cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
We Have Questions: Pedagogical, Technical, and Procedural Assistance Requests in a Large Computational Thinking Curriculum Research Project (Abstract Only)

As teacher professional development efforts continue to scale to meet the growing demand for computer science educators, more individuals with little formal preparation in the discipline are seeking training. For this reason, it is important to understand the kinds of questions that these teachers, along with administrators and IT staff, are asking professional development providers. This research examines questions received by Scalable Game Design (SGD), a project that engages students in computing through game and simulation design activities. SGD has provided training for more than 300 teachers since 2009. We have found several dimensions of interest in the question pool. The major categories of questions received are pedagogical, technical, and procedural, and we present a generalizable taxonomy of question types plus specific examples. In addition, question content and questioner roles fluctuate throughout the professional development and classroom implementation cycle, from initial inquiries to requests regarding next steps. Knowledge of these factors can lead to adjustments in training content to reduce questions later on and potentially increase teacher confidence; moreover, this information can inform planning for support resources, an especially important activity when project growth is forecast. We also discuss how our support structures have changed over the life of the project and compare them to two other curriculum initiatives that rely on unique software environments. Our future work will investigate the characteristics of teachers who are asking particular kinds of questions, including their disciplinary backgrounds, experience in the classroom, familiarity with SGD, and instructional environments.
Low-Income Latino Students and California’s Early Assessment Program The Role of Sensemaking in the Use of College Readiness Information

California’s Early Assessment Program is designed to notify students about their college readiness, encouraging them to take action to improve their skills during their senior year. The author uses qualitative methods and applies sense-making theory to examine how students attending majority Latino, low-income high schools make sense of the information the program provides. The findings suggest that participants’ limited prior knowledge of the program and shared views of standardized assessments influenced students’ perceptions of the program.
Spectrometric analysis of sulphur hexafluoride during an electrical discharge

In order to better understand breakdown mechanisms and to determine the decomposition products of sulphur hexafluoride, a time-, space-, wavelength-resolved spectroscopic technique is used. Initial results derived from spectrometric analysis of sulphur hexafluoride discharges are presented and discussed.
Invisitagation and Consideration to Mass Communication in Gannan Tibet Area:Taking ke Cai Xiang of Xia He County as Example

Based on field work and date analysis,the paper studies and analyses the mass communication situation in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.Interviewing survey,random sampling and other empirical methods were adopted.The author chooses the typical Tibetan Xiang Kecai as a sample.The paper covers Tibetan audience conditions,exposure to midia,media contents option,media and rural life,and information communication.
Studies on Cadmium Tolerance Differences of Seed Germination and Growth of Roots and Shoots in Different Rice Varieties

To ascertain the genotypic difference of cadmium tolerance,twenty-six rice varieties widely cultivated in central Hunan were used to analyze the effect of cadmium stress( 0. 5 mmol / L) on seed germination and the growth of roots and shoots after seed germination of different rice varieties. The results showed that the cadmium stress had not a significant impact on the germination rate and germination index of rice seed,but it had a significant effect on seed vigor index and the growth of roots and shoots. The inhibition of cadmium stress was larger on the growth of roots than on that of shoots. Large differences of cadmium stress tolerance existed among different varieties. The cluster analysis on comprehensive inhibition effect divided the tested varieties into three types: sensitive,intermediate,tolerant. Among them,Y Liangyou 1 and Q You 1127 belonged to the tolerant type with a relatively strong cadmium tolerance.
Preventive Maintenance of Ventilators

Describes the preventive maintenance from three aspects of management mode,period determination and maintenance solution,especially the items and detecting methods of routine check and periodic test in detail.
Assessing Climate Change Impact on System Reliability of Power Distribution Systems Subjected to Hurricanes

AbstractDamage to power distribution systems due to hurricanes is likely to increase due to a possible increase in the intensity of tropical cyclones caused by climate change. This will exacerbate the already high cost incurred by utility companies and communities due to damage to distribution systems by hurricanes. Consequently, long-term investment in critical civil infrastructure systems, such as distribution systems, requires long-term planning that incorporates the potential impact of climate change. This can only be achieved through a comprehensive risk analysis framework for evaluating the impact of climate change and studying the effectiveness of various adaptation strategies. This paper presents a framework for incorporating the potential impact of climate change in the reliability analysis of power distribution systems subject to hurricane hazards. The framework incorporates a time-dependent hurricane hazard model, time-dependent fragility model, system reliability evaluation, and a life cycle c...
Uniquely Bipancyclic Graphs

In this chapter we look at the problem of uniquely bipancyclic graphs, that is bipartite graphs that contain exactly one cycle of each length from 4 up to the number of vertices. If such a graph contains c cycles, their lengths are 4, 6, …, 2c + 2, so the graph has 2c + 2 vertices; moreover the sum of the lengths of the cycles (total number of edges in the cycles, with multiple appearances in different cycles counted multiply) is \(4 + 6 + \cdots + (2c + 2) = c^{2} + 3c\). We shall denote this by s(c).
Integrated Design of Cryogenic Refrigeration Systems for SMES Systems

