cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of flipped teaching combined with modified team-based learning on student performance in physiology

Flipped classroom is a hybrid educational format that shifts guided teaching out of class, thus allowing class time for student-centered learning. Although this innovative teaching format is gaining attention, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of flipped teaching on student performance. We compared student performance and student attitudes toward flipped teaching with that of traditional lectures using a partial flipped study design. Flipped teaching expected students to have completed preclass material, such as assigned reading, instructor-prepared lecture video(s), and PowerPoint slides. In-class activities included the review of difficult topics, a modified team-based learning (TBL) session, and an individual assessment. In the unflipped teaching format, students were given PowerPoint slides and reading assignment before their scheduled lectures. The class time consisted of podium-style lecture, which was captured in real time and was made available for students to use as needed. Comparison of student performance between flipped and unflipped teaching showed that flipped teaching improved student performance by 17.5%. This was true of students in both the upper and lower half of the class. A survey conducted during this study indicated that 65% of the students changed the way they normally studied, and 69% of the students believed that they were more prepared for class with flipped learning than in the unflipped class. These findings suggest that flipped teaching, combined with TBL, is more effective than the traditional lecture.
Generational Differences in Definitions of Meaningful Work: A Mixed Methods Study

The search for meaningful work has been of interest to researchers from a variety of disciplines for decades and seems to have grown even more recently. Much of the literature assumes that employees share a sense of what is meaningful in work and there isn’t much attention given to how and why meanings might differ (Rosso et al. in Res Organ Behav 30:91–127, 2010). Researchers have not only called for more research studying demographic differences in definitions of meaning (e.g., Michaelson et al. in J Bus Ethics 121(1):77–90, 2014), but also more research utilizing mixed methods to study psychological concepts like meaningful work (e.g., Eid and Diener, in Eid, Diener (eds) Handbook of multimethod measurement in psychology, American Psychological Association, Washington, 2006). This study specifically examines differences across generational cohorts on their prioritization of sources of meaningful work through qualitative, in-depth interviews followed by a more generalizable, quantitative survey. Findings from the qualitative study show that generational cohorts define the meaning in their jobs differently, and they hold negative perceptions about the lack of desire for meaning in each of the other cohorts. Study 2 maps generational cohorts on the comprehensive model of meaningful work designed by Lips-Wiersma and Morris (J Bus Ethics 88(3):491–511, 2009) to reveal that although there are some differences in prioritization of sources of meaningful work, all generational cohorts share similar desire to “develop and become themselves” when asked about their definitions of meaningful work. Implications and future research are discussed.
A case of atrio-esophageal fistula masquerading as upper GI bleed

We represent a fatal case of atrio esophageal fistula that presented as upper GI bleed. The case was complicated by rapidly progressing multi organ dysfunction syndrome and eventual death. This was an iatrogenic complication of an elective procedure.
Moving beyond microbiome-wide associations to causal microbe identification

Microbiome-wide association studies have established that numerous diseases are associated with changes in the microbiota. These studies typically generate a long list of commensals implicated as biomarkers of disease, with no clear relevance to disease pathogenesis. If the field is to move beyond correlations and begin to address causation, an effective system is needed for refining this catalogue of differentially abundant microbes and to allow subsequent mechanistic studies. Here we demonstrate that triangulation of microbe-phenotype relationships is an effective method for reducing the noise inherent in microbiota studies and enabling identification of causal microbes. We found that gnotobiotic mice harbouring different microbial communities exhibited differential survival in a colitis model. Co-housing of these mice generated animals that had hybrid microbiotas and displayed intermediate susceptibility to colitis. Mapping of microbe-phenotype relationships in parental mouse strains and in mice with hybrid microbiotas identified the bacterial family Lachnospiraceae as a correlate for protection from disease. Using directed microbial culture techniques, we discovered Clostridium immunis, a previously unknown bacterial species from this family, that-when administered to colitis-prone mice-protected them against colitis-associated death. To demonstrate the generalizability of our approach, we used it to identify several commensal organisms that induce intestinal expression of an antimicrobial peptide. Thus, we have used microbe-phenotype triangulation to move beyond the standard correlative microbiome study and identify causal microbes for two completely distinct phenotypes. Identification of disease-modulating commensals by microbe-phenotype triangulation may be more broadly applicable to human microbiome studies.
Modes and Mechanisms of Speciation

In The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin described the formation of new species as the “mystery of mysteries”. More than 150 years after Darwin first posed the problem much progress has been made in discerning what creates the great diversity of life. Speciation is the evolutionary process where a group of inbreeding populations diverges into two or more reproductively isolated groups. In this chapter, we summarize the current understanding of speciation in sexually reproductive organisms. In particular, we describe how barriers to gene flow evolve and focus on the most important factors promoting speciation. Further, we integrate different perspectives by describing recent progress from many different model systems for the study of speciation. Building on this work, we emphasize new genomic approaches to the study of speciation and how advances in DNA sequencing methods will revolutionize our understanding of the genetic basis of the speciation process. We conclude by summarizing our current understanding of speciation and show that although much of Darwin's mystery is solved, many important questions remain. Keywords: speciation; genomics; gene flow; reproductive isolation; symbiosis
Nanostructure and functionality of enzymatically repolymerized whey protein hydrolysate.

