cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Removing instability noise in nulling interferometers

The NASA Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPF-I) and ESA Darwin missions are designed to directly detect mid-infrared photons from earth-like planets around nearby stars. The technique of nulling interferometry is used to suppress the light from the parent star, typically 10 7 times brighter than the planet, with an angular offset of 10-100 mas. There are two classes of noise: photon shot noise from the stellar leakage, local- and exo-zodiacal dust, and instability noise from variations in the instrument response. Shot noise requires that the instrument null depth is at least 10 -5 . The instability noise requires a null depth of ~10 -6 , corresponding to control of the optical paths at ~1 nm rms, and control of relative intensities at ~0.2%; it is these requirements that currently drive the design of the instrument. This paper describes a new technique that effectively removes the effect of instability noise. This relaxes the nulling requirement by a factor ~10 and makes planet detection robust to instrument variations. At the same time, the integration period needed to detect and characterize planets is reduced and the angular resolution of the array is significantly improved. Analysis and simulations are presented, and implications for the array architecture are discussed.
A sensitive and simple assay of starch synthase activity with pyruvate kinase and luciferase.

Abstract This paper describes a new, sensitive, simple, rapid, and inexpensive assay of starch synthase using pyruvate kinase and phosphoenolpyruvate to convert the reaction product, ADP, to ATP, which is then quantified by use of the luciferin-luciferase system. The assay procedure covers the picomole to nanomole range, involves one-step incubation, takes less than 20 min, and does not involve use of a radioactive tracer. Partially purified soluble and starch granular enzymes of cereals can readily be assayed in small quantities of material.
Theory of the measurement of blood flow by the dilution of an indicator.

It is shown that the instantaneous concentration of an indicator at one point in a circulation can be related to all previous concentrations at a second point by an integral equation. Solutions of this equation give formulae for the computation of the mean transit time, the flow, and the volume of the circulation between the two points.
Diurnal Variation in Vision After Radial Keratotomy

We tested eight patients who had undergone radial keratotomy with regard to refraction, keratometry, corneal thickness, and intraocular pressure one to two weeks after surgery. Patients were examined immediately after eyelid opening at 7:30 a.m . and again at 4:00 p.m . The contralateral eye was used as a control. The treated eye was 1.48 ± 0.24 diopters (mean ± S.E.M.) more hyperopic at the morning examination compared to the afternoon visit, whereas the control eye had an insignificant shift (0.16 ± 0.06 diopters). The treated eye was significantly flatter (1.37 ± 0.19 diopters) in the morning than in the afternoon when compared to the control eyes, which were only 0.11 ± 0.09 diopter flatter. The intraocular pressure changed insignificantly in both the treated and control eyes (-0.5 ± 0.53 mm Hg and −0.5 ± 0.84 mm Hg, respectively). The mean morning corneal thickness was significantly greater (5.7%) than the afternoon thickness when compared to the controls (1.7% morning increase in thickness). These data suggest that diurnal variation in corneal thickness after radial keratotomy plays a role in diurnal variation of vision in the early postoperative period.
Using Local Data To Advance Quantitative Literacy

In this article we consider the application of local data as a means of advancing quantitative literacy. We illustrate the use of three different sources of local data: institutional data, Census data, and the National College Health Assessment survey. Our learning modules are applied in courses in sociology and communication, but the strategy of using local data can be integrated beyond these disciplinary boundaries. We demonstrate how these data can be used to stimulate student interests in class discussion, advance analytic skills, as well as develop capacities in written and verbal communication. We conclude by considering concerns that may influence the types of local data used and the challenges of integrating these data in a course in which quantitative analysis is not typically part of the curriculum.
Healthy Scepticism as an Expected-Utility Explanation of the Phenomena of Allais and Ellsberg

Expected utility theory is a normative approach to the question of how people should rationally make choice under uncertainty. It’s admirers (me among them) would use it every such situation. Consequently alleged counter examples, in which it is arguably unreasonable to act as expected utility theory suggests, threaten to undermine the theory as a normative theory.
Activity-Based Costing: a more accurate way to estimate the costs for a restaurant menu.

Activity-Based Costing (ABC) has been successfully applied in the manufacturing industry for the last two decades. In this study, a workable ABC model for restaurants was created and tested in a restaurant operation in a western urban area of the United States. The study identified that the actual cost of the dinner entrees was higher than the restaurant's prices, when analyzed using ABC methods. The results revealed that ABC appears to be a very feasible method for establishing accurate menu costs in restaurants.
Left ventricular function during spontaneous angina pectoris: Effect of sublingual nitroglycerin