This study investigated techniques for specifically matching the designs of a SMES magnet and its cryogenic refrigeration system. Computer models estimated the heat that can be removed by a steady flow of helium through a CICC flow passage. This data was generalized for use with flow passages of different sizes. The transient response of a recirculator-loop cooling scheme was modeled in a manner consistent with the characteristics of the magnet, pump, heat exchangers, and buffer tank. Several buffers were compared and a novel buffering technique was proposed. The results showed that the pumping power required for cooling of CICC magnets can significantly increase the refrigeration load. The pumping power can be reduced by re-cooling the helium before it enters the pump and by using a higher pressure in the system. Parallel flow cooling schemes and high efficiency pumps can also decrease the pumping power and allow a smaller refrigerator to be used. These results show it is important to include pump characteristics when calculating SMES refrigeration loads.
Synthesis and characterization of nanostructures of ZnO and ZnO/Graphene composites for the application in hybrid solar cells

Abstract As an n-type inorganic semiconductor, ZnO has been widely used in hybrid solar cells (HSCs) due to its numerous characteristics such as low cost, easy synthesis, non-toxicity and good optoelectronic properties. In this work we have synthesized the ZnO nanostructures/nanoparticles via wet chemical route having Zinc Acetate Dihydrate (ZnADH) as precursor, Poly (Ethylene Glycol) block poly (Propylene Glycol) block poly (Ethylene Glycol) (PEG-PEG-PEG/P123) as template directing agent. Graphene oxide (GO) was prepared by the Modified Hummer's Method through the oxidation of graphite flakes and KMnO 4 was used as an oxidizing agent. ZnO/Graphene nanocomposites were prepared via sonication process. Oxidation peaks of graphite showed by the UV–Vis spectroscopy were around 216 nm and all composite films were observed to be appeared in visible region. A considerable reduction in bandgap of ZnO from 3.1eV to 2.9eV was observed due to incorporation of graphene oxide which was confirmed with both UV–Vis bandgap analysis method and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Measureable progress in the performance of IV characteristics of hybrid solar cells was achieved using the ZnO/Graphene composite as electron collector in active layer along with P3HT:PCBM in an inverted hybrid photovoltaic device. Short circuit current was observed to be improved by approximately four times then its original value in these devices along with the increase in the concentration of GO whereas open circuit voltage showed a decreasing trend.
Reliability and Validity of a Newly Developed Measure of Citizenship Among Persons with Mental Illnesses

Following development of a 46-item of measure citizenship, a framework for supporting the full membership in society of persons with mental illness, this study tested the measure's reliability and validity. 110 persons from a mental health center completed a questionnaire packet containing the citizenship measure and other measures to assess internal consistency and validity of the citizenship instrument. Correlation matrices were examined for associations between the citizenship instrument and other measures. Stepwise regression examines demographic factors, sense of community, and social capital as predictors of citizenship, recovery, and well-being. Analyses revealed that the measure is psychometrically sound. The measure captures subjective information about the degree to which individuals experience rights, sense of belonging, and other factors associated with community membership that have been previously difficult to assess. The measure establishes a platform for interventions to support the full participation in society of persons with mental illnesses.
Mean, Median, and Skew: Correcting a Textbook Rule

Many textbooks teach a rule of thumb stating that the mean is right of the median under right skew, and left of the median under left skew. This rule fails with surprising frequency. It can fail in...
Validated cost comparison of open vs. robotic pyeloplasty in American children’s hospitals

The objective of this study is to determine the cost and charge differences between patients undergoing open vs. robotic pyeloplasty. This is a retrospective analysis of the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database in patients undergoing pyeloplasty between 2004 and 2013 conducted in large pediatric children’s hospitals in the United States which contribute to PHIS. The participants included all pediatric patients undergoing pyeloplasty at these institutions. We assessed RCC-based cost, charge details, length of stay, and the presence of complications, and compared them between open and robotic cases. When PHIS data were compared to matched local patients, all but five were perfectly matched by medical record number, demographics, and date of procedure. When we compared open vs. robotic cases in 18 institutions that commonly performed robotic cases, there was a similar age distribution, robotic cases had shorter length of stay (2.2 v, 1.6 days, p < 0.001), similar rates of surgical complications (open 4.5 %, robotic 3.6 %, p = 0.50), and robotic cases were more expensive by US $3991 (p < 0.001). OR charges and anesthesia charges accounted for the majority of the cost difference between open vs. robotic cases. There was no association between patient age or chronological year and the mean cost difference between open vs. robotic cases. Robotic pyeloplasty is more expensive, but has a lower (although non-significant) rate of complications and a significantly shorter length of stay. Charges for OR and anesthesia time dominate the cost difference; so efforts to reduce these specific costs should be the focus of future cost-containment efforts.
Role of computer simulation to predict the outcome of 3D bioprinting