Abstract Whey proteins (WPI) were polymerized with transglutaminase (TGase) before and after partially hydrolyzing the protein with thermolysin to produce protein nanoparticles/polymers. Electrophoresis and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to determine the size and structural characteristics of the polymers. The foaming and emulsifying properties of these nanoparticles were studied. The polymerized WPI (WPI-TG) produced more stable foams than the repolymerized WPI hydrolysate (WPIH-TG). In contrast, WPIH-TG produced better emulsions with better storage stability than WPI-TG emulsions. These differences were due to their structure and electrostatic properties: The WPI-TG particles were linear, less than 100 nm in size with lower net negative charge, whereas the WPIH-TG polymers were much larger and were highly negatively charged as judged from zeta potential. This suggested that while protein nanoparticles may provide Pickering stability to both emulsions and foams, strong lateral electrostatic repulsion between nanoparticles within the adsorbed film destabilizes foams but not emulsions.
Energy and Performance Efficient Computation Offloading for Deep Neural Networks in a Mobile Cloud Computing Environment

In today's computing technology scene, mobile devices are considered to be computationally weak, while large cloud servers are capable of handling expensive workloads, therefore, intensive computing tasks are typically offloaded to the cloud. Recent advances in learning techniques have enabled Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) to be deployed in a wide range of applications. Commercial speech based intelligent personal assistants (IPA) like Apple's Siri, which employs DNN as its recognition model, operate solely over the cloud. The cloud-only approach may require a large amount of data transfer between the cloud and the mobile device. The mobile-only approach may lack performance efficiency. In addition, the cloud server may be slow at times due to the congestion and limited subscription and mobile devices may have battery usage constraints. In this paper, we investigate the efficiency of offloading only some parts of the computations in DNNs to the cloud. We have formulated an optimal computation offloading framework for forward propagation in DNNs, which adapts to battery usage constraints on the mobile side and limited available resources on the cloud. Our simulation results show that our framework can achieve 1.42x on average and up to 3.07x speedup in the execution time on the mobile device. In addition, it results in 2.11x on average and up to 4.26x reduction in mobile energy consumption.
Immobilized Lactase for Whey Hydrolysis: Stability and Operating Strategy

A number of previous studies have described the development of immobilized lactase for the hydrolysis of the lactose in cheese whey (1–7). From cost estimates (1,6,7), it is apparent that one of the most critical factors in determining the cost of hydrolysis is the stability of the immobilized enzyme (IME) in actual use. Although some data are available concerning immobilized lactase stability as a function of feed composition (7), they are not extensive. Particularly in the area of whole whey or whey still containing protein and salts, information is limited (1,7). A second factor, reactor operating strategy, has received even less attention.
Translational Control of Prostaglandin Synthase by Growth Factors and Glucocorticoids

The discovery that both glucocorticoids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin inhibit synthesis of prostaglandins represented a major advance in our understanding of inflammatory processes. Whereas the non-steroidal drugs inhibit the enzyme prostaglandin synthase directly, the molecular basis for the action of the glucocorticoids is incompletely understood. Glucocorticoids have been shown to inhibit prostaglandin production both by inhibiting release of arachidonic acid substrate and by suppressing PG synthase levels directly. In cells with a high degree of glucocorticoid sensitivity, the latter effect predominates.
Response to Intervention for Youth with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Incorporating an Evidence-Based Intervention Within a Multi-tiered Framework

Response to Intervention (RTI) refers to a collection of practices aimed at the timely identification of student problems to enhance achievement and behavioral outcomes in a cost-effective manner. The purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate how evidence-based classroom interventions for youth with ADHD can be applied using the RTI framework. To achieve this goal, we focus our demonstration on the Daily Report Card (DRC) intervention (DRC; Kelley, 1990), as it is the most widely used and studied classroom intervention for ADHD (Pelham & Fabiano, 2008; Pelham, Wheeler, & Chronis, 1998). We provide an overview of RTI, discuss the association between ADHD and academic impairment that underscores the need for an RTI approach to services for these students, describe our rationale for selecting the DRC intervention as an exemplar intervention, demonstrate how the DRC can be applied using a three-tiered RTI approach, and conclude with ideas for future research.
Optimizing the Concurrent Execution of Locks and Transactions