Abstract Global and regional left ventricular function was assessed at rest, during spontaneous angina pectoris and after nitroglycerin therapy in 14 patients with ischemic heart disease. Cardiac output, left ventricular pressure and left ventricular volume were measured when patients experienced spontaneous angina pectoris during cardiac catheterization. In every patient control measurements had already been made; further measurements were made after nitroglycerin had relieved pain. Subsequent coronary angiography showed significant two or three vessel disease in all 14 patients. The S-T segment was depressed in every patient during pain (average 0.26 + 0.04 mV; mean + standard error of the mean [SEM]). During spontaneous angina, there was a significant increase in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (17 ± 2 to 35 ± 2 mm Hg, p 2 , p 2 , p 2 (p Assessment of regional left ventricular performance during spontaneous angina revealed either development of new areas or extension of already existing areas of abnormal wall motion in all patients. Nitroglycerin restored global and regional left ventricular function to a normal state. In six individual patients there was an excellent correlation between the S-T depression (V 5 ) and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure during spontaneous angina (correlation coefficient [r] = 0.88 to 0.96) and after nitroglycerin therapy (r = 0.76 to 0.84). For the group, there was a good correlation between change in S-T depression and changes in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (r = 0.87) and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (r = 0.78). Thus, these data indicate marked systolic and diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle during spontaneous angina pectoris, characterized by decreases in stroke index and ejection fraction and increases in left ventricular end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes and left ventricular filling pressure.
Slipped proximal humeral epiphysis: A complication of radiotherapy to the shoulder in children

Slipped proximal humeral epiphyses as a sequela of radiotherapy were identified in two children treated for Ewing's sarcoma in whom the shoulder was included in the field of treatment. The radiation doses were slightly greater than those in children developing slipped capital femoral epiphyses following radiotherapy. The lesser stress about the shoulder compared to the hip is believed to be the reason this is an infrequent complication of radiotherapy.
A methodology for measuring the judgmental components of situation awareness

Situation awareness (SA) research has highlighted many important problems concerning the ability of operators to cope with opaque interfaces in complex systems. This same research, however, has shown that SA can be extremely difficult to measure. We therefore provide a methodology for measuring one functional aspect of SA: the operator's ability to judge the state of the task environment on the basis of uncertain information. The approach is based on Judgment Analysis and Brunswik's lens model and its modern extensions.
EFFECT OF SHIELDING OF HEAD GROUP OF SURFACTANT ON THE MICROEMULSION REGION OF THE SYSTEMS WATER/DECANE/PENTANOL/HEXADECYLTRIALKYLAMMONIUM BROMIDES

Abstract ABSTRACT Microemulsion areas were determined for the combination water/decane/pentanol with a series of surfactants, hexadecyl-trialkylammonium bormides, in which the alkyl groups were methyl, ethyl and propyl. The enhanced hydrophobic shielding of the surfactant polar group led to enhanced solubility of the surfactant in the alcohol and alcohol/hydrocarbon mixtures and a concordant transfer of the W/O solubility area towards higher surfactant/cosurfactant ratios.
Transplantation of cells directly into the kidney of adult zebrafish.

Regenerative medicine based on the transplantation of stem or progenitor cells into damaged tissues has the potential to treat a wide range of chronic diseases1. However, most organs are not easily accessible, necessitating the need to develop surgical methods to gain access to these structures. In this video article, we describe a method for transplanting cells directly into the kidney of adult zebrafish, a popular model to study regeneration and disease2. Recipient fish are pre-conditioned by irradiation to suppress the immune rejection of the injected cells3. We demonstrate how the head kidney can be exposed by a lateral incision in the flank of the fish, followed by the injection of cells directly in to the organ. Using fluorescently labeled whole kidney marrow cells comprising a mixed population of renal and hematopoietic precursors, we show that nephron progenitors can engraft and differentiate into new renal tissue - the gold standard of any cell-based regenerative therapy. This technique can be adapted to deliver purified stem or progenitor cells and/or small molecules to the kidney as well as other internal organs and further enhances the zebrafish as a versatile model to study regenerative medicine.
Recent advances in BazookaSPECT: Real-time data processing and the development of a gamma-ray microscope

Recent advances have been made with the BazookaSPECT detector, a high-resolution CCD-based gamma camera which utilizes an MCP-based image intensifier for upfront optical gain. Operating the gamma camera at high frame rates leads to a massive amount of data throughput, thereby inducing the need for real-time processing. We have developed and implemented a list-mode algorithm which allows for real-time data acquisition and processing at high frame rates. This is accomplished with a graphics processing unit (GPU), which provides processing capabilities in addition to the CPU. We have also developed a gamma-ray microscope based on the BazookaSPECT detector and micro-coded apertures. Experimental phantom images show the gamma-ray microscope having an estimated reconstruction resolution of ~30 μm, an unprecedented resolution in gamma-ray imaging.
Implementation of a guideline for the treatment of pain, sedation, agitation and neuromuscular blockade in the mechanically ventilated adult patient in the emergency department.