By delivering cells and extracellular matrix one layer at a time, 3D bioprinting enables the fabrication of multicellular structures of precise shape and architecture akin to native tissues. Nevertheless, the technique faces challenges related to the sensitivity and motility of living cells. The final product is not what the printer delivers; the constituent cells rearrange according to mechanisms known from developmental biology. Understanding the postprinting evolution of the bioprinted structure is important for the reliability of the method. This problem is addressed by specifically designed computational models of multicellular self-assembly. The purpose of this review is to present the essence of these models, with emphasis on the underlying assumptions, and to describe their advantages and drawbacks.
Quantification of marrow hematogones following autologous stem cell transplant in adult patients with plasma cell myeloma or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and correlation with outcome

In this retrospective study, we quantified the hematogone (normal B-lineage precursor) population by flow cytometric immunophenotyping in post-transplant bone marrow biopsy specimens from adult pat...
Credible Commitment in Covert Affairs

A recurring challenge in politics is to convince actors to take cooperative actions against their self‐interest. This is especially challenging for executives conducting covert activities, as infractions are unobservable and institutional reforms often require the executive's consent. We develop a model based in the auditing literature to investigate when executives agree to reforms that credibly constrain their behaviors. If the revelation cost falls in a high range, the risk of whistleblowing convinces executives to restrain themselves. Executives cannot credibly commit to this when the costs are low, resulting in inefficient investigations from watchdog groups that tax executive resources. We show that executives are sometimes better off in the first case than the second, which results in executives endogenously reforming institutions to achieve this outcome. We illustrate the mechanism with a case study of Gerald Ford's executive reforms to the intelligence community in the 1970s.
Molecular‐based identification and detection of Salmonella in food production systems: current perspectives

Salmonella remains a prominent cause of foodborne illnesses and can originate from a wide range of food products. Given the continued presence of pathogenic Salmonella in food production systems, there is a consistent need to improve identification and detection methods that can identify this pathogen at all stages in food systems. Methods for subtyping have evolved over the years, and the introduction of whole genome sequencing and advancements in PCR technologies have greatly improved the resolution for differentiating strains within a particular serovar. This, in turn, has led to the continued improvement in Salmonella detection technologies for utilization in food production systems. In this review, the focus will be on recent advancements in these technologies, as well as potential issues associated with the application of these tools in food production. In addition, the recent and emerging research developments on Salmonella detection and identification methodologies and their potential application in food production systems will be discussed.
Biotransformation, Toxicology and Pharmacogenomics of Dichloroacetate

Dichloroacetate (DCA) is a product of water chlorination and the metabolism of other xenobiotics to which humans are exposed. It is also an investigational drug for the treatment of diseases of mitochondrial energetics, including congenital forms of lactic acidosis. DCA derives its therapeutic value from its ability to constitutively activate the mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, thereby facilitating lactate removal and cellular energy production. DCA has been shown to be carcinogenic to rodents at higher doses. Although there is no evidence for carcinogenicity in humans in multiple clinical trials, studies indicate that DCA exposure could lead to hepatic and/or peripheral nerve toxicity. A number of recent developments have led to an increased understanding of the biotransformation and toxicology of DCA, including the identification of glutathione S-transferase zeta 1 (GSTZ1) as the cytosolic enzyme that biotransforms DCA to glyoxylate, and that GSTZ1 is identical to maleylacetoacetate isomerase (MAAI). Several functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) have been identified in GSTZ1. This review focuses on the relevance of theses recent findings to understanding the biotransformation and toxicogenetics of DCA.
Bee community preference for an invasive thistle associated with higher pollen protein content

Non-native plant species reliant on insect pollination must attract novel pollinators in their introduced habitat to reproduce. Indeed, pollination services provided by resident floral visitors may contribute to the spread of non-native species, which may then affect the pollination services received by native plants. To determine the mechanisms by which an invasive thistle attracts pollinators in its introduced range, and whether its presence changes the pollinator visitation to native plant species, we compared bee visitation to native plants in the presence or absence of the invader. We experimentally tested the effect of a thistle invasion into a native plant community. We found that the non-native thistle was the most attractive of the plant species to visiting bee species. However, there was no effect of experimental treatment (presence of thistle) on bee abundance or visitation rate (bees per unit floral area per sample) to native plant species. Across 68 bee and 6 plant species, we found a significant correlation between pollen protein content and bee abundance and visitation rate. Thistle pollen also had a similar protein:lipid ratio to legumes, which correlated with bumble bee visitation. The high protein content of the thistle pollen, as compared to four native asters, may allow it to attract pollinators in novel ecosystems, and potentially contribute to its success as an invader. At the same time, this high protein pollen may act as a novel resource to pollinators in the thistle’s invaded range.
A Framework for Climate Change-Related Research to Inform Environmental Protection.