Transactional memory (TM) is a promising alternative to mutual exclusion. In spite of this, it may be unrealistic for TM programs to be devoid of locks due to their abundant use in legacy software systems. Consequently, for TMs to be practical they may need to manage the interaction of transactions and locks when they access the same shared-memory. This paper presents two algorithms, one coarse-grained and one fine-grained, that improve the state-of-the-art performance for TMs that support the concurrent execution of locks and transactions. We also discuss the programming language constructs that are necessary to implement such algorithms and present analyses that compare and contrast our approach with prior work. Our analyses demonstrate that, (i) in general, our proposed coarse- and fine-grained algorithms improve program concurrency but (ii) an algorithm’s concurrent throughput potential does not always lead to realized performance gains.
Performance Evaluation of the Intel Sandy Bridge Based NASA Pleiades Using Scientific and Engineering Applications

We present a performance evaluation of Pleiades based on the Intel Xeon E5-2670 processor, a fourth-generation eight-core Sandy Bridge architecture, and compare it with the previous third generation Nehalem architecture. Several architectural features have been incorporated in Sandy Bridge: (a) four memory channels as opposed to three in Nehalem; (b) memory speed increased from 1333 MHz to 1600 MHz; (c) ring to connect on-chip L3 cache with cores, system agent, memory controller, and QPI agent and I/O controller to increase the scalability; (d) new AVX unit with wider vector registers of 256 bit; (e) integration of PCI-Express 3.0 controllers into the I/O subsystem on chip; (f) new Turbo Boost version 2.0 where base frequency of processor increased from 2.6 to 3.2 GHz; and (g) QPI link rate from 6.4 to 8 GT/s and two QPI links to second socket. We critically evaluate these new features using several low-level benchmarks, and four full-scale scientific and engineering applications.
Deep Reinforcement Learning for NLP

Many Natural Language Processing (NLP) tasks (including generation, language grounding, reasoning, information extraction, coreference resolution, and dialog) can be formulated as deep reinforcement learning (DRL) problems. However, since language is often discrete and the space for all sentences is infinite, there are many challenges for formulating reinforcement learning problems of NLP tasks. In this tutorial, we provide a gentle introduction to the foundation of deep reinforcement learning, as well as some practical DRL solutions in NLP. We describe recent advances in designing deep reinforcement learning for NLP, with a special focus on generation, dialogue, and information extraction. Finally, we discuss why they succeed, and when they may fail, aiming at providing some practical advice about deep reinforcement learning for solving real-world NLP problems.
The Long Arm of Trauma During Childhood: Associations with Resources in Couple Relationships

Traumatic experiences within and outside the family of origin in childhood may disrupt couple functioning later in life. Using a sample of 3,958 couples assessed through the Relationship Evaluation Questionnaire (RELATE), an actor-partner independence model was fit to test direct and indirect associations between negative impact from one's family of origin (accounting for physical violence and sexual abuse) and resources in couple relationships. Resources were defined using intervention principles derived from the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. Actor and partner effects suggested negative family impact associates with relationship instability and is mediated through negative couple communication. Actor effects suggested negative family impact associates with less calmness in one's self and is also mediated through negative couple communication.
A Twin Memristor Synapse for Spike Timing Dependent Learning in Neuromorphic Systems

Neuromorphic systems consist of a framework of spiking neurons interconnected via plastic synaptic junctures. The discovery of a two terminal passive nanoscale memristive device has spurred great interest in the realization of memristive plastic synapses in neural networks. In this work, a synapse structure is presented that utilizes a pair of memristors, to implement both positive and negative weights. The working scheme of this synapse as an electrical interlink between neurons is explained, and the relative timing of their spiking events is analyzed, which leads to a modulation of the synaptic weight in accordance with the spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) rule. A digital pulse width modulation technique is proposed to achieve these variable changes to the synaptic weight. The synapse architecture presented is shown to have high accuracy when used in neural networks for classification tasks. Lastly, the energy requirement of the system during various phases of operation is presented.
Meeting the Challenge of Effectiveness in Nonprofit Partnerships: Examining the Roles of Partner Selection, Trust, and Communication

Human services nonprofits increasingly provide a social safety net through interorganizational collaboration, and the effectiveness of these partnerships has important implications for the quality and sufficiency of those services. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether partner selection is related to partnership effectiveness and, if so, how. More specifically, the study examines the impact of partner selection on partnership effectiveness and the mediating roles of trust and communication in that relationship. Based on surveys on 201 voluntary human services nonprofit partnerships, trust, and communicative effectiveness are related to satisfaction with partnership outcomes. Trust and communicative effectiveness fully mediated the effects of prior experience and reputation on partnership effectiveness and communication. Interestingly and contrary to some findings from previous research, resource complementarity, homophily, and social networks across organizations’ members, as partner selection factors, were not found to be related to partnership effectiveness. We derived implications for partnership effectiveness research from the results.
Energy efficiency and renewable energy utilization in desalination systems

