cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Where is Difference? Processes of Mathematical Remediation through a Constructivist Lens

Abstract In this study, we challenge the deficit perspective on mathematical knowing and learning for children labeled as LD, focusing on their struggles not as a within student attribute, but rather as within teacher-learner interactions. We present two cases of fifth-grade students labeled LD as they interacted with a researcher-teacher during two constructivist-oriented teaching experiments designed to foster a concept of unit fraction. Data analysis revealed three main types of interactions, and how they changed over time, which seemed to support the students’ learning: Assess, Cause and Effect Reflection, and Comparison/Prediction Reflection. We thus argue for an intervention in interaction that occurs in the instructional process for students with LD, which should replace attempts to “fix” ‘deficiencies’ that we claim to contribute to disabling such students.
Re)Arranging Regional Rhetorics

This chapter builds from an orientation to emergent rhetorical moments through the concepts of arrangement and region. After tracing arrangement through classical and contemporary rhetorical theory, and noting the way the canon becomes affiliated with invention in theories of rhetoric and materiality, the chapter turns to one example of rhetoric as a regional arrangement: a prairie foraging demonstration on the Willa Cather Memorial Prairie. In addition to mapping the materials invented by the foraging demonstration’s arrangements, the chapter remains critical of efforts to develop a sense of spatial authenticity: if all rhetorics are regional, then their constitutive materials inherently come from, and are on their way to, elsewhere. The chapter concludes by examining the relationship between rhetorical events as regional arrangements and processes of rhetorical production.
Product and Ingredient Security

Product and Ingredient Security is an evolving process to prevent accidental or malicious contamination of food ingredients at the supplier level, manufacturing locations, product carriers, and through the distribution system to the retail shelf.Although greater than 90% of product tampering occurs at retail, the manufacturing community must have systems in place to assure food safety. These systems include; a Security Policy, Crisis Management Team, secure manufacturing plants, approved suppliers with Security Policies, Product Traceability, and bulk and retail packaging that utilizes the best tamper-evident features.Consumer safety and “peace of mind” are critical to maintaining the public’s confidence in the security of our manufacturing facilities and ultimately our brands and trademarks.Paper published with permission.Compilation Copyright © 2018 ASME
Estrogen receptor, a marker for human breast cancer differentiation and patient prognosis.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in American women. Over the past 80 years this malignancy has been studied intensively not only because of its high incidence, but also because of interest generated by the original observation of Beatson demonstrating that some tumors are hormone dependent. Unfortunately, it has only been over the past decade that real advances have been made in the treatment of this disease, as well as in our understanding of breast tumor biology and natural history.
Gender comparison in consistency in the basketball free throw by an event-driven approach

This paper compares the free-throw performance of men and women in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), taking into account differences in ball size, ball stiffness, and release height. Although some claim that men are more athletic, based on the assumption that athleticism correlates with physical traits, the average free-throw percentages in NCAA Division 1 basketball have been close for decades and across gender. The larger men’s basketball could create a disadvantage for men. On the other hand, the stiffer women’s basketball could create a disadvantage for women. In addition, women typically launch the ball from a lower height above the floor than men do. Therefore, the question of which gender is more consistent was unanswered. To answer this question, we turned to simulations of basketball trajectories. We patched together closed-form trajectory events that terminate at the front rim, back rim, backboard, and a fictitious plane below the ring. This produced what we call speed lines. Using the speed lines and NCAA average free-throw percentages, the consistencies of men- and women-free throws were determined. Examination of the speed lines reveals that they exhibit fractal-like behavior. We analyzed sensitivities with respect to ball size, ball bounce, and release height. We found that the most influential factor in determining free-throw success is the average release height of a gender. Under the stipulated assumptions, this paper found that women are about 3% more consistent than men are.
Canonical Equation K 5 for Symmetric Random Matrices with Infinitely Small Entries

In this chapter, we consider the case of a stochastic canonical equation with a so-called degenerate random functional. The case of degenerate random functionals is well studied in the literature when there exist expectations and variances of the entries of random matrices. We generalize these results and in particular we give the strong proof of Berezin’s equation $$ c(x,t) = {\left[ {1 + {t^2}\int_0^1 {{\sigma ^2}} (x,y)\;c(y,t)\;{\rm{d}}y} \right]^{ - 1}},\;{\rm{0 < }}x{\rm{ < 1,}} $$ for the Stieltjes transforms of symmetric random matrices. We also establish the necessary and sufficient conditions for the semicircle law for the case where the variances of the entries of random symmetric matrices do not exist.
Servant Leadership Research Review: Eighteen Years of OLA Research