A critical charge for science to inform environmental protection is to characterize the risks associated with climate change, to support development of appropriate responses. The nature of climate change, however, presents significant challenges that must be overcome to do so, including the need for integration and synthesis across the many disciplines that contain knowledge relevant for achieving environmental protection goals. This paper describes an interdisciplinary research framework organized around three “Science Challenges” that directly respond to the needs of environmental protection organizations. Broadly, these Science Challenges refer to the research needed to: inform actions to enhance resilience across a broad range of environmental and social stresses to environmental management endpoints; actions to limit GHG emissions and slow the underlying rate of climate change; and the transition to sustainability across the full spectrum of climate change impacts and solutions; all as situated within an overarching risk management perspective. These Challenges span all media and systems critical to effective environmental protection, highlighting the cross-cutting nature of climate change and the need to address its impacts across systems and places. While this framework uses EPA’s programs as an illustrative example, the research directions articulated herein are broadly applicable across the spectrum of environmental protection organizations. Going forward, we recommend that climate-related research to inform environmental protection efforts should accelerate its evolution toward research that is inherently cross-media and cross-scale; explicitly considers the social dimensions of change; and focuses on designing solutions to the specific risks climate change poses to the environment and society.
Statistical Thermodynamics Primer

The chapter provides a brief exposition of classical statistical thermodynamics with the aim of providing an understanding of the microscopic basis of thermodynamic properties. The topics include Boltzmann distribution, partition functions and their relationship to the macroscopic properties, heat capacity of solids, chemical equilibrium, stable isotope fractionation and their applications to the determination of paleotemperature.
Nonimpulse-Based Mechanisms

There are two aspects, as I see it, in a summary. One, you’ve already heard in yesterday’s session. The second is before us now: What does what we have heard mean for manipulative therapy? Now I am not going to try to recapture the excitement or the power of what you have heard. As a matter of fact, I am in an anticlimactic situation. What does stand out in my mind is that we saw documented the ongoing chemical biological interactions, so-called “talk”, from neuron to neuron, neuron to effector cell, effector cell back to neuron. And yet, we got only a glimpse of the iceberg tip of potential in such matters as Dr. Thoenen’s nerve growth factor, Dr. Singer’s turn-on factors, and many others. I think we all would agree at this point that nonimpulse mechanisms deserve a little more attention than they have received in the past.
Decreasing motor stereotypy in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review

Abstract Background Stereotypic behaviors are repetitive, coordinated, seemingly purposeless behaviors that are most often maintained by automatic reinforcement. Motor stereotypy can range from mild to severe depending on the topography, frequency and extent to which they interfere with ongoing activities. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at an increased risk of exhibiting complex motor stereotypies. Method The purpose of this literature review was to summarize and evaluate the quality of the literature on behavioral interventions to reduce motor stereotypy among individuals with ASD. We reviewed 126 experiments that addressed motor stereotypy using antecedent interventions, reinforcement-based interventions, punishment interventions or a combination of interventions. Results We determined that altering the environment during the session (e.g., continuous access to a competing stimulus) and differential reinforcement of alternative behavior are evidence-based interventions according to the What Works Clearinghouse standards. Conclusions Based on these findings, we discuss considerations for implementing these interventions, procedures for conducting assessments, and areas for future research.
An exploration of amygdala-prefrontal mechanisms in the intergenerational transmission of learned fear

Humans learn about their environments by observing others, including what to fear and what to trust. Observational fear learning may be especially important early in life when children turn to their parents to gather information about their world. Yet, the vast majority of empirical research on fear learning in youth has thus far focused on firsthand classical conditioning, which may fail to capture one of the primary means by which fears are acquired during development. To address this gap in the literature, the present study examined observational fear learning in youth (n = 33; age range: 6-17 years) as they watched videos of their parent and an "unfamiliar parent" (i.e., another participant's parent) undergo fear conditioning. Youth demonstrated stronger fear learning when observing their parent compared to an unfamiliar parent, as indicated by changes in their self-reported liking of the stimuli to which their parents were conditioned (CS+, a geometric shape paired with an aversive noise; CS-, a geometric shape never paired with an aversive noise) and amygdala responses. Parent trait anxiety was associated with youth learning better (i.e., reporting a stronger preference for the CS- relative to CS+), and exhibiting stronger medial prefrontal-amygdala connectivity. Neuroimaging data were additionally acquired from a subset of parents during firsthand conditioning, and parental amygdala and mPFC activation were associated with youth's neural recruitment. Together, these results suggest that youth preferentially learn fears via observation of their parents, and this learning is associated with emotional traits and neural recruitment in parents.
Deliberately prejudiced self-driving vehicles elicit the most outrage