Desalination technologies and industry have advanced significantly in the past two decades to meet the growing freshwater demands stimulated by the compounding issues of both water quality and quantity in many regions of the world. As desalination processes are energy demanding, there have been many efforts dedicated to improve energy-efficiency of the process units, enhance energy conservation and recovery, and increase renewable energy integration in desalination plants. This perspective article highlights recent key advances and discusses possible venues for further development in desalination energy portfolio to reduce specific energy consumption and, via integration with solar energy, to minimize the environmental footprint associated with freshwater production. First, an overview of current desalination technologies and their energy requirements are presented followed by a discussion on opportunities for improving energy efficiency and energy recovery in both membrane and thermal desalination technologies. Then, various combinations of renewable energy driven desalination plants are discussed with some recent highlights in solar energy driven membrane, thermal and hybrid desalination processes. Technological readiness levels for novel desalination processes, their perceived impact and expected near-future developments in renewable energy integrated desalination technologies are presented. Finally, the potential for solar driven desalination as a cost-competitive freshwater supply alternative is discussed.
Anisotropic Optical Properties of 2D Silicon Telluride

Silicon telluride (Si2Te3) is a silicon-based 2D chalcogenide with potential applications in optoelectronics. It has a unique crystal structure where Si atoms form Si-Si dimers to occupy the “metal” sites. In this paper, we report an ab initio computational study of its optical dielectric properties using the GW approximation and the Bethe-Salpeter equation (BSE). Strong in-plane optical anisotropy is discovered. The imaginary part of the dielectric constant in the direction parallel to the Si-Si dimers is found to be much lower than that perpendicular to the dimers. The optical measurement of the absorption spectra of 2D Si2Te3 nanoplates shows modulation of the absorption coefficient under 90-degree rotation, confirming the computational results. We show the optical anisotropy originates from the particular compositions of the wavefunctions in the valence and conduction bands. Because it is associated with the Si dimer orientation, the in-plane optical anisotropy can potentially be dynamically controlled by electrical field and strain, which may be useful for new device design. In addition, BSE calculations reduce GW quasiparticle band gap by 0.3 eV in bulk and 0.6 eV in monolayer, indicating a large excitonic effect in Si2Te3. Furthermore, including electron-hole interaction in bulk calculations significantly reduces the imaginary part of the dielectric constant in the out-of-plane direction, suggesting strong interlayer exciton effect in Si2Te3 multilayers.
Nonlinear Time Domain Spectroscopy Near a Band Inversion

We develop a theory for the nonlinear time-domain response of a semimetal driven by an ultrafast optical pulse. At quadratic order in the driving field we find that the response near a band inversion transition contains a coherent oscillating component proportional to field intensity with a frequency that can be tuned over a wide range (from terahertz to the near IR) selected by the chemical potential. We illustrate the effect by calculating the induced current as a function of time for a two-band system with time-reversal symmetry but broken parity symmetry to study semimetals where large Berry curvature near a band inversion transition promotes this nonlinear response.
Dinner together: Using experiential learning to build human connections in a social service setting

Innovative pedagogical approaches are needed to teach community practice in this time of rapid community change and political polarization. Bridging the Gap Together is an ongoing experiential lear...
Strategies for Teaching Chemistry Online: A Content Analysis of a Chemistry Instruction Online Learning Community during the Time of COVID-19

A sudden pivot to online instruction required instructors to rapidly acquire new knowledge. Several online communities were built to satisfy their need for professional development. One such commun...
Value distributions of $$\zeta $$ ζ and $$\Gamma $$ Γ , plus some related problems

We prove some uniqueness results of the Riemann zeta-function $$\zeta $$ and the Euler gamma-function $$\Gamma $$ by virtue of shared values via the value distribution theory. In addition, some related problems for families of general meromorphic functions are discussed.
Coconut allergy: Characteristics of reactions and diagnostic predictors in a pediatric tertiary care center.

Abstract Background Little is known on the clinical manifestations of coconut allergy. Our knowledge to date is mainly based on case reports. Objective To characterize the allergic reactions to coconut and suggest diagnostic cutoffs for specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) and skin prick testing (SPT) to predict clinically reactive coconut allergy. Methods Methods include retrospective chart review at an urban tertiary care center of patients with positive testing result for coconut. Probability curves were computed by logistic regression for SPT and coconut sIgE. Results Of 275 records reviewed, 69 patients reported coconut reactions and 206 were sensitized only or nonallergic. The reactions occurred with breastfeeding (n = 2), contact (n = 10), or oral ingestion (n = 57). Approximately 50% of oral ingestion reactions were associated with mild/moderate anaphylaxis. Clinical reactivity vs sensitization was more common in topical coconut users (2-fold) (P = .02). Although not statistically significant, there was a trend toward more coconut allergy vs sensitization in Asian and African American patients. The probability of allergy with positive SPT result was approximately 50% and with sIgE was approximately 60%. At an SPT of 9 mm wheal or sIgE of 58 kU of allergen/L, there is a 95% probability of reaction. Cosensitization with tree nuts, legumes, and seeds was common. Macadamia nut had the strongest correlation with coconut (r = 0.81, P Conclusion Although the rate of reactivity to coconut in sensitized individuals is low, half of the reactions from consumption met the criteria for anaphylaxis. Clinicians should be aware of the spectrum of reactions and diagnostic use of sIgE and SPT.
Anti-MDA5 juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathy with second-degree heart block but no skin or lung involvement: a case report

Patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy and autoantibodies directed against melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5) characteristically have interstitial lung disease, severe cutaneous involvement, arthritis, and relatively mild myositis. Cardiac involvement in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy can occur and has been associated with anti-signal recognition particle and anti-polymyositis-scleroderma autoantibodies, but not with anti-MDA5 autoantibodies. A 14-year-old male presented with weakness, second-degree heart block, arthritis, and hematologic cytopenias. Imaging and biopsies confirmed the diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic inflammatory myopathy, and he had high titer anti-MDA5 autoantibodies. There were no cutaneous or pulmonary abnormalities. While on prednisone and methotrexate, the patient’s heart block improved from second- to first-degree and the cytopenias resolved. Persistent myositis prompted the addition of intravenous immunoglobulin. Seven months into the disease course, the arthritis and myositis are in remission and the patient is no longer taking corticosteroids. We report a novel case of a patient with juvenile idiopathic myositis who lacked the typical cutaneous and pulmonary findings associated with anti-MDA5 positivity, but who had cardiac conduction defects. This report broadens the clinical spectrum of anti-MDA5-associated inflammatory myopathy.
Fischer, Mia. Terrorizing Gender: Transgender Visibility and the Surveillance Practices of the U.S. Security State.: Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2019. 282 pp. $45.00 (hardcover). ISBN: 2019005291.

Against the self-congratulatory media discourse that America has finally hit the so-called transgender tipping point, Mia Fischer argues that visibility politics works against the interests and bas...
Regex Parsons: Using Horizontal Parsons Problems to Scaffold Learning Regex

Regular expressions (regex) are a popular text processing method used in programming. They are widely used in data analysis, web scraping, and input validation, and are supported by all mainstream programming languages. However, both students and even professional programmers perceive writing regex as difficult. Meanwhile, Parsons problems are a type of code completion problem used for introductory level programming education, and they can be a more efficient way to practice programming. Since regex is also a formal language, we created a horizontal version of Parsons problems to support teaching regex. We present results from an evaluation study in a MOOC comparing solving Parsons regex problems versus traditional regex problems. A higher percentage of students in the Parsons condition completed the practice and posttest. There was no significant difference in the learning gain from pretest to posttest between the conditions.
Octadecafluoro[60]fullerene: when nanocarbon met metal fluoride

Abstract The chapter presents a short history of the serendipitous discovery of the most iconic fluorinated fullerene molecule, C60F18, its peculiar behavior in the gas phase, in solution, and in the solid state, and its interactions with other molecules and with metal and nonmetal surfaces. Its intentional and “unintentional” chemical transformations produced a family of fluorinated molecules with unanticipated structures, properties, and functions that uniquely expanded the scope of synthetic fullerene chemistry.
Textiles and meaning in the lais Guigemar, Lanval, and Laustic of Marie de France.

Through an analysis of Guigemar, Lanval, and Laustic, I show how Marie incorporates textiles into her stories to subvert tropes of misogynistic authority and to assert equality and independence, and to invert traditional gender roles. In Guigemar, a wife uses female knowledge as healing. While keeping her lover tightly-bound through a symbolic exchange, she instructs him in the art of love and ensures his fidelity to her. In Lanval a mysterious Fairy Queen bestows her love upon the receptive and willing Lanval, enacting a reversal of gender stereotypes. From the onset of their relationship she takes on a masculine role and uses feminine sexuality to highlight her exoticism through her erotic dress. In Laustic a wife rescues her lover from her husband’s jealousy by sending him a dead nightingale in embroidered silk. This lai parallels Ovid’s “Philomena” as the heroines in both stories use textiles to relay a message.
Marketing Computer Systems in the Middle East: A Comparative Study of Turkey and Saudi Arabia

The marketing environment and buyer behavior for computer systems in two less-developed-countries (LDCs) in the Middle East, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, are analyzed. How competing multinational companies (MNCs) enter the market, how the private and public sectors differ, how support personnel are provided, and how purchase/ lease preferences vary are compared along with the financial and political risks of being in thse markets. As a conclusion, a framework that explains the macro factors affecting the demand for computer systems in LDCs is developed. This framework could be used either (1) as a guideline by computer MNCs in their strategic decisions with respect to LDCs or (2) as an analytical tool for international development and finance organizations, governments of developed countries trying to decide if, when, and how to transfer computer technology to the LDCs.
Ischemic Priapism and Implant Surgery with Sharp Corporal Fibrosis Excision (CME)