Purpose: When emergency department (ED) overcrowding includes admitted mechanically ventilated (MV) critically-ill patients without an open intensive care unit (ICU) bed, emergency providers must deliver ICU level care in the ED. Implementing standardized hospital based clinical guidelines may help providers achieve uniform care standards for assessing and managing pain and sedation for the MV patient.
Quasi-two-day wave structure, interannual variability, and tidal interactions during the 2002–2011 decade

In this paper we employ Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics Dynamics/Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry temperature measurements from 20 to 120 km and between about ±72° latitude to investigate several aspects of the quasi-two-day wave (QTDW) during the 2002–2011 decade, including interannual variability of its seasonal-latitudinal structure, its penetration into the lower thermosphere, and various wave-wave interactions. We focus on two components of the QTDW: the westward-propagating component with zonal wave number s=3 (TDW3), and the eastward-propagating component with s=−2 (TDE2). TDW3(TDE2) has maximum amplitudes during 2003, 2004, and 2011(2006 and 2011) and both waves have their lowest amplitudes during the deep solar minimum years of 2008–2009. TDW3 and to some degree TDE2 penetrate with significant amplitudes up to 120 km altitude, well into the region where neutral winds generate electric fields through the dynamo mechanism. A new “longitude subdivision method (LSM)” is presented that enhances temporal resolution of TDW3 and enables the determination of 9.6 h and 16 h waves that result from nonlinear interaction between TDW3 and/or TDE2 and diurnal migrating (DW1) and semidiurnal migrating (SW2) tides. Evidence is presented for westward-propagating 9.6 h and 16 h waves with s=5 and s=4, respectively, and a zonally symmetric (s=0) 9.6 h wave. The s=5(s=0) wave only occurs as a result of nonlinear interaction between SW2 and TDW3(TDE2), whereas the s=4 wave can result from interaction of TDW3 with DW1 or of TDE2 with SW2. We payed special attention to possible aliasing between different waves.
Some Characteristics of Dielectric Materials at Cryogenic Temperatures for HVDC Systems

This dielectric study was performed as part of the dc Superconducting Power Transmission Line Program. During a screening test program, the dc breakdown strength of 12 dielectric materials, in sheet form, was determined at 12 K under 1.38 MPa of helium pressure, the operating conditions of the cable design. Tests were also made with four of these materials impregnated with mineral oil. Further dc breakdown tests were performed on five of these dielectric materials at various temperatures (12 to 298 K) and pressures (0.69 and 1.38 MPa) of helium. Two sets of experiments were performed on cellulose paper impregnated with distilled water at 83 K and 1.38 MPa of helium pressure. Five dielectric materials were then selected for tests as cable samples with dc and impulse voltages at 12 K and 1.38 MPa of helium. Data are presented on these tests, as well as on those of the electrical conductivity of four dielectric materials at cryogenic temperatures, and of the surface flashover strength of an epoxy bushing at 12 K and 298 K under 0.69 MPa and 1.38 MPa of helium pressures. The characteristics of the dielectric behavior at cryogenic temperatures are discussed. Impregnation of cellulose and copaco papers and PP/C with mineral oil improved their dc withstand strengths significantly, even at cryogenic temperatures. The dc breakdown field (uniform field con figuration) of cellulose and copaco papers (with and without oil impregnation) and PP/C varied as the exponential of the inverse of temperature.
Platelet Activation in Carotid Sinuses Triggers Reflex Sympathoinhibition and Hypotension

Abstract The carotid sinuses, one of the major sites of baroreceptor innervation, are also a common site of atherosclerotic lesions and platelet aggregation. The goal of the present study was to determine whether platelet activation in carotid sinuses causes reflex-mediated changes in renal sympathetic nerve activity and arterial pressure. Rabbit platelets were isolated, resuspended in Krebs’ buffer, and activated by thrombin. Injection of activated platelets (3×108 platelets/mL) into the vascularly isolated carotid sinuses of anesthetized rabbits essentially eliminated sympathetic nerve activity and acutely decreased mean arterial pressure from 126±5 to 53±4 mm Hg (n=16; P <.05). Sympathetic activity and arterial pressure returned to control levels over a period of minutes despite sustained exposure to activated platelets. Injection of U-46619, a thromboxane analogue and vasoconstrictor, into carotid sinuses did not alter sympathetic activity or arterial pressure. However, serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]), which is known to be released from activated platelets, and the 5-HT3 receptor agonist phenylbiguanide mimicked the effect of platelets. Furthermore, the platelet-induced reflex inhibition of sympathetic activity and hypotension were not altered by the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin but were attenuated significantly by 5-HT receptor antagonists. Platelet activation inhibited sympathetic activity to 5±2% of control in the absence of antagonists but to only 35±11 and 76±4% of control after selective blockade of 5-HT2 and 5-HT3 receptors with ketanserin and MDL-72222, respectively. The results indicate that (1) platelet activation in carotid sinuses triggers reflex inhibition of sympathetic nerve activity and hypotension; (2) the reflex is not caused by carotid vasoconstriction and is not mediated by prostanoids; and (3) the reflex is mediated by 5-HT acting primarily on 5-HT3 and to a lesser extent on 5-HT2 receptors. We speculate that this reflex may contribute to arterial pressure lability and susceptibility to stroke in patients with carotid atherosclerotic disease.
Efficacy of statins in combination with interferon therapy in multiple sclerosis: a meta-analysis.