Abstract Should self-driving vehicles be prejudiced, e.g., deliberately harm the elderly over young children? When people make such forced-choices on the vehicle's behalf, they exhibit systematic preferences (e.g., favor young children), yet when their options are unconstrained they favor egalitarianism. So, which of these response patterns should guide AV programming and policy? We argue that this debate is missing the public reaction most likely to threaten the industry's life-saving potential: moral outrage. We find that people are more outraged by AVs that kill discriminately than indiscriminately. Crucially, they are even more outraged by an AV that deliberately kills a less preferred group (e.g., an elderly person over a child) than by one that indiscriminately kills a more preferred group (e.g., a child). Thus, at least insofar as the public is concerned, there may be more reason to depict and program AVs as egalitarian.
Perinatal Mental Illness Nearly Ended My Life.

A psychiatry professor’s recovery from perinatal depression drives her research to facilitate practice and policy change.
Host-to-Host Group A Streptococcus Transmission Causes Infection of the Lamina Propria but not Epithelium of the Upper Respiratory Tract in MyD88-Deficient Mice

To understand protective immune responses against the onset of Group A Streptococcus respiratory infection, we investigated whether MyD88 KO mice were susceptible to acute infection through transmission. After commingling with mice that had intranasal GAS inoculation, MyD88-/- recipient mice had increased GAS loads in the nasal cavity and throat that reached a mean throat colonization of 6.3 x 106 cfu/swab and mean GAS load of 5.2 x 108 cfu in the nasal cavity on day 7. Beyond day 7, MyD88-/- recipient mice became moribund, with mean 1.6 x 107 cfu/swab and 2.5 x 109 cfu GAS in the throat and nasal cavity, respectively. Systemic GAS infection occurred a couple of days after the upper respiratory infection. GAS infects the lip, gingival sulcus of the incisor teeth, the lamina propria of the turbinate but not the nasal cavity and nasopharyngeal tract epithelia, and C57BL/6J recipient mice had no or low levels of GAS in the nasal cavity and throat. Direct nasal GAS inoculation of MyD88-/- mice caused GAS infection mainly in the lamina propria of the turbinate. In contrast, C57BL/6J mice with GAS inoculation had GAS bacteria in the nasal cavity but not in the lamina propria of the turbinates. Thus, MyD88-/- mice are highly susceptible to acute and lethal GAS infection through transmission, and MyD88 signaling is critical for protection of the respiratory tract lamina propria but not nasal and nasopharyngeal epithelia against GAS infection.
Crystal Cube: Forecasting Disruptive Events

Disruptive events within a country can have global repercussions, creating a need for the anticipation and planning of these events. Crystal Cube (CC) is a novel approach to forecasting disruptive ...
Algebraic Codes on Lines, Planes, and Curves: The Many Decoding Algorithms for Reed–Solomon Codes

Decoding large linear codes, in general, is a formidable task. For this reason, the existence of a practical decoding algorithm for a code can be a significant factor in selecting a code. Reed–Solomon codes – and other cyclic codes – have a distance structure that is closely related to the properties of the Fourier transform. Accordingly, many good decoding algorithms for Reed–Solomon codes are based on the Fourier transform. The algorithms described in this chapter form the class of decoding algorithms known as “locator decoding algorithms”. This is the richest, the most interesting, and the most important class of algebraic decoding algorithms. The algorithms for locator decoding are quite sophisticated and mathematically interesting. The appeal of locator decoding is that a certain seemingly formidable nonlinear problem is decomposed into a linear problem and a well structured and straightforward nonlinear problem. Within the general class of locator decoding algorithms, there are many options, and a variety of algorithms exist. Locator decoding can be used whenever the defining set of a cyclic code is a set of consecutive zeros. It uses this set of consecutive zeros to decode, and so the behavior of locator decoding is closely related to the BCH bound rather than to the actual minimum distance. Locator decoding, by itself, reaches the BCH radius, which is the largest integer smaller than half of the BCH bound, but reaches the packing radius of the code only if the packing radius is equal to the BCH radius.
Sensitivity of advective travel time of contaminants to correlated formation porosities

An approach is presented to quantify sensitivity of advective contaminant travel time to porosities of hydrogeologic units (HGUs) along the flowpaths when the porosities of different HGUs are correlated. The approach is an extension of the previous sensitivity analysis technique for independent input porosity cases. It is applicable in situations where a calibrated groundwater flow model exists, but a full contaminant transport model is not available. Three sensitivity indices are introduced based on the decomposition of covariance between the advective contaminant travel time and individual input porosities of HGUs. When the input HGU porosities are correlated, the three sensitivity indices quantify the total, intrinsic and correlated contributions from each individual HGU porosity, which should be considered in order to determine the relative importance to the uncertainty in advective contaminant travel time of the input HGU porosities contributing either independently or correlatedly. Two simple one-dimensional flow examples are presented to illustrate the applications of the approach to scenarios when each HGU has distinct porosity and situations of spatially variable porosity field. The approach is applicable to more complex multi-dimensional cases where advective contaminant travel time can be calculated based on simulated flow results from groundwater flow models.
Segregation at Ceramic Surfaces and Effects on Mass Transport