ABSTRACT Introduction Prolonged ischemic priapism is commonly associated with severe erectile dysfunction. Subsequent implant surgery is complicated by fibrosis of corporal tissue. Aim In this article we review clinical practice methods for safe and effective use of intracavernosal injection therapy as well as management of erectile dysfunction that may result from inappropriate priapism treatment. Methods A case report is presented followed by a review of literature addressing surgical techniques for penile prosthesis implantation in the setting of corporal fibrosis. Main Outcome Measures Review of literature and discussion of best-practice management. Results Erectile dysfunction should be clearly distinguished from premature ejaculation. Careful training and monitoring of patients using penile self-injection therapy is essential for preventing episodes of priapism. Local injection clinics that are primarily motivated by financial considerations threaten the safe management of men with sexual dysfunction. Development of corporal fibrosis occurs during prolonged ischemic priapism and is duration-dependent. Implant surgeons should be familiar with maneuvers to address fibrotic corporal tissue. Stember DS, and Mulhall JP. Ischemic priapism and implant surgery with sharp corporal fibrosis excision.
Commentary on exploring the dark side of pet ownership: Status- and control-based pet consumption. A reinterpretation of the data

Abstract This paper adds another layer of interpretation to the data of Beverland, Farrelly, and Lim (2007). First, I explore the link between Beverland et al. (2007) and the thought of Martin Buber (1923). Then I argue that some respondents see their dogs through the metaphor of human friendship and others through the metaphor of human parenting. I share Beverland et al.'s ethical views that in the highest forms of relationships, people attempt to see the other as they really are. But note an irony – namely, that many of the respondents most committed to individual relationships with their pets anthropomorphize their dogs in ways that work against this kind of honest relationship.
The Müllerian inhibitor and mammalian sexual development

The elegant embryological experiments of Jost demonstrated the existence of a foetal testicular factor that is required to cause the regression of the mullerian duct system, the anlagen of the uterus, oviducts and upper portion of the vagina, during male sexual development. The mullerian inhibitor currently known as mullerian-inhibiting substance (MIS) or anti-mullerian hormone (AMH), is a member of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) family of growth and differentiation factors. The genetic manipulation of the mouse germline has lead to the generation of animal models for MIS function. Female transgenic mice that chronically express MIS during embryogenesis are born without a uterus or oviducts and their ovaries lose germ cells and degenerate, recapitulating the phenotype of the bovine freemartin. Some male transgenic mice from very high MIS-expressing lines are feminized, suggesting alterations in androgen biosynthesis. Male mice homozygous for a targeted mutation of the MIS gene develop as male pseudohermaphrodites with both male (testes and Wolffian duct-derived) and female (mullerian duct-derived) reproductive organs. Most are infertile because the development of two reproductive systems physically blocks the exit of sperm from these males. In addition, Leydig cell hyperplasia is detected in a proportion of these males and in one case a Leydig cell tumour was found. Recently, a gene encoding a TGF-beta family type II Ser/Thr kinase membrane-bound receptor has been isolated that is expressed in both male and female gonads and in the mesenchyme surrounding the mullerian ducts during embryogenesis. These findings suggest that MIS-mediated mullerian duct regression occurs indirectly through mesenchymal tissue. A targeted mutation of this receptor has been established in the mouse germline. Mice homozygous for this receptor mutation should be useful in understanding the MIS signalling pathway for mullerian duct regression and gonadal function.
Hotel Remodeling Impact: Guest Satisfaction at a Family Resort Hotel

A case study of a family resort hotel demonstrated empirical relationships between guest satisfaction and their perception of the hotel's physical appearance, staff attitude, and the guests' age group. The 333 selfadministered surveys also provided information about the guests' travel behavior and their experience at the hotel. The predictive regression model confined that the hotel was in need of remodeling, and that potential renovation projects will ultimately result in increased guest satisfaction. This article is available in Hospitality Review: http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/hospitalityreview/vol15/iss1/7 Hotel Remodeling Impact: Guest Satisfaction at a Family Resort Hotel
Single LDL-Cholesterol Apheresis Treatment Does Not Improve Vascular Endothelial Function in Hypercholesterolemic Patients