Purpose The efficacy of statins in combination with interferon therapy in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is reviewed. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted through September 2011 to identify randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effect of combination statin–interferon therapy compared with interferon therapy alone in patients with MS. Trials had to report at least one of the following outcomes of interest: clinical relapse rate, disease progression, or Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score. A random-effects model was used to pool data. Trial quality was assessed using the Jadad score. Results Four unique trials were included in the analysis ( n = 463 subjects; range of follow-up, 9–24 months), all with a Jadad score of ≥3. All trials evaluated patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). Most trials enrolled patients taking interferon beta therapy either twice or three times weekly. The mean baseline EDSS scores ranged from 1.2 to 3.4. Evaluated statins included simvastatin and atorvastatin. No significant difference was found between the statin and control groups in the incident rate ratio for clinical relapse (0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.17 to 3.11), risk of relapse (relative risk [RR], 0.99; 95% CI, 0.53 to 1.85], disease progression (RR, 1.31; 95% CI, 0.73 to 2.36), or difference in the change in the EDSS score from baseline (weighted mean difference, −0.06; 95% CI, −0.30 to 0.19). Conclusion A meta-analysis revealed that the addition of statins to interferon therapy did not significantly influence the relapse risk, disease progression, or EDSS scores in patients with RRMS.
Time dependent electromagnetic scattering by a penetrable obstacle

We consider time domain electromagnetic scattering from a bounded homogeneous penetrable obstacle. The problem is reduced to a system of time dependent integral equations on the boundary of the scatterer. Using convolution quadrature in time and a Galerkin method on the boundary we derive error estimates for the fully discrete system of boundary integral equations. This is accomplished by proving parameter dependent estimates for the discrete and continuous integral equation system in the Laplace transform domain. In particular a non-standard transmission problem is analyzed. Besides the error estimates, the paper provides a useful extension result and estimates for the spatially semi-discrete problem.
Reflections on the 2013 Decade Award—“Exploitation, Exploration, and Process Management: The Productivity Dilemma Revisited” Ten Years Later

This article reflects on our 2003 article, “Exploitation, Exploration, and Process Management: The Productivity Dilemma Revisited,” which received the Academy of Management Review’s Best Article Award in 2003 and Decade Award in 2013. We consider the context within which we wrote the original article, with particular reference to the theoretical, empirical, and managerial problems salient at that time, and comment on the likely reasons the article has had a sustained influence in the field. Looking forward, we first ask whether the paradoxes and inconsistencies we discussed are still fundamental organizational challenges, and then go further to consider ways the domain of innovation itself has changed. We suggest that because of fundamental shifts in communication and information processing costs and the increasing modularity of products and services, the nature and locus of innovation have changed over the past decade. These secular trends have profound implications for our theories of innovation and org...
Is Arg418 the catalytic base required for the hydrolysis step of the IMP dehydrogenase reaction

The first committed step of guanine nucleotide biosynthesis is the oxidation of inosine 5‘-monophosphate (IMP) to xanthosine 5‘-monophosphate (XMP) catalyzed by IMP dehydrogenase. The reaction involves the reduction of NAD+ with the formation of a covalent enzyme intermediate (E−XMP*). Hydrolysis of E−XMP* requires the enzyme to adopt a closed conformation and is rate-limiting. Thr321, Arg418, and Tyr419 are candidates for the residue that activates water. The substitution of Thr321 has similar, but small, effects on both the hydride transfer and hydrolysis steps. This result suggests that Thr321 influences the reactivity of Cys319, either through a direct interaction or by stabilizing the structure of the active site loop. The hydrolysis of E−XMP* is accelerated by the deprotonation of a residue with a pKa of ∼8. A similar deprotonation stabilizes the closed conformation; this residue has a pKa of ≥6 in the closed conformation. The substitution of Tyr419 with Phe does not change the pH dependence of eith...
Bovine papilloma virus-transformed cells contain multiple E2 proteins.

Abstract Genetic evidence suggests that the bovine papilloma virus type 1 (BPV) E2 open reading frame may encode at least two gene products involved in the regulation of viral gene expression. One, which is probably the full-length product, trans-activates transcription via an enhancer in the viral regulatory region. A second, containing sequences from the 3' end of the open reading frame, inhibits the trans-activating activity of the first product. We now report the identification and initial characterization of three E2-encoded proteins, with mobilities corresponding to 48, 31, and 28 kDa in cells transformed by the wild-type BPV. Pulse-chase experiments indicated that the 48-kDa protein had the longest half-life (40 min), but there was no indication that one species was the precursor of another. The 48-kDa species corresponds to the full-length trans-activating protein. The two smaller species contain only carboxyl-terminal determinants, and either or both could represent inhibitory E2 proteins. Subcellular fractionation localized all three E2 proteins to the nucleus. Consistent with the low rate of viral transcription in BPV-transformed cells, the 31-kDa presumptive repressor species was more abundant than the 48-kDa species.
Quantitative estimation of trace chemicals in industrial effluents with the Sticklet transform method