A brief discussion is given of the factors that influence the concentration of impurities at ceramic surfaces and interfaces. The relationship between the experimentally measured temperature dependence of surface composition and the binding energy differences between surface and bulk is discussed. The simple Langmuir model of surface segregation describes the limiting case when no interactions occur among impurity ions and will generally be inadequate for real systems in which surface condensation and phase transition may occur. The use of segregation isosteres to determine heats of segregation is discussed.
Biological Approaches to Cancer Therapy

Biological approaches to cancer therapy and Bayer Pharmaceuticals are contemporaries: they can both look back on a 100-year history. The earliest leads to cancer therapy with biological agents came from observations of cancer regression that coincided with bacterial infections, suggesting that infectious agents or their products somehow destroyed cancer. These rare and puzzling observations prompted treatment of cancer patients with so-called baceterial toxins, an approach that was pioneered and extensively pursued by William Coley [1]. Although probably effective in some cases, this form of therapy fell into virtual disuse, no doubt in part because of high hopes raised by the introduction of radiation therapy, and later chemotherapy, which were more predictable and comprehensible, and whose mechanisms seemed more easily amenable to scientific inquiry.
A study of one hundred fifty-three infants placed in the positive pressure oxygen-air lock.

Abstract This study was undertaken to evaluate the positive pressure oxygen-air lock as an instrument for resuscitation of the newborn infant. The only previous reports have been by Bloxsom, 1, 2 who designed the apparatus and apparently used the same principle as employed by Barach 3 to produce continuous immobilization of the lung in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. The positive pressure oxygen-air lock is a closed cylinder in which an infant can be placed and locked. The cylinder is made of transparent plastic so that the infant can be easily observed. Heat and humidity are provided in proper amounts. Air and oxygen are introduced under pressure, and a positive pressure is maintained. This positive pressure is cycled between one and three pounds at one-minute intervals. The pressure changes are automatically controlled by means of a mercury switch. A safety valve to control excessive pressure is provided. The operation of this machine is relatively simple and an attendant can be taught how to operate it in a matter of a few minutes. The mechanism of resuscitation is threefold. First, the constant positive pressure of at least 1 pound allows a pressure on the skin and pulmonary tree which forces oxygen by diffusion into the infant's circulation, thereby providing a high oxygen tension. The build-up phase also forces additional oxygen into the bronchial system. Second, the theory of expanding gases is employed, i.e., under decreasing pressure gas expands. The drop-off phase permits this expansion of gas due to the decreased pressure. Third, gaseous expansion causes a reverse flow in the bronchial system, and the expanding gas carries released carbon dioxide and fluid from the lungs.
Curriculum Leadership Roles of Chairpersons in Continuously Planning Departments

Forty-four chairpersons of departments judged by academic vice presidents at randomly selected institutions to be engaged in especially effective curriculum planning were interviewed about their roles. The interviews suggest 7 leadership roles used in the curriculum development process. The roles varied by institutional type, department size, and personal choice. This article reviews the conceptual framework that guided the study, describes the interview population and sample, illustrates the leadership roles with quotations, relates the roles to curriculum planning and organizational contexts, and develops implications for researchers.
Histamine secretion from rat enterochromaffinlike cells

Abstract Background: In vivo studies have suggested an important role for gastric enterochromaffinlike (ECL) cells in mediating acid secretion. Direct evidence for this function is lacking and requires a preparation of highly purified ECL cells. This work investigates the possible role and mechanism of histamine release from the ECL cell in the peripheral regulation of acid secretion, using purified ECL cells from rat fundic mucosa. Methods: A combination of elutriation and density-gradient centrifugation was used to purify rat fundic ECL cells. Enrichment was determined by the presence of acidic vacuoles containing a V type adenosine triphosphatase, electron microscopy, immunostaining, and histamine content and release. Results: ECL cells were enriched at least 65-fold with respect to the fundic epithelium. Gastrin (EC 50 0.2 nmol/L) and cholecystokinin octapeptide (nonsulfated, EC 50 0.04 nmol/L) stimulated histamine release in a time- and dose-dependent manner, suggesting a CCK-B receptor subtype, confirmed by the inhibition of gastrin/CCK stimulation with the CCK-B antagonist L365,260. Somatostatin also inhibited gastrin-mediated histamine release. Single cell imaging showed that gastrin elevated intracellular cytosolic calcium concentration biphasically. Carbachol and the C kinase activator 120-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate also stimulated histamine release. Epinephrine (blocked by propranolol), forskolin, and dibutyryl-5′-cyclic adenosine monophosphate were also effective, implicating a β-adrenergic pathway. The H 3 agonist R-α-methyl-histamine inhibited, whereas the H 3 -antagonist thioperamide potentiated gastrin/CCK stimulated histamine release. Conclusions: These in vitro results support a central role for the ECL cell in the peripheral regulation of gastric acid secretion.
Powerful Images: Portrayals of Native America