This chapter will explore just a part of the total servant leadership research conducted over the past 18 years with a focus on research completed using the OLA model and the OLA. This research provides evidence that servant leadership goes well beyond being a good and moral way to lead, but also produces outcomes that are good for employees, for leaders, and for the bottom line of our organizations. A summary of research to date with the Organizational Leadership Assessment (OLA) will be shared showing the relationship between servant leadership and organizational performance in areas of worker job satisfaction, trust in leaders and the organization, employee safety, team effectiveness, employee core self-evaluation, employee productivity, employee absenteeism and attrition, school climate, and student achievement.
An Examination of CEO Tenure Effects on Firm Invention: The Role of Managerial Discretion

Drawing upon upper echelons theory, this research examines the relationship between CEO tenure and innovation. Specifically, we investigated how CEO tenure influences invention in the pharmaceutica...
A Compact Uniplanar Tri-band Antenna for Wearable Smart Watches

In this paper, a uniplanar tri-band antenna for smart watch applications is presented. Implemented on a FR4 substrate and occupying $38 \times 38 \times 0.8 \mathrm {m}\mathrm {m} ^{3}$, the antenna supports Bluetooth, WiFi 2.4/5.8 GHz and WiMAX 3.8 GHz bands. The antenna is composed of an edge tapered, bent monopole element with a capacitively coupled inverted L shorting strip supporting the triband operation in 3:1 VSWR standard and exhibiting positive gain in all bands. The specific absorption rate of the antenna is well within the acceptable limits specified by FCC.
Docking simulation and antibiotic discovery targeting the MlaC protein in Gram-negative bacteria

To maintain the lipid asymmetry of the cell envelope in Gram-negative bacteria, the MlaC protein serves as a lipid transfer factor and delivers phospholipids from the outer to the inner membrane. A strategy of antibiotic discovery is to design a proper compound that can tightly bind to the MlaC protein and inhibit the MlaC function. In this study, we performed virtual screening on multiple MlaC structures obtained from molecular dynamics simulations to identify potential MlaC binders. Our results suggested that clorobiocin is a compound that could bind to the MlaC protein. Through the comparison of the bound geometry between clorobiocin and novobiocin, we pointed out that the methyl-pyrrole group of the noviose sugar in clorobiocin forms hydrophobic interactions with amino acids in the phospholipid binding pocket, which allows the compound to bind deep in the active site. This also explains why clorobiocin shows a tighter binding affinity than novobiocin. Our study highlights a practical path of antibiotic development against Gram-negative bacteria.
Bringing Fiscal Sponsor Activity to Light

We explore the extent to which nonprofits engaging as fiscal sponsors publicly disclose their fiscal sponsor activities. Fiscal sponsors can play an important role in the nonprofit sector by providing capacity support that is often lacking. However, the option to employ a fiscal sponsor is often not well known to smaller entities that would be in the best position to take advantage of the administrative efficiency provided by fiscal sponsors. In reviewing the publicly disclosed information of 74 fiscal sponsors we find that the majority of fiscal sponsors do not disclosure their fiscal sponsorship activity on the Form 990 nor on their website. In order to enhance the sector’s understanding of the important role fiscal sponsors play, and ensure fiscal sponsors are held accountable for their fiscal sponsorship activity, we recommend enhanced disclosures of fiscal sponsorship.
MOLECULAR AND METALLIC HYDROGEN A UNIFIED DENSITY FUNCTIONAL APPROACH

Equations of state for static molecular and metallic hydrogen are calculated in an accurate and comparable way using the density functional method.
Current U.S. Pre-Operative Bowel Preparation Trends: A 2018 Survey of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Members.

Background: The effect of an oral antibiotic preparation prior to colorectal surgery was first examined and exalted in the 1973 paper by Nichols et al. Since this commencement, enthusiasm for the oral antibiotic regimen has waxed and waned reflecting the literature focused on this topic over the past 40 years. Polling colorectal surgeons of define current practices has been performed at intervals throughout the years and has demonstrated a trend to decline in the practice. The most recent publication surveying U.S. practices was in 2010, which reported a minority, 36%, use of oral antibiotics prior to elective colorectal surgery; a marked downtrend from the 88% use described in 1990. Since this last survey, the colorectal surgery community has performed considerable research examining the benefit of oral antibiotic and mechanical bowel preparation. This manuscript evaluates the current use of oral antibiotics in colorectal surgery in the U.S. and how practice trends have developed in response to current recommendations in the literature. Methods: An electronic survey was created and distributed to U.S. colorectal surgeons to evaluate current opinions and practice trends. A total of 359 American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons members responded. A review of the recent literature pertaining to pre-operative bowel practices and outcomes was performed to compare with current practices. Results: A significant majority (83.2%) of respondents use pre-operative oral antibiotics routinely, and 98.6% routinely use mechanical bowel preparation. The use of a combination of parenteral antibiotics, oral antibiotics, and mechanical bowel preparation is reported by 79.3%. The most commonly employed oral antibiotic regimen is neomycin and metronidazole. The most common mechanical bowel preparation is polyethylene glycol (PEG). The most common parenteral antibiotics are cefazolin and metronidazole. There was no statistically significant difference in this practice by geographic region, Board-certified status, or practice setting. Conclusion: The majority of colorectal surgeons employ a combination of oral antibiotics, mechanical bowel preparation, and parenteral antibiotics prior to colorectal surgery. This is consistent across geographic regions, despite Board certification status or practice setting, and is reflective of the recommendations based on recent literature.
One System, Many Domains: Open-Domain Statistical Machine Translation via Feature Augmentation