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) apheresis is an effective therapy to reduce CVD risk in hypercholesterolemic patients who are refractory or intolerant to lipid-lowering therapy. We hypothesized that a single treatment of LDL-C apheresis would increase vascular endothelial function by decreasing oxidative stress responses that limit nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability. Patients (n=5; 52±11 y) were actively receiving bi-weekly LDL-C apheresis treatments (duration=54±41 mo). Brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), plasma lipids, vitamin E (α- and γ-tocopherol), markers of oxidative stress (nitro-γ-tocopherol, malondialdehyde (MDA)), and regulators of NO metabolism (arginine (ARG), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA)) were assessed prior to (Pre) and immediately following LDL-C apheresis (Post) and at 1, 3, 7, and 14 d Post. Relative to Pre, total C (300±58 mg/dL) and LDL-C (239±46 mg/dL) at Post were 61% and 70% lower (P<0.01), respectively, and remained 46-56%, 27-34%, and 14-16% lower at 1, ...
Gamma Rays from Supernova 1987A

A review is given of the observation of gamma rays from the decay of 56Co in the debris of the supernova SN1987A, from August, 1987 to May, 1989. The properties of the 56Co lines and their variations with time are discussed. Measurements from Ge, NaI(Tl), and double Compton scatter detectors are described and their results given. Theoretical models fitted to the light curve of SN1987A support the standard model for a Type II supernova burst from a blue supergiant of mass 20 M0, radius of 3 x 107 km and mass of manufactured 56Co of 0.1 M0. Since June 1987 the light curve has decayed with the mean lifetime of 56Co of 114 d.
Design of 2-D recursive digital filters in the spatial domain

A class of least-squares algorithms for designing two-dimensional digital filters from space-domain data is presented. The proposed algorithms iteratively estimate the filter coefficients by minimizing the true squared error between the given and the estimated space-domain responses. The algorithms are essentially generalizations of the optimal 1-D design algorithm given by A.G. Evans and R. Fischl (1973). The error criterion is simultaneously optimized with respect to the coefficients in both dimensions. Design algorithms are given for filters with separable and irreducible numerator/denominator polynomials and also for mixed structures. The effectiveness of the algorithms is illustrated with several simulation examples. >
THEMATIC REVIEW: Core or periphery? The past and present of the history of education

A history of western educational ideas D. Lawton & P. Gordon, 2002 London, Woburn Press 249 pp ISBN 0‐7130‐0219‐0 A century of education R. Aldrich (Ed.), 2002 London, RoutledgeFalmer 245 pp ISBN 0...
EDUCATIONAL SERVICE MARKET AND THE PROSPECTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF KNOWLEDGE IN GEORGIA

The rapid pace of globalization found its reflection in education sphere. Topic studies are in great progress in terms of education development and integration of knowledge. However, no serious researches are done. The same situation is evident in Georgia as well. Analysis in certain aspects of the educational service is made by Unified National Examination Center of the Ministry of Education and Science. But the work carried out by the center in this direction has more in formative nature than a complex scientific research. The paper analyzes the educational field, the most important aspects of marketing; on the base of problem analyzing and the cause-effective evaluation the author offers educational market service survey University model and sets the ways for knowledge development.
The data furnace: heating up with cloud computing

In this paper, we argue that servers can be sent to homes and office buildings and used as a primary heat source. We call this approach the Data Furnace or DF. Data Furances have three advantages over traditional data centers: 1) a smaller carbon footprint 2) reduced total cost of ownership per server 3) closer proximity to the users. From the home owner's perspective, a DF is equivalent to a typical heating system: a metal cabinet is shipped to the home and added to the ductwork or hot water pipes. From a technical perspective, DFs create new opportunities for both lower cost and improved quality of service, if cloud computing applications can exploit the differences in the cost structure and resource profile between Data Furances and conventional data centers.
Measurements of structure-induced polarization features in forward scattering from collections of cylindrical fibers

Abstract Many applications in remote sensing, material sciences and biomedical field are characterized by a transition domain between single scattering and multiple-scattering regimes. This regime is described by typical polarization features which can be used to retrieve structural information. An electronically agile technique was used for measuring in real time the Stokes vectors of light incident on and emerging from an inhomogeneous medium. Subsequently, the Mueller matrix associated with the scattering medium is determined. We focus our attention on forward scattering from systems consisting of random as well as partially oriented long cylindrical fibers. We discuss the effects of: (1) shape of individual scattering centers, (2) structure parameter, and (3) optical density of the scattering medium. The anisotropic behavior of the structure function at different packing fractions determines nontrivial characteristics of the polarization transfer. The complex effective index of refraction can be polarization dependent as a result of the optical anisotropy due to both the shape of the individual scatterers and the structure characteristics of the scattering system. Some of the Mueller matrix elements are shown to be related to the optical anisotropy of the system for the case of long cylindrical fibers. The polarization efficiency, the structure parameter, and the packing fraction are used to quantify this relationship. We also found that some of the matrix elements are more sensitive to the degree of structural anisotropy and the packing fraction, while other elements are sensitive to structural non-uniformities across the investigated area.
Relaxation Pathways of Photoexcited Diaminostilbenes. The meta-Amino Effect

The spectroscopy and photochemistry of several 3-substituted trans-diaminostilbenes have been investigated and the results compared with those from previous studies of 4,4‘-diaminostilbenes. The excited-state properties of 3,5-diaminostilbene and 3,3‘-diaminostilbene are similar to those for the parent 3-aminostilbene. These amines display long, temperature-independent singlet lifetimes and large fluorescence quantum yields. The long singlet lifetimes are a consequence of large barriers for torsion about the central double bond on the singlet state surface and low fluorescence rate constants. Thus, these diaminostilbenes display the “meta-amino effect” previously identified for 3-aminostilbene and for some amine-donor−acceptor substituted stilbenes. The 4,4‘-diaminostilbenes also have larger torsional barriers in nonpolar solvents but shorter singlet lifetimes as a consequence of larger fluorescence and intersystem crossing rate constants. The photophysical properties of 3,4‘-dimethylaminostilbene are sim...
ExCEL in Social Work: Excellence in Cancer Education & Leadership: An Oncology Social Work Response to the 2008 Institute of Medicine Report.

ExCEL in Social Work: Excellence in Cancer Education & Leadership was a multi-year National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded grant for the development and implementation of an innovative educational program for oncology social workers. The program’s curriculum focused upon six core competencies of psychosocial–spiritual support necessary to meet the standard of care recommended by the 2008 Institute of Medicine (IOM) Report: Cancer Care for the Whole Patient: Meeting Psychosocial Health Needs. The curriculum was delivered through a collaborative partnership between the City of Hope National Medical Center and the two leading professional organizations devoted exclusively to representing oncology social workers—the Association of Oncology Social Work and the Association of Pediatric Oncology Social Workers. Initial findings support the feasibility and acceptability of this tailored leadership skills-building program for participating oncology social workers.
Operant behavior and catecholamine-containing neurons: Prolonged increase in lever-pressing after 6-hydroxydopamine

Abstract Intraventricular administration of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-HDA) to rats produced a 4-fold increase in responding maintained by a variable interval (VI) schedule of reinforcement. This effect occurred whether 6-HDA was administered prior to training or after four weeks of training, and persisted for the duration of the experiment (over 5 months). The addition of a time-out or shock component to the VI schedule, procedures which decreased responding in the control groups, was effective in suppressing the high response output of the 6-HDA-treated rats. The increase in VI responding may be a consequence of the production by 6-HDA of a central supersensitivity to catecholamines.
First description of the male of Thaida chepu Platnick, 1987 (Araneae, Austrochilidae) with micro-computed tomography of the palpal organ.

Fil: Michalik, Peter. Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universitat. Zoologisches Institut und Museum. Allgemeine und Systematische Zoologie; Alemania; American Museum of Natural History. Division of Invertebrate Zoology. Research Associate; Estados Unidos de America;
WICS: A model of giftedness in leadership

When we identify people, especially children, for giftedness, we often neglect what arguably is the most important kind of giftedness of all—giftedness for leadership. Ultimately, the individuals we identify should not just be potentially “good” in one or more domains, but also potential leaders in that domain. There is a big difference between merely knowing a lot about a field and taking a leadership role in that field. Gifted adults— certainly those who are remembered—‐are those who take a leadership role. This article argues that effective leaders demonstrate in their leadership a synthesis of three elements: creativity, intelligence, and wisdom. Creativity is used to generate novel ideas; intelligence is used to analyze the quality of these ideas, as well as to implement the ideas and persuade others of their worth; and wisdom is used to balance the effects of these ideas on all possible stakeholders. This article reviews the proposed “WICS” (Wisdom‐Intelligence‐Creativity‐Synthesized) theory of gift...
Residues at the carboxy terminus of T4 DNA polymerase are important determinants for interaction with the polymerase accessory proteins.

Three T4 DNA polymerase accessory proteins (44P/62P and 45P) stimulate the polymerase (pol) activity and the 3‘−5‘ exonuclease (exo) activity of T4 DNA polymerase (43P) on long, double-stranded DNA substrates. The 44P/62P “clamp loader” facilitates the binding of 45P, the “sliding clamp”, to DNA that is primed for replication. Using a series of truncated 43P mutants, we identified a region at the extreme carboxy terminus of the DNA polymerase that is required for its interaction with accessory proteins. Truncation mutants of 43P lacking the carboxy-terminal 3, 6, or 11 residues retained full pol and exo activity on short synthetic primer-templates. However, the ability of the accessory proteins to enhance these activities on long double-stranded DNA templates was drastically reduced, and the extent of the reduction in activity was greater as more residues were deleted. One of the truncation mutants (N881), which had 17 residues removed from the carboxy terminus, showed reduced binding affinity and diminis...