Application of a novel transform operator, the Sticklet transform, to the quantitative estimation of trace chemicals in industrial effluent plumes is reported. The sticklet transform si a superset of the well-known derivative operator and the Haar wavelet, and is characterized by independently adjustable lobe width and separation. Computer simulations demonstrate that we can make accurate and robust concentration estimates of multiple chemical species in industrial effluent plumes in the presence of strong clutter background, interferent chemicals and random noise. In this paper we address the application of the sticklet transform in estimating chemical concentrations in the effluent plumes in the presence of atmospheric transmission effects. We show that this transform retains the ability to yield accurate estimates using on-plume / off-plume measurements that represenst atmospheric differentials up to 10% of the full atmospheric attenuation.
Obesity Stigma in Online News: A Visual Content Analysis

This study conducted a content analysis to examine the types of images that accompany online news stories about obesity and to determine how obese people are portrayed in news photographs. Images were selected from news articles about obesity obtained from 5 major news Web sites, during a 2-week period in September of 2009. Images accompanying news stories about obesity (N = 549) were systematically coded. Of 441 individuals identified in news photographs, 65% were overweight/obese and 27% were nonoverweight. Overall, 72% of images that depicted an overweight or obese person were portrayed in a negative, stigmatizing manner. Overweight/obese individuals were significantly more likely to have their heads cut out of the photos, to be portrayed showing only their abdomens or lower bodies, and to be shown eating or drinking than were nonoverweight individuals. Overweight/obese individuals were significantly less likely to be shown fully clothed, wearing professional clothing, or exercising than were nonoverweight individuals. Obese individuals are frequently stigmatized in online news photographs; this phenomenon has important implications for public perceptions of obese persons and may reinforce pervasive prejudice and discrimination.
The Effects of Race and Ethnicity on Perceptions of Human Resource Policies and Climate Regarding Diversity

This study shows that race/ethnicity significantly explained differences in attitudes toward human resource policies fostering diversity held by faculty at a large public university in the midwestern United States. Overall, whites' attitudes were less positive regarding diversity programs and other human resource policies relevant to women and minorities than Black's, Hispanic's, and Asian's attitudes were. We also found that individual race and ethnicity significantly explained differences in attitudes toward diversity programs to a greater extent than the demography of the organizational work unit.
Acoustical mechanisms and performance of various active duct noise control systems

Abstract Based on the analysis of the characteristics of sound wave propagation in a duct, three Active Noise Control (ANC) systems, which incorporate different arrangements of the secondary loudspeaker have been examined experimentally. Calculated and measured transfer functions of the plant and the error paths show good agreement in the acoustic modal frequencies of the systems. Real-time tests show a more effective noise attenuation with tree-shaped configuration than with the traditional T-shaped ANC system. The symmetric arrangement of two secondary speakers in the tree-shaped system helps in compensating the node observed at 200 Hz in the error path. This compensation can be also achieved by using an equalizer.
Induction of Duplication Reversion in Human Fibroblasts, by Wild-Type and Mutated Sv40 T Antigen, Covaries with the Ability to Induce Host DNA Synthesis

Intrachromosomal homologous recombination, manifest as reversion of a 14-kbp duplication in the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) gene, is elevated in human cells either stably transformed or transiently transfected by the SV40 (simian virus 40) large T antigen gene. Following introduction of wild-type SV40, or any of several T-antigen point mutations in a constant SV40 background, we observed a strong correlation between the stimulation of chromosomal recombination and induction of host-cell DNA synthesis. Moreover, inhibitors of DNA replication (aphidicolin and hydroxyurea) suppress SV40-induced homologous recombination to the extent that they suppress DNA synthesis. Stable integration of plasmids encoding T antigen also augments homologous recombination, which is suppressed by aphidicolin. We infer that the mechanism by which T antigen stimulates homologous recombination in human fibroblasts involves DNA replicative synthesis.
An automated approach for quantification of relative regional myocardial blood flow, using SPECT Tc99m-sestamibi: preliminary validation in a canine model

Computer software for automation of single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) quantification was developed. This software includes a simplified automatic edge and center detection algorithm for SPECT images in short axis slices. Furthermore, it provides quantification and display of mean circumferential count profiles. This SPECT quantification algorithm, based on mean count density was validated with postmortem measurements of transmural blood flow, using a canine model of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion. The quantitative results were presented by three dimensional (3D) gray scale cine, static topographic map, and 3D circumferential mean count profiles, and showed good correlation with postmortem relative regional myocardial blood flow. >
Sensor data collection with expected reliability guarantees

Due to the fragility of small sensors, their finite energy supply and the loss of packets in the wireless channel, reports from sensors may not reach the sink node. In this paper we consider the problem of sensor data collection in the presence of faults in sensor networks. We develop a data collection protocol, which provides expected reliability guarantees while minimizing resource consumption by adaptively adjusting the number of retransmissions based on current network fault conditions.
The influence of values and policy vocabularies on understandings of leadership effectiveness