In this paper, we introduce a simple technique for incorporating domain information into a statistical machine translation system that significantly improves translation quality when test data comes from multiple domains. Our approach augments (conjoins) standard translation model and language model features with domain indicator features and requires only minimal modifications to the optimization and decoding procedures. We evaluate our method on two language pairs with varying numbers of domains, and observe significant improvements of up to 1.0 BLEU.
Concrete Uniaxial Nonlocal Damage-Plasticity Model for Simulating Post-Peak Response of Reinforced Concrete Beam-Columns under Cyclic Loading

AbstractRigorous predication of localized deformations in reinforced concrete (RC) structures under cyclic loading is critical from the standpoint of seismic performance assessment. Among the avail...
If You’re an Egalitarian, You Shouldn’t be so Rich

G.A. Cohen famously claims that egalitarians shouldn’t be so rich. If you possess excess income and there is little chance that the state will redistribute it to the poor, you are obligated to donate it yourself. We argue that this conclusion is correct, but that the case against the rich egalitarian is significantly stronger than the one Cohen offers. In particular, the standard arguments against donating one’s excess income face two critical, unrecognized problems. First, we show that these arguments imply that citizens have no duty to further egalitarian political institutions—a conclusion that Cohen’s Rawlsian opponents cannot abide. Second, these arguments yield unacceptable implications for other questions of justice. We conclude that even moderately rich egalitarians are obligated to donate their excess income.
Factors associated with mammography use: A side-by-side comparison of results from two national surveys.

Background Mammography use is affected by multiple factors that may change as public health interventions are implemented. We examined two nationally representative, population-based surveys to seek consensus and identify inconsistencies in factors associated with mammography use in the entirety of the US population, and by black and white subgroups. Methods Self-reported mammography use in the past year was extracted for 12 639 and 169 116 women aged 40-74 years from the 2016 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), respectively. We applied a random forest algorithm to identify the risk factors of mammography use and used a subset of them in multivariable survey logistic regressions to examine their associations with mammography use, reporting predictive margins and effect sizes. Results The weighted prevalence of past year mammography use was comparable across surveys: 54.31% overall, 54.50% in white, and 61.57% in black in NHIS and 53.24% overall, 56.97% in white, and 62.11% in black in BRFSS. Overall, mammography use was positively associated with black race, older age, higher income, and having health insurance, while negatively associated with having three or more children at home and residing in the Western region of the US. Overweight and moderate obesity were significantly associated with increased mammography use among black women (NHIS), while severe obesity was significantly associated with decreased mammography use among white women (BRFSS). Conclusion We found higher mammography use among black women than white women, a change in the historical trend. We also identified high parity as a risk factor for mammography use, which suggests a potential subpopulation to target with interventions aimed at increasing mammography use.
A customized belonging intervention improves retention of socially disadvantaged students at a broad-access university

Broad-access institutions play a democratizing role in American society, opening doors to many who might not otherwise pursue college. Yet these institutions struggle with persistence and completio...
The Non-First Amendment Law of Freedom of Speech

The First Amendment dominates popular and scholarly debate about freedom of speech in the United States. Yet it is not the only legal instrument that protects expressive freedom, the rights of the institutional press, or the democratic values that these rights facilitate. A rich body of local, state, and federal laws also does so, and does so in ways the First Amendment does not. This Article explores the history, and the present-day operation of what it calls the non-First Amendment law of freedom of speech. Doing so changes our understanding of both the past and the present of the American free speech tradition. It reveals that the nineteenth century was not a period in which there was little legal protection for freedom of speech, as scholars have long assumed. It also makes evident that the contemporary system of free expression is much more majoritarian, and much more pluralist in its conception of what freedom of speech means and requires than the we commonly assume. Recognizing as much is important not only as a descriptive matter but as a doctrinal one. This is because in few other areas of constitutional law does the Court look more to history to guide its interpretation of the meaning of the right. And yet, the Court’s view of the relevant regulatory history is impoverished. Missing from the Court’s understanding of freedom of speech is almost any recognition of the important non-constitutional mechanisms that legislators have traditionally used to promote it. The result is a deeply inconsistent body of First Amendment law that relies on a false view of both our regulatory present, and our regulatory past — and, as a result, is able to proclaim a commitment to laissez faire principles that, in reality, it has never been able to sustain.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Phytopthora sojae Avirulence Factor 5, PsAvh5, Define Membrane Binding and Inositolphosphate-3’-phosphate Interactions and Protein Mechanics