Powerful Images: Portrayals of Native America. Autry Museum of Western Heritage, Los Angeles. February 20-May 16,1999. Powerful Images: Portrayals of Native America. Sarah E. Boeheme. Gerald T. Conaty. Clifford Crane Bear. Emma I. Hansen. Mike Leslie. and James H. Nottage Seattle: Museums West in association with the University of Washington Press, 1998. xiv. 144 pp.
Reference librarians' perceptions of the issues they face as academic health information professionals.

Background: Leaders in the profession encourage academic health sciences librarians to assume new roles as part of the growth process for remaining vital professionals. Have librarians embraced these new roles? Objectives: This research sought to examine from the reference librarians' viewpoints how their roles have changed over the past ten years and what the challenges these changes present as viewed by both the librarians and library directors. Method: A series of eight focus groups was conducted with reference librarians from private and public academic health sciences libraries. Directors of these libraries were interviewed separately. Results: Reference librarians' activities have largely confirmed the role changes anticipated by their leaders. They are teaching more, engaging in outreach through liaison initiatives, and designing Web pages, in addition to providing traditional reference duties. Librarians offer insights into unanticipated issues encountered in each of these areas and offer some creative solutions. Directors discuss the issues from their unique perspective. Conclusion: Librarians have identified areas for focusing efforts in lifelong learning. Adult learning theory, specialized databases and resources needed by researchers, ever-evolving technology, and promotion and evaluation of the library are areas needing attention. Implications for library education and continuing professional development are presented.
Residual syringe activity: Is there a need for concern?

2111 Objectives The administration of specifically dosed radio pharmaceuticals to patients is a very important aspect of Nuclear Medicine. The objective of this study was to examine the extent of residual activity of (99m) Tc methylene diphosphonate (MDP) in plastic syringes after injection and to determine whether patients are receiving a significant amount of their intended doses. Methods A dose calibrator was used to measure the radioactivity of 38 syringes containing (99m) Tc-MDP doses immediately before and after they were injected. All doses were prepared by the radio pharmaceutical company in 3 mL disposable, plastic syringes. The measured doses were administered to patients using a straight stick technique, and the syringes were not flushed with saline post injection. Results Dose activity was measured and recorded for 38 (99m) Tc-MDP syringes. The prescribed dose of (99m) Tc-MDP was 25 mCi and the initial syringe activity measured ranged from 22.8 mCi to 27.30 mCi. The average initial activity in the syringes containing (99m) Tc-MDP was 24.55 mCi. The residual activity found in the syringes post-injection ranged from 0.2 mCi to 2.83 mCi. The average amount of (99m) Tc-MDP in the syringes after injection was 0.92 mCi. On average, 3.7% of the initial dose activity was absorbed and retained by the plastic syringe. Conclusions Results showed that patients received 96.3% of their intended (99m) Tc-MDP doses. Residual activity in (99m) Tc-MDP prepared syringes was not significant, and therefore is not a need for concern
The Structural Role of Antibody N-Glycosylation in Receptor Interactions

Asparagine(N)297-linked glycosylation of immunoglobulin G (IgG) Fc is required for binding to FcγRIIa, IIb, and IIIa, although it is unclear how it contributes. We found the quaternary structure of glycosylated Fc was indistinguishable from aglycosylated Fc, indicating that N-glycosylation does not maintain relative Fc Cγ2/Cγ3 domain orientation. However, the conformation of the C'E loop, which contains N297, was significantly perturbed in the aglycosylated Fc variant. The conformation of the C'E loop as measured with a range of Fc variants shows a strong correlation with FcγRIIIa affinity. These results indicate that the primary role of the IgG1 Fc N-glycan is to stabilize the C'E loop through intramolecular interactions between carbohydrate and amino acid residues, and preorganize the FcγRIIIa interface for optimal binding affinity. The features that contribute to the capacity of the IgG1 Fc N-glycan to restrict protein conformation and tune binding affinity are conserved in other antibodies including IgG2-IgG4, IgD, IgE, and IgM.
Applying Science to Changing Dietary Patterns