During the past two decades, shifting discourses have significantly altered professional expectations for educational leaders. Driven by a globalized reconfiguration of the values defining educational purpose, definitions of effective leadership, processes for evaluating them, and the very boundaries of educational policy have narrowed and distilled. Specifically, policy vocabularies focused around marketization and choice, management and surveillance, and performativity and accountability have permeated federal and state educational policies in the USA. This article considers the inscription of these policy vocabularies within the Obama/Duncan Administration’s Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Blueprint) and Race to the Top (R2T), paying specific attention to the evaluation of public school leaders and determinations of their effectiveness. Utilizing critical discourse analysis, we examined federal and state education policy and highlight how dominan...
A unified alignment algorithm for bilingual data

The paper presents a novel unified algorithm for aligning sentences with their translations in bilingual data. With the help of ideas from a stack-based dynamic programming decoder for speech recognition (Ney 1984), the search is parametrized in a novel way such that the unified algorithm can be used on various types of data that have been previously handled by separate implementations: the extracted text chunk pairs can be either sub-sentential pairs, one-to-one, or many-to-many sentence-level pairs. The one-stage search algorithm is carried out in a single run over the data. Its memory requirements are independent of the length of the source document, and it is applicable to sentence-level parallel as well as comparable data. With the help of a unified beam-search candidate pruning, the algorithm is very efficient: it avoids any document-level pre-filtering and uses less restrictive sentence-level filtering. Results are presented on a Russian–English, a Spanish–English, and an Arabic–English extraction task. Based on simple word-based scoring features, text chunk pairs are extracted out of several trillion candidates, where the search is carried out on 300 processors in parallel.
A molecular mechanics (MM2) study of Furan, Thiophene, and related compounds

The molecular mechanics calculations reported earlier for nitrogen heterocycles have now been extended to include the title compounds, and related molecules. It is in general possible to calculate these structures with an accuracy that compares favorably with experiment.
Neural sensitivity to social rejection is associated with inflammatory responses to social stress

Although stress-induced increases in inflammation have been implicated in several major disorders, including cardiovascular disease and depression, the neurocognitive pathways that underlie inflammatory responses to stress remain largely unknown. To examine these processes, we recruited 124 healthy young adult participants to complete a laboratory-based social stressor while markers of inflammatory activity were obtained from oral fluids. A subset of participants (n = 31) later completed an fMRI session in which their neural responses to social rejection were assessed. As predicted, exposure to the laboratory-based social stressor was associated with significant increases in two markers of inflammatory activity, namely a soluble receptor for tumor necrosis factor-α (sTNFαRII) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). In the neuroimaging subsample, greater increases in sTNFαRII (but not IL-6) were associated with greater activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula, brain regions that have previously been associated with processing rejection-related distress and negative affect. These data thus elucidate a neurocognitive pathway that may be involved in potentiated inflammatory responses to acute social stress. As such, they have implications for understanding how social stressors may promote susceptibility to diseases with an inflammatory component.
Nonlinear Diesel Engine Control and Cylinder Pressure Observation

This paper presents novel approaches to nonlinear engine fuel controller and cylinder pressure observer designs based on mean torque production and cylinder-by-cylinder models. Sliding mode controllers and sliding mode observers have shown good robustness and high tracking performance. Accordingly, they are selected in this study to fulfill demanding engine electronic control and onboard diagnostics requirements.
Inductive interactions and embryonic equivalence groups in a basal metazoan, the ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi

Summary Ctenophores undergo locomotion via the metachronal beating of eight longitudinally arrayed rows of comb plate cilia. These cilia are normally derived from two embryonic lineages, which include both daughters of the four e1 micromeres (e11 and e12) and a single daughter of the four m1 micromeres (the m12 micromeres). Although the e1 lineage is established autonomously, the m1 lineage requires an inductive interaction from the e1 lineage to contribute to comb plate formation. Successive removal of the e1 progeny at later stages of development indicates that this interaction takes place after the 32-cell stage and likely proceeds over a prolonged period of development. Normally, the e11 cell lies in closest proximity to the m12 cell that generates comb plate cilia; however, either of the e1 daughters (e11 or e12) is capable of emitting the signal required for m1 descendants to form comb plates. Previous cell lineage analyses indicate that the two e1 daughters generate the same suite of cell fates. On the other hand, the m1 daughters (m11 and m12) normally give rise to different cell fates. Reciprocal m1 daughter deletions show that in the absence of one daughter, the other cell can gene-rate all the cell types normally formed by the missing cell. To-gether, these findings demonstrate that the two m1 daughters (m11 and m12) represent an embryonic equivalence group or field and that differences in the fates of the two m1 daughters are normally controlled by cell–cell interactions. These combined properties of ctenophore development, including the utilization of deterministic cleavage divisions, inductive interactions, and the establishment of embryonic fields or equivalence groups, are remarkably similar to those present in the development of various bilaterian metazoans.
Role of chloride ions in liver cell volume regulation