Phytopthora Avirulence proteins are a primary target for development of rational chemical and biological control of some of the most devastating plant pathogens. Despite the sequencing of entire genomes, and characterization of many of these proteins at the chemical level, many questions remain regarding actual chemical and biological interactions involved. In addition, disputed roles of ligands, such as Inositolphosphate-3′-phosphate and amino acids of important function remain unclear. To address some of these issues, we developed molecular models from structural elements and published data for Phytopthora sojae avirulence protein 5. Molecular dynamics simulations are used to study protein function, interactions involved primarily with lipids and membranes, and inositol derivatives. Our findings indicate that the protein is stable as a monomer, and in a dimeric form. Also, that these proteins interact with Inositolphosphate-3′-phosphate as a necessary membrane element, in binding. We identified several amino acids of importance, additional to defining the mechanical features of the protein within the binding process to different membranes. A high affinity, comparable to other membrane surface binding molecules of -219.54 Kcal for the dimer, and -176.61 for the monomer were determined. With either form, we found the inositolphosphate-3′-phosphate to be essential in the membrane binding process. Our findings answer some of the debated questions while creating a point to further test avirulence proteins in general for functional aspects. Additionally, the structures and data can be utilized to provide a better starting point for rational design approaches to control this pathogen.
Reducing Severe Sentences: Role of Prison Programming in Sentencing Reform.

Some academics and policy makers have begun to challenge the use of severe sentences not only for nonviolent offenders but also for all offenders. The call for an across-the-board reduction in severe sentences reflects several basic truths: Severe sentences are a significant driver of both increased incarceration rates and increases in the absolute number of people in prison. Severe sentences carry staggering financial and social costs with millions of dollars expended on sustaining mass incarceration policies that have decimated poor communities of color. Severe sentences are not always necessary or effective in meeting punishment goals such as retribution, deterrence, or incapacitation; nor are they aligned with human rights, human dignity, or international punishment norms.
Mitochondrial PKA Is Neuroprotective in a Cell Culture Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. In hippocampal neurons, the pathological features of AD include the accumulation of extracellular amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) accompanied by oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuron loss. A decrease in neuroprotective Protein Kinase A (PKA) signaling contributes to mitochondrial fragmentation and neurodegeneration in AD. By associating with the protein scaffold Dual-Specificity Anchoring Protein 1 (D-AKAP1), PKA is targeted to mitochondria to promote mitochondrial fusion by phosphorylating the fission modulator dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1). We hypothesized that (1) a decrease in the endogenous level of endogenous D-AKAP1 contributes to decreased PKA signaling in mitochondria and that (2) restoring PKA signaling in mitochondria can reverse neurodegeneration and mitochondrial fragmentation in neurons in AD models. Through immunohistochemistry, we showed that endogenous D-AKAP1, but not other mitochondrial proteins, is significantly reduced in primary neurons treated with Aβ42 peptide (10μM, 24 h), and in the hippocampus and cortex from asymptomatic and symptomatic AD mice (5X-FAD). Transiently expressing wild-type, but not a PKA-binding deficient mutant of D-AKAP1, was able to reduce mitochondrial fission, dendrite retraction, and apoptosis in primary neurons treated with Aβ42. Mechanistically, the protective effects of D-AKAP1/PKA are moderated through PKA-mediated phosphorylation of Drp1, as transiently expressing a PKA phosphomimetic mutant of Drp1 (Drp1-S656D) phenocopies D-AKAP1's ability to reduce Aβ42-mediated apoptosis and mitochondrial fission. Overall, our data suggest that a loss of D-AKAP1/PKA contributes to mitochondrial pathology and neurodegeneration in an in vitro cell culture model of AD.
Laboratory development and pilot-scale deployment of a two-part foamed rock dust

Abstract U.S. Code of Federal Regulations 30 CFR 75.402 and 75.403 require 80% total incombustible content to be maintained within 40 feet of the coal mine face via the liberal application of rock dust. Unfortunately, this application of rock dust limits miners' visibility downwind and can increase the miners' exposures to a respirable nuisance dust. Wet rock dust applied as a slurry is, at times, used to negate these negative effects. Although this aids in meeting the total incombustible limits, the slurry forms a hard cake when dried and no longer effectively disperses as needed to suppress a coal dust explosion. As a result, a dry rock dust must be reapplied to maintain a dispersible layer. Therefore, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have been working towards finding and testing a foamed rock dust formulation that can be applied wet on mine surfaces and remain dispersible once dried which minimizes the likelihood of mine disasters, including mine explosions. The initial tests were aimed at discerning dispersion characteristics of three different foamed rock dusts via the NIOSH-developed dispersion chamber and led to identification of a two-part foam with adequate dispersion characteristics. The current study was conducted to assess the robustness of the two-part foamed rock dust. Through a series of laboratory-scale experiments using the dispersibility chamber, the effects of testing conditions and product formulations on the foam's dispersibility was determined. Some of the tested variables include: exposing the foam to high humidity, varying the component levels of the foamed rock dust, altering the rock dust size distribution, and varying the rock dust types. Further pilot-scale tests examined the atmospheric concentrations of dust via personal dust monitors downwind of foamed rock dust production and application. Additionally, product consistency was recorded during pilot-scale testing at key points in the formulation and application. The results of these experiments will be discussed in this paper.
Surface Expression of Notch1 on Thymocytes: Correlation with the Double-Negative to Double-Positive Transition

Notch1 plays a critical role in regulating T lineage commitment during the differentiation of lymphoid precursors. The physiological relevance of Notch1 signaling during subsequent stages of T cell differentiation has been more controversial. This is due in part to conflicting data from studies examining the overexpression or targeted deletion of Notch1 and to difficulties in distinguishing between the activities of multiple Notch family members and their ligands, which are expressed in the thymus. We employed a polyclonal antiserum against the extracellular domain of Notch1 to study surface expression during thymopoiesis. We found high levels of Notch1 on the cell surface only on double negative (DN) stage 2 through the immature single-positive stage of thymocyte development, before the double-positive (DP) stage. The Notch signaling pathway, as read out by Deltex1 expression levels, is highly active in DN thymocytes. When an active Notch1 transgene, Notch1IC, is exogenously introduced into thymocytes of recombinase-activating gene 2-deficient mice, it promotes proliferation and development to the DP stage following anti-CD3 treatment without apparently affecting the intensity of pre-TCR signaling. In addition, a stromal cell line expressing the Notch ligand, Delta-like-1, promotes the in vitro expansion of wild-type DN3 thymocytes in vitro. Consistent with other recent reports, these data suggest a role for Notch1 during the DN to DP stage of thymocyte maturation and suggest a cellular mechanism by which Notch1IC oncogenes could contribute to thymoma development and maintenance.
Stakeholder Analysis of a Collaborative Watershed Management Process: A Florida Case Study1

Borisova, Tatiana, Laila Racevskis, and Jennison Kipp, 2012. Stakeholder Analysis of a Collaborative Watershed Management Process: A Florida Case Study. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(2): 277-296. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00615.x Abstract: This study focuses on a Florida watershed where development of a total maximum daily load (TMDL) and its implementation plan resulted in conflicts among stakeholders. The overall goal is to build a better understanding of stakeholder perceptions of water quality problems, water policy processes and decisions, and water management plan development in a region where these issues have become contentious. Findings are based on a stakeholder analysis using qualitative data collected through focus groups with agricultural producers, local governments, and environmental groups, and supplemented with additional qualitative data on the watershed management process. Stakeholder conflicts in this case study are associated with perceived flaws in the structural and procedural characteristics of the stakeholder involvement process: (1) suboptimal watershed stakeholder representation on the TMDL executive committee, (2) an inappropriate voting procedure for making TMDL decisions, (3) limitations in information sharing between regulatory agencies and watershed stakeholders, and (4) stakeholders’ doubts about whether tradeoffs associated with achieving the water quality targets were assessed adequately throughout the TMDL planning and implementation process. This study contributes to the literature on collaborative watershed management by analyzing stakeholder involvement given Florida’s unique institutional settings, where implementation of TMDL pollution abatement is mandatory.
Co-expression of estrogen receptor-alpha and targets of estrogen receptor action in proliferating monkey mammary epithelial cells.

Introduction Failure to detect co-expression of estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα) and proliferation 'markers' such as Ki67 in human mammary epithelium led to the view that estrogen acts indirectly to stimulate mammary epithelial proliferation. The mitotic index was so low in prior studies, however, that transient co-expression of ERα and Ki67 during the cell cycle could have been below detection limits.
1H-NMR Of U-G-A and U-G-A-A in D2O:: Assignment of nonexchangeable protons and analysis of solution conformation

Abstract The ribonucleotide oligomers G-U-C and G-U-C-C have been synthesized enzymatically. These oligomers are cognates of the m 7 G 46 -U 47 -C 48 -m 5 C 49 sequence found in the variable loop of t-RNA phe . The 1 H-NMR chemical shifts of the base and ribose Hl; protons as well as the couplings. J 1'–2' of the ribose protons have been examined as a function of temperature. Assignments for these resonances have been completed, and used in the analysis of solution conformation for these oligomers. The results are consistent with the basic features of the A-RNA structure and suggest the absence of alternative ordered solution structures.
Food self-sufficiency in Micronesia

Abstract Food assistance programmes in Micronesia have been blamed for creating disincentives to agriculture and nutritionally adverse dietary habits. In 1982 a USDA commodity programme in the Northern Mariana Islands was replaced by the Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP), which required that at least 25% of food coupons be used for the purchase of local foods. There were significant increases in production of fish, bread and eggs following implementation of the NAP, but little evidence of any stimulation of production of fruit, vegetables, staples, milk, pork or beef. A farmers survey indicated that frequent typhoons, lack of farm services and inadequate marketing have hindered development of the agricultural sector. Thus the impact of incentives to increase demand for local foods will be limited unless sufficient attention is also given to increasing the supply.
Designing positive psychology: taking stock and moving forward, by K.M. Sheldon, T.B. Kashdan, and M.F. Steger (Eds.)