The intake of 400-600 g/d of fruits and vegetables is associated with reduced incidence of many common forms of cancer. These foods contain phytochemicals that can modulate gene expression to inhibit carcinogenesis via multiple pathways. Many phytochemicals are colorful, providing an easy way to communicate increased diversity of fruits and vegetables to the public. Red foods contain lycopene, the pigment in tomatoes, which is localized in the prostate gland and may be involved in maintaining prostate health. Yellow-green vegetables, such as corn and leafy greens, contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which are localized in the retina where age-related macular degeneration occurs. Red-purple foods contain anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants found in red apples, grapes, berries and wine. Orange foods, including carrots, mangos, apricots, pumpkin and winter squash, contain beta-carotene. Orange-yellow foods, including oranges, tangerines and lemons contain citrus flavonoids. Green foods, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts and kale, contain glucosinolates. White-green foods in the onion family contain allyl sulfides. Consumers are advised to ingest one serving of each of the above groups daily, putting this recommendation within the National Cancer Institute and American Institute for Cancer Research guidelines of five to nine servings per day. The color code provides simplification, but it is also important as a way to help consumers to find common fruits and vegetables easily while traveling, eating in restaurants or working. At home, simple ways of preparing foods rapidly and easily are needed to influence dietary patterns.
Computer diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma.

Summary: This paper describes a retrospective study comparing the probabilities of thyroid carcinoma occurring as calculated by a computer with the histopathological diagnosis. In a series of patients subjected to thyroidectomy for nontoxic goitre, the computer calculated probability of thyroid carcinoma correlated well with the final diagnosis. The predicted probability of carcinoma of the thyroid was arbitrarily grouped into five ranges, varying from low probability of less than 5% to high, greater than 75%. The incidence of carcinoma in the low probability group was 1.5% while in the high probability group it was 42.9%.
From Primary Care to Public Health: Using Problem-Based Learning and the Ecological Model to Teach Public Health to First Year Medical Students

We investigated whether a public health-oriented Problem-Based Learning case presented to first-year medical students conveyed 12 “Population Health Competencies for Medical Students,” as recommended by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Regional Medicine-Public Health Education Centers. A public health-oriented Problem-Based Learning case guided by the ecological model paradigm was developed and implemented among two groups of 8 students at the University of California, Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program, in the Fall of 2010. Using directed content analysis, student-generated written reports were coded for the presence of the 12 population health content areas. Students generated a total of 29 reports, of which 20 (69%) contained information relevant to at least one of the 12 population health competencies. Each of the 12 content areas was addressed by at least one report. As physicians-in-training prepare to confront the challenges of integrating prevention and population health with clinical practice, Problem-Based Learning is a promising tool to enhance medical students’ engagement with public health.
Dispersion Relation for the Photoproduction of K-Mesons

Dispersion relations for the photoproduction of K mesons by nucleons sre derived both covariantly and non-covariantly. They contain the renormalized Born term with inclusion of the magnetic moments of baryons.
Variation of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in response to reduced salinity in the red alga Gracilaria verrucosa (Hudson) papenfuss (Gigartinales, rhodophyta)

Abstract 1. 1. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH) activity decreased initially in plants placed in the laboratory at field salinity (32 ppt) but returned to the original level within 23 days. 2. 2. G3PDH activity increased significantly within 24 hr in plants placed in the laboratory at 10 ppt salinity, but decreased within 48 hr to a level significantly less than that of plants held at 32 ppt salinity. G3PDH activity of the plants at 10 ppt returned to the original level within 23 days. 3. 3. Acclimation by Gracilaria verrucosa to reduced salinities involves recovery of G3PDH activity, but the time interval is longer than that known for respiration and photosynthesis.
Thermochemistry, Reaction Paths, and Kinetics on the Hydroperoxy-Ethyl Radical Reaction with O2: New Chain Branching Reactions in Hydrocarbon Oxidation

Ab initio and density functional calculations are performed to determine thermochemical and kinetic parameters in analysis of the 2 hydroperoxy-ethyl radical association with O2. The system serves as an initial model for O2 association with higher molecular weight alkyl-hydroperoxide radicals and is an important component in the well-studied ethyl radical plus O2 reaction system. The CBS-Q//B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) and G3(MP2) composite methods are utilized to calculate energies. The well depth is determined as 35 kcal/mol and transition state results show two low energy paths (barriers below the entrance channel) for reaction to new products: (i) a HO2 molecular elimination and (ii) a hydrogen shift path. Intramolecular hydrogen transfer (five-member ring) leads to 2 hydroperoxide acetadehyde + OH, where the barrier is ca. 7 kcal/mol lower than previously estimated. The HOOCH2CH(O) formed here is chemically activated and a significant fraction dissociates to OH + formyl-methoxy radical, before stabilization. Th...
The intuitionistic fragment of computability logic at the propositional level

Abstract This paper presents a soundness and completeness proof for propositional intuitionistic calculus with respect to the semantics of computability logic. The latter interprets formulas as interactive computational problems, formalized as games between a machine and its environment. Intuitionistic implication is understood as algorithmic reduction in the weakest possible — and hence most natural — sense, disjunction and conjunction as deterministic-choice combinations of problems (disjunction = machine’s choice, conjunction = environment’s choice), and “absurd” as a computational problem of universal strength.