Hypotonic swelling of liver cells is followed by regulatory volume decrease (RVD), which has been shown to involve facilitated release of K+. In this study, the role of C1- in RVD was examined by videoplanimetric analysis of cell volume and measurement of membrane potential (Vm) and resistance (Rm) in single isolated rat hepatocytes, and by measurement of 36Cl efflux in the isolated perfused liver preloaded with the isotope. Liver cells subjected to hypotonic stress by removal of 50 mM external NaCl (70% of control osmolality) swelled from an initial volume of 6.68 +/- 0.77 to 8.27 +/- 0.88 pl (24.3 +/- 3.4% increase) within 1 min and exhibited RVD at an initial rate of 0.26 +/- 0.01 pl/min. A step decrease in external Cl- accelerated the initial rate of RVD to 0.53 +/- 0.08 pl/min. RVD was abolished in cells that had been depleted of Cl-. Vm and Rm displayed biphasic responses to hypotonic stress. An initial (less than 15 s) hyperpolarization of Vm from -35.4 +/- 2.2 to -38.8 +/- 2.6 mV was followed by a gradual depolarization reaching -30.2 +/- 2.0 mV by 1 min. In parallel, Rm initially (less than 15 s) increased from 101 +/- 13 to 121 +/- 17 M omega (19 +/- 3% increase) and then declined to 55 +/- 4 M omega (59 +/- 4% of initial Rm) within 1 min. These changes were reversible upon return to isotonicity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Appalachian Mountaintop Mining Particulate Matter Induces Neoplastic Transformation of Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells and Promotes Tumor Formation

Epidemiological studies suggest that living near mountaintop coal mining (MTM) activities is one of the contributing factors for high lung cancer incidence. The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term carcinogenic potential of MTM particulate matter (PMMTM) exposure on human bronchial epithelial cells. Our results show that chronic exposure (3 months) to noncytotoxic, physiological relevant concentration (1 μg/mL) of PMMTM, but not control particle PMCON, induced neoplastic transformation, accelerated cell proliferation, and enhanced cell migration of the exposed lung cells. Xenograft transplantation of the PMMTM-exposed cells in mice caused no apparent tumor formation, but promoted tumor growth of human lung carcinoma H460 cells, suggesting the tumor-promoting effect of PMMTM. Chronic exposure to the main inorganic chemical constituent of PMMTM, molybdenum but not silica, similarly induced cell transformation and tumor promotion, suggesting the contribution of molybdenum, at least in part, in the PMMTM effects. These results provide new evidence for the carcinogenic potential of PMMTM and support further risk assessment and implementation of exposure control for PMMTM.
Compressive Creep of Al2O3 Single Crystals

Compressive creep of aluminum oxide single crystals deformed by dislocation glide and rhombohedral twinning, investigating activation energy and rate controlling mechanism
A combinatorial effect of plasma modification and protein coating on osteoblast differentiation for tissue engineering scaffolds

Summary form only given. Physical and chemical cues introduced on the microenvironment of cell may alter and regulate the cellular activity. Up to now, the positive effect of plasma modification and protein coating of biopolymer on cell attachment and proliferation has been studied excessively on planar surfaces1. However, based on our knowledge, the synergetic effect of plasma modification and protein coating on 3D scaffolds for long term cellular response including differentiation has not been studied. In this study, we investigated the combinatorial effect of adhesive protein coating and plasma modification on polycaprolactane (PCL) scaffolds for osteoblast differentiation compared to adhesive protein coating and plasma modification alone. We worked on four different groups of scaffolds; unmodified PCL (UP), plasma modified PCL (PP), fibronectin coated PCL (FNP) and plasma modified-fibronectin coated PCL (P-FNP). The surface characterization was done by contact angle measurement, surface energy calculation, surface roughness via atomic force microscopy, surface chemistry via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The biological characterization was done through measuring strength of cellular adhesion, measuring rate of metabolic activity over time, observing early and later stage differentiation rate via alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin secretion. Based on results, we found that rate of cellular differentiation strongly depends on the combination of physical, chemical and biological modification of PCL surfaces. More specifically, the early and later differentiation markers, the alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin expression, increased more rapidly on plasma modified-fibronectin coated (P-FNP) scaffolds compared to UP, FNP, P-FNP.
Paleopedology and Paleohydrology of a Volcaniclastic Paleosol Interval: Implications for Early Pleistocene Stratigraphy and Paleoclimate Record, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