Designing positive psychology: taking stock and moving forward, by K.M. Sheldon, T.B. Kashdan, and M.F. Steger (Eds.), New York, Oxford University Press., 2011, 470 pp., US49.50 (hardcover), ISBN: ...
Greatness [Ethically Speaking]

We don't strive to be mediocre. If your boss called you mediocre in your performance report, you would not be happy. Mediocre just means average, so is it bad to be average? Everyone reading this column is far above average in intelligence, income, and good looks. We must all be from Lake Wobegone, MN, where Garrison Keiler says, “all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.”
Nitric oxide synthase gene expression in cholinergic neurons in the rat brain examined by combined immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization histochemistry.

Abstract The expression of mRNA for the calmodulin-dependent form of brain nitric oxide synthase (NOS) was examined in cholinergic cells of the rat brain using a method combining in situ hybridization histochemistry with immunocytochemistry for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in the same brain sections. We constructed a riboprobe specific for brain NOS by subcloning a 493 bp fragment of the coding region which displayed low homology to other forms of NOS. The general distribution of NOS mRNA was in excellent agreement with previous studies using the full-length probe or NADPH diaphorase histochemistry. NOS mRNA was observed in many brain structures and relative levels were quantitated using grain counting procedures in a number of cholinergic and non-cholinergic neuronal groups throughout the brain. In the forebrain, ChAT-immunoreactive cells or cell groups were observed in medial septum (MS), vertical limbs of diagonal band (DBV) and horizontal limbs of diagonal band (DBH), nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM), substantia innominata (SI), and striatum (ST). In the brainstem, the cholinergic groups studied included those located in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTN), the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDTN), the nucleus parabigeminalis and several motor nuclei. For NOS mRNA quantitation, silver grains overlying ChAT-stained neuronal profiles in sections on emulsion-dipped slides were counted digitally. In the LDTN and PPTN, virtually all the ChAT-positive cells expressed NOS mRNA at high levels. In MS, DBV and SI, about 30–50% of the ChAT-positive cells expressed NOS mRNA at low-to-moderate levels. Less than 20% of ChAT-positive neurons in the other cholinergic populations studied expressed NOS mRNA; the NBM was one of these low-expressing populations. Many scattered non-cholinergic cells expressing NOS mRNA were found in the striatum and cerebral cortex. In other non-cholinergic regions, high NOS mRNA expression was observed in the islands of Calleja, thalamic and hypothalamic nuclei, several amygdaloid nuclei, regions related to the optic tract, the interpeduncular nucleus, and the supramammillary nucleus. The heterogeneous distribution of NOS mRNA implies complex roles for nitric oxide neurotransmission in brain function, including for the cholinergic phenotype. Additionally, given the postulated involvement of nitric oxide in neurodegeneration, the widely varying levels of expression of NOS within identified central cholinergic neurons may relate to differential vulnerability of this phenotype in disease or aging.
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator placement in patients with cardiac amyloidosis.

Brandon C. Varr, MD, Shirin Zarafshar, MD, Terra Coakley, MAT, Michaela Liedtke, MD, Richard A. Lafayette, MD, Sally Arai, MD, Stanley L. Schrier, MD, Ronald M. Witteles, MD From the Division of Cardiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, Division of Hematology, Division of Nephrology; and Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
Estrogenic activity of phenol red

It has recently been reported that phenol red, a pH indicator present in most tissue culture media, is a weak estrogen that can stimulate some estrogen-sensitive cells. However, the relative impact of phenol red on various cell lines is controversial. We examined the effect of phenol red on several estrogen-responsive cell systems that we use to study estrogen action. These included estrogenic stimulation of progesterone receptor and growth in human breast cancer-derived MCF-7 cells, stimulation of growth in human breast cancer-derived T47D cells, stimulation of prolactin synthesis in primary cultures of immature rat pituitary cells, and stimulation of progesterone receptor in primary cultures of immature rat uterine cells. Estrogenic responses in MCF-7 cells were the most sensitive to the presence of phenol red, while the other three cell cultures showed lesser effects of the indicator. In addition to intrinsic differences in cell responses, there were several other factors involved. These included differences in the estrogenic activity of phenol red-containing media and phenol red itself from different commercial suppliers, and differences in the concentration of free phenol red in final media due to binding of the indicator by serum. Higher concentrations of serum reduced the impact of phenol red on estrogenic responses in primary pituitary cells. Phenol red added to rat uterine cytosol competed with estradiol for binding to the estrogen receptor (relative binding affinity (RBA) approx. 0.001), and the acidic and basic forms of the indicator showed similar activity. Some commercial phenol red samples inhibited cell growth at levels of 100 mg/l; these effects were toxic rather than antiestrogenic, because growth inhibition could not be competitively reversed by an excess of estradiol. The amount of the indicator bound to serum in the final media, the source of the phenol red and the sensitivity of different cell types to the indicator ultimately determine its influence to the response of cells in tissue culture.
Ionic Conduction in Porous Media

Electrolytes can be contained by capillary forces within high surface area porous media. Ionic conduction within these two‐phase composites depends upon the quantity, distribution, and geometric structure of the electrolyte within the solid matrix. In this report, we examine how the variables of geometric structures can influence the conductivity of such two‐phase composites. We define geometric variables using both capillary and percolation models of random structures. We deal specifically with composites of fumed silica and molten eutectic which are used in thermal batteries. However, our treatment is general and can be applied to other systems, including solid‐state, inhomogeneous ionic, and electronic conductors.
Evolution and Development in the Amorphoid Clade (Amorpheae: Papilionoideae: Leguminosae): Petal Loss and Dedifferentiation

We used comparative developmental morphology to study the evolution of nonpapilionaceous corollas in the amorphoid clade of the tribe Amorpheae (Papilionoideae). This clade consists of five genera in which there are no papilionaceous corollas (five petals differentiated into one banner, two wing, and two keel petals). We studied the ontogenies of three nonpapilionaceous forms: corollas consisting of one petal (exemplified by Amorpha canescens), no petals (Parryella filifolia), and five petals in two types (Errazurizia megacarpa). We compared these to the ontogeny of a papilionaceous corolla (exemplified by the closely related Psorothamnus scoparius). In A. canescens, all petals initiated, but four did not grow beyond the primordial stage. In P. filifolia, no distinct petal primordia were visible. The corolla of E. megacarpa, which has only two types of petals, exhibits nonpapilionaceous characteristics at an early ontogenetic stage. Aside from the earliest primordial mounds, the petals of Psorothamnus and...
Synthesis of L-gluco-heptulose in plants fed L-arabinose.

Abstract A heptulose, which accumulates in plant leaf tissue into which l -arabinose has been introduced, has been isolated by paper Chromatographic separation and identified as l - gluco -heptulose by means of paper chromatography, the melting point, the specific rotation, and the x-ray powder diffraction pattern. An analogy between the manner by which d -ribose causes d - altro -heptulose (sedoheptulose) accumulation and l -arabinose causes l - gluco -heptulose accumulation is indicated. However, the nature of this biosynthetic pathway appears to be unlike that by which l -sorbose induces l - galacto -heptulose accumulation.
Novel volume fraction gradient and oriented piezoelectric composites for medical imaging applications

In ultrasonic medical imaging it is desirable to have the maximum beam sensitivity along the transmission axis. However, the presence of gratin and side lobes greatly affects the transducer performance. It is known that the grating lobes can be reduced by non-uniform spacing of elements in the composite. In spite of this knowledge, it has been found to be difficult to fabricate piezocomposites with complex designs using traditional processing routes. The ceramic element spacing can be varied easily using solid freeform fabrication (SFF) techniques. In this work SFF techniques, including Sanders Prototyping (SP) and fused deposition of ceramics were used to make many novel piezoelectric ceramic/polymer composite transducers. A variety of 2-2 PZT-5H/spurr epoxy volume fraction gradient samples have been fabricated. Many mathematical functions, including linear, gaussian and exponential gradients were designed using Pro Engineer software. Novel oriented composites have also been fabricate where the ceramic elements are at an angle to the thickness direction. The piezoelectric properties are found to change with the orientation of piezoelectric rods. The optimum properties have been observed at an orientation of 30 degrees to the vertical where the total contribution from the d33, d31 and d15 components could be the highest. These oriented composites may be used to focus the acoustic beam at a point by varying the orientation angle of the rods within the same composite. The design, fabrication and electromechanical properties of these composites are discussed in this paper.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Influence of an adsorbing gas on the layering transitions in crystal growth

Abstract The influence of an adsorbing gas on the layering transition of a film is studied. In agreement with an earlier publication, we find that the adsorbate lowers the critical temperature Tc(n) for the nth layer. We also find that a system which is dry near T = 0 may undergo an apparent wetting transition due to the adsorbate. Indirect evidence is given that the sequence Tc(n) ends at TR, the roughening temperature, as conjectured by de Oliviera and Griffiths. Re-entrant behavior in the layering transitions is observed for sufficiently strong adsorption energy; similar behavior also appears in the roughening transition, for which there exists some experimental evidence.
Charged mediators in dark matter scattering with nuclei and the strangeness content of nucleons

We consider a scenario, within the framework of the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model, in which dark matter is binolike and dark matter-nucleon spin-independent scattering occurs via the exchange of light squarks which exhibit left-right mixing. We show that direct detection experiments such as LUX and SuperCDMS will be sensitive to a wide class of such models through spin-independent scattering. Moreover, these models exhibit properties, such as isospin violation, that are not typically observed for the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model lightest supersymmetric particle if scattering occurs primarily through Higgs exchange. The dominant nuclear physics uncertainty is the quark content of the nucleon, particularly the strangeness content.
Posing Problems Without Catching Up: China's Rise and Challenges for U.S. Security Policy

Since the early 1990s, American scholars and strategists have debated whether the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will pose a security threat to the United States and its regional interests in East Asia in the next few decades. Although many have focused on intentions as well as capabilities, the most prevalent component of the debate is the assessment of China’s overall future military power compared with that of the United States and other East Asian regional powers. So conferences have been held and papers written discussing whether China would become a “peer competitor” or “near peer competitor” of the United States in the military arena, or a “regional hegemon” towering over its cowed neighbors and threatening American interests in a region of increasing importance to the United States.1 Posing Problems without Catching Up Thomas J. Christensen
Innovative method for assessment of underground sewer pipe condition

The accurate evaluation of current underground infrastructure must be done before any crucial decisions regarding lifecycle analysis, rehabilitation and replacement intervals and appropriate remedial methods can be made. Unfortunately, traditional technologies and management approaches have been limited by the use of insufficient data in the evaluation of the structural integrity of an aged infrastructure. This paper describes an innovative method for assessment of underground pipe, utilizing Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Digital Scanning and Evaluation Technology (DSET) to collect accurate information about the condition of a buried pipeline. Prediction modeling, using logistic regression, to measure the extent of deterioration of the infrastructure system, is described. A case study applying this innovative technology to sections of large diameter PVC lined concrete pipe in the City of Phoenix, Arizona, is presented.
Historical Trends of Articulation in America: A Review of the Literature

Articulation agreements have been part of the American educational scene for well over 100 years. Initially implemented as a tool for more effectively and efficiently delivering liberal educations, they became more common as the numbers of community colleges grew during the 1960s and 1970s. During the mid-1980s, the universal education promise of open enrollment was seen by many as a way of “dead-ending” minority students. This perception attracted much scholarly attention and foundation funding. It also resulted in many efforts to improve minority transfer, including negotiated articulation agreements. The past decade has seen higher education expenses increase more rapidly than other state expenses. Articulation agreements are attractive during such periods because of their cost savings potential. Scholars and administrators involved in developing these agreements can prepare themselves for discussions and negotiations by understanding some of the reasons why they have varied in popularity and utility. ...
Stridor and gastroesophageal reflux: Diagnostic use of intraluminal esophageal acid perfusion (Bernstein Test)†

Five pediatric patients with stridor were evaluated to determine whether gastroesophageal reflux (GER) contributed to their stridor. Intraluminal esophageal acid perfusion (Bernstein test), pH probe, radiographic studies, laryngobronchoscopy, and esophageal histology were utilized. Thereafter, three of the five patients responded to therapy for GER; two did not. The Bernstein test proved to have greater diagnostic reliability than any other test employed, using response to antireflux therapy as the "gold standard" for diagnosing reflux-provoked stridor.
Association of outer retinal layer morphology with visual acuity in patients with retinal vein occlusion: SCORE Study Report 13

Association of outer retinal layer morphology with visual acuity in patients with retinal vein occlusion: SCORE Study Report 13
Separating organics from water by pervaporation with isomorphously-substituted MFI zeolite membranes

Abstract ZSM-5 zeolite membranes on porous, stainless steel supports were prepared by in situ crystallization with Al, Fe, B, and Ge isomorphously-substituted into their structures. Single-gas permeances at 473 K decreased as the kinetic diameter of the diffusing molecule increased, indicating these membranes were of high quality for gas separations. They were also effective for pervaporation of alcohol/water and ketone/water mixtures. All substituted membranes exhibited higher separation factors than a silicalite-1 membrane for methanol/water pervaporation, and a B-ZSM-5 membrane exhibited the highest separation factors (101 for a 5 wt.% methanol feed). The separation factors and fluxes for all the membranes except Ge-ZSM-5 were in the order: methanol>ethanol>2-propanol. The Ge-ZSM-5 membrane was the most selective for ethanol and 2-propanol mixtures. For 5 wt.% ketone feeds to the B-ZSM-5 membrane, the separation factors for acetone/water and methyl ethyl ketone/water at 333 K were 440 and 380, respectively. Separation of alcohols and ketones is based on both selective adsorption of organics in the zeolite pores and diffusivity differences.