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Previous analyses from the Carolina Breast Cancer Study identified significant differences in breast cancer (BC) specific mortality across the four ‘intrinsic’ BC subtypes: luminal A, luminal B, basal-like, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive / estrogen receptor negative (HER2+/ER-). Here, we expand the assessment by including additional cases and longer follow-up time, and present analyses stratified by race and menopausal status. We used immunohistochemical markers to subtype 1149 invasive BC cases (518 Black, 631 Non-black) in this population-based epidemiologic study of women diagnosed with BC in North Carolina between 1993 and 2001. Vital status was determined through 2006 using the National Death Index, with median follow-up of 9.1 years. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models for BC-specific mortality. Compared to Luminal A, women with HER2+/ER- BC had the highest mortality (HR=2.3, 95% CI: 1.5, 3.6, adjusting for age at diagnosis, race, and year of diagnosis), followed by basal-like BC (HR=1.7, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.4). Differences in mortality by subtype remained, albeit attenuated, after further adjustment for stage at diagnosis. Race-stratified HRs were similar for HER2+/ER- BC (HR=2.4, 95% CI: 1.2, 4.7 and HR=2.3, 95% CI: 1.3, 4.0 for non-Blacks and Blacks, respectively), but appeared to differ for basal-like BC (HR=2.0, 95% CI: 1.2, 3.4 for non-Blacks and HR=1.5, 95% CI: 1.0, 2.4 for Blacks). For basal-like BC, mortality was slightly higher among premenopausal, non-Black women (HR=1.8, 95% CI: 1.0, 3.4) compared to premenopausal Black women (HR=1.3, 95% CI: 0.8, 2.3). HRs for basal-like versus Luminal A BC were highest among postmenopausal women (HR=3.9, 95% CI: 1.5, 10.0 for non-Blacks; HR=1.9, 95% CI: 0.9, 3.8 for Blacks). Stage, tumor size and lymph node status were associated with mortality in all subtypes. We also used flexible models to permit departures from the proportional hazards assumption and therefore allow HRs for BC to vary over time since diagnosis. In summary, these results confirmed previous analyses that during a time interval prior to the introduction of Herceptin®, HER2+/ER- cases exhibited the highest mortality of the four subtypes. Possible racial differences in mortality were observed according to BC subtype. Additional analyses are needed in populations with known treatment profiles to more fully understand the role of intrinsic subtypes and race in BC survival. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 907.
Conceptualizing Teaching to the Test Under Standards-Based Reform

Teacher and school accountability systems based on high-stakes tests are ubiquitous throughout the United States and appear to be growing as a catalyst for reform. As a result, educators have increased the proportion of instructional time devoted to test preparation. Although guidelines for what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate test preparation exist, they are outdated and need revision. The current article proposes new guidelines within the framework of standards-based assessment. It also examines the test preparation practices in 32 third- and fifth-grade classrooms and examines the relationship between student test performance and test preparation activities using a two-level Hierarchical Linear Model. Instruction on tested objectives using items like those presented on the state test, decontextualized practice, and teaching test taking skills offered no student achievement benefit relative to general instruction on the state standards leading us to conclude that test preparation was not benef...
A MUVE towards PBL Writing: Effects of a Digital Learning Environment Designed to Improve Elementary Student Writing.

AbstractTwo major obstacles to using problem-based learning methods with writing in elementary school classrooms are the time it takes to design the learning environment and the time required for students to interact at their own pace with ill-structured problems used to spur student writing. This study examined whether game elements could be used along with Problem Based Learning (PBL) in a digital learning environment to improve student writing. Results from this study included statistically significant decreases in teacher time spent answering procedural and directional questions, increased voluntary student writing, and improved standardized achievement scores on writing tasks.
Threshold detection in an on-off binary communications channel with atmospheric scintillation.

The optimum detection threshold in an on-off binary optical communications system operating in the presence of atmospheric turbulence was investigated assuming a poisson detection process and log normal scintillation. The dependence of the probability of bit error on log amplitude variance and received signal strength was analyzed and semi-empirical relationships to predict the optimum detection threshold derived. On the basis of this analysis a piecewise linear model for an adaptive threshold detection system is presented. The bit error probabilities for nonoptimum threshold detection systems were also investigated.
Microbial Recolonization of Compost After Peak Heating Needed for the Rapid Development of Damping-Off Suppression

Compost removed from the hot (>55°C) core of yard trimmings compost piles was incubated under sterile conditions to observe if suppression could develop due to cooling, or if inoculation with an exogenous source of microbes is a critical factor. Suppression of damping-off caused by P. ultimum did not develop in the cooled compost over seven days of incubation, but compost inoculated 10% v/v with cured yard trimmings compost became suppressive after incubating three to five days. This indicated that the microbial community surviving thermophilic composting is not sufficient to support damping-off suppression and that recolonization of this material is needed to rapidly and consistently produce Pythium suppressive compost for use in greenhouse propagation of seedlings.
Epitaxial growth of KBr onto NaCl(001) by high-resolution He atom scattering

Abstract The vapor deposition and subsequent growth of KBr onto the cleaved (001) surface of single crystal NaCl were studied by measuring the scattering behavior of a nearly monoenergetic (Δ E / E ⋍ 2%) He atom beam. Oscillations in the intensity of the specular beam due to layer-by-layer growth were observed for the first several layers. The structure of the surface for each deposited layer was determined by He diffraction via angular distribution measurements. The surface lattice spacings for NaCl and KBr have a mismatch of about 17% (3.99Afor NaCl and 4.66Afor KBr) and, hence, 6 KBr's can fit very nearly onto 7 NaCl's (∼ 28A). The measured diffraction patterns showed peaks corresponding to a surface corrugation with this length. For the first adlayer, peaks only for NaCl and this “superstructure” were observed. As additional layers were deposited, the NaCl peaks disappeared and the superstructure peaks at first increased and then diminished as the Bragg peaks corresponding to the KBr lattice spacing grew in. By 6 monolayers only the diffraction peaks due to the KBr were observed. Additionally, time-of-flight energy analysis of the inelastically scattered He atoms was employed to determine the surface phonon dispersion curves of the adlayer. After only 4 monolayers, the Rayleigh and crossing modes were found to be almost identical to those measured from a cleaved KBr(001) surface with the exception of a non-zero value for the Rayleigh mode at the zone center. However, possible evidence for strain was seen in the S 2 mode, a surface optical mode lying in the gap between the acoustic and optical bulk bands. Similar behavior in the measured diffraction has been found in current complementary experiments for NaCl deposited onto KBr(001).
The Galilean satellites and the Jovian magnetic field

Alfven and Arrhenius (1974, 1976) have proposed that satellites may be formed by the condensation of plasma in partial corrotation in the dipole magnetic field of the central body. They conclude that the final orbit distance of the condensed material will be two-thirds of the orbit distance of the plasma. Since the Jovian field is strongly distorted beyond about 40 Jupiter radii, it is expected (assuming that plasma and magnetic field conditions have not changed significantly with time) that the first Galilean satellites would appear at about two-thirds 40 Jupiter radii or about 27 Jupiter radii. In fact Callisto, the outermost Galilean satellite, is found at 26.47 Jupiter radii. This generally supports the Alfven-Arrhenius hypothesis that the central-body dipolar magnetic field plays a role in major satellite formation and, more, specifically, that the two-thirds law has validity.
What do market-calibrated stochastic processes indicate about the long-term price of crude oil?

Abstract Stochastic process models of commodity prices are important inputs in energy investment evaluation and planning problems. In this paper, we focus on modeling and forecasting the long-term price level, since it is the dominant factor in many such applications. To provide a foundation for our modeling approach we first evaluate the empirical characteristics of crude oil price data from 1990 to 2013 using unit root and variance ratio tests. Statistical evidence from these tests shows only weak support for the applicability of stationary mean-reverting type processes up through 2004, with non-stationary Brownian motion type processes becoming more plausible when the data from 2005 to 2013 is added. We then apply a Kalman filtering method with maximum likelihood approach to estimate the model parameters for both a single-factor Geometric Brownian motion (GBM) process as well as the two-factor Schwartz and Smith (2000) process. The latter process decomposes the spot price into unobservable factors for the long-term equilibrium level and short-term deviation, and it accommodates aspects of both a GBM process and a mean-reverting process. Both empirical and simulated data are analyzed with these models, and we quantify the increases in both the drift rate and volatility of these processes that result from developments in the crude oil markets since the middle of the last decade. We conclude by comparing and contrasting both historical accuracy and forecasts from the parameterized models, and show that when the emphasis is on the long-term expectations, a single factor GBM forecast may be sufficient.