ABSTRACT A cumulative red paleosol interval developed on volcaniclastic parent material under semiarid conditions in Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. It contains a complex history of pedogenesis that was affected by: (1) episodic pyroclastic and debris-fan processes and (2) episodic expansions and contractions of an adjacent alkaline lake and the associated fluctuations in the water table. The paleosol interval is 130-320 cm thick, represents 25 ka of the 50 kyr duration of lowermost Bed II, and is defined by early Pleistocene ( 1.75 Ma) Tuffs IF and IIA. The paleosol interval records a paleocatena related to both landscape and drainage--the slope position on a pyroclastic fan relative to an alkaline lake, the proximity to freshwater wetlands, and the position of water table. Biogenic paleosol structures include grass and sedge root traces, zeolite rhizocretions, and soil fauna (termite and ant) traces. Abundant pedogenic features sensitive to soil moisture conditions, including redoximorphic mottles in the paleosol matrix, Fe oxide glaebules, grain and pore coatings, illuviated clay grain and pore coatings, and vadose siliciclastic and zeolite crystal silt, record episodic water-table fluctuations. The geochemistry of whole-rock samples distinguishes two parent materials (early low Ti/Zr, weathered volcaniclastic sediment; and late high Ti/Zr, tuffaceous sediment), which represent two distinct pedogenic phases. The Lower Paleosol developed at both sites, whereas the Upper Paleosol developed only at the upslope site. Mass-balance calculations indicate greater weathering, higher Eh and pH, and greater zeolite precipitation at the upslope site than at the downslope site. These relationships are compatible with the upslope site having had a lower overall water table and better-drained conditions than the downslope site, which had a higher water table and poorly drained conditions. The Lower Paleosol provides evidence of a fluctuating water table consistent with a wetter climate followed by a prolonged arid period. The Upper Paleosol began to form after a return to wetter conditions and ended under arid conditions. The position of the Olduvai Subchron, C2n (1.942-1.785 Ma) in Bed I, directly beneath the paleosol interval, is used to make a tentative correlation at 1.75 Ma with global climate (dust) records (wet/dry cycles).
Dynamic trees for sensor fusion

The dynamic tree (DT) graphical model is a popular analytical framework for image segmentation and object classification tasks. A DT is a useful model in this context because its hierarchical property encodes information in multiple scales and its flexible structure fits complex region boundaries better than rigid quadtree structures such as tree-structured Bayesian networks. This paper proposes a novel framework for data fusion by using a DT model to fuse measurements from multiple sensing platforms into a non-redundant representation. The structural flexibility of the DT will be used to combine common information across different sensor measurements of simulated objects of interest. The appropriate structure of the DT and its parameters for the data fusion application are presented and discussed along with fusion results from a simulated sonar survey mission.
Single Subunit Chimeric Integrins as Mimics and Inhibitors of Endogenous Integrin Functions in Receptor Localization, Cell Spreading and Migration, and Matrix Assembly

The ability of single subunit chimeric receptors containing various integrin beta intracellular domains to mimic and/or inhibit endogenous integrin function was examined. Chimeric receptors consisting of the extracellular and transmembrane domains of the small subunit of the human interleukin-2 receptor connected to either the beta 1, beta 3, beta 3B, or beta 5 intracellular domain were transiently expressed in normal human fibroblasts. When expressed at relatively low levels, the beta 3 and beta 5 chimeras mimicked endogenous ligand-occupied integrins and, like the beta 1 chimera (LaFlamme, S. E., S. K. Akiyama, and K. M. Yamada. 1992. J. Cell Biol. 117:437), concentrated with endogenous integrins in focal adhesions and sites of fibronectin fibril formation. In contrast, the chimeric receptor containing the beta 3B intracellular domain (a beta 3 intracellular domain modified by alternative splicing) was expressed diffusely on the cell surface, indicating that alternative splicing can regulate integrin receptor distribution by an intracellular mechanism. Furthermore, when expressed at higher levels, the beta 1 and beta 3 chimeric receptors functioned as dominant negative mutants and inhibited endogenous integrin function in localization to fibronectin fibrils, fibronectin matrix assembly, cell spreading, and cell migration. The beta 5 chimera was a less effective inhibitor, and the beta 3B chimera and the reporter lacking an intracellular domain did not inhibit endogenous integrin function. Comparison of the relative levels of expression of the transfected beta 1 chimera and the endogenous beta 1 subunit indicated that in 10 to 15 h assays, the beta 1 chimera can inhibit cell spreading when expressed at levels approximately equal to the endogenous beta 1 subunit. Levels of chimeric receptor expression that inhibited cell spreading also inhibited cell migration, whereas lower levels were able to inhibit alpha 5 beta 1 localization to fibrils and matrix assembly. Our results indicate that single subunit chimeric integrins can mimic and/or inhibit endogenous integrin receptor function, presumably by interacting with cytoplasmic components critical for endogenous integrin function. Our results also demonstrate that beta intracellular domains, expressed in this context, display specificity in their abilities to mimic and inhibit endogenous integrin function. Furthermore, the approach that we have used permits the analysis of intracellular domain function in the processes of cell spreading, migration and extracellular matrix assembly independent of effects due to the rest of integrin dimers. This approach should prove valuable in the further analysis of integrin intracellular domain function in these and other integrin-mediated processes requiring the interaction of integrins with cytoplasmic components.
Measurement of cognitive function in chronic heart failure: a feasibility study

Assessment of cognition is critical to providing optimal care to individuals with heart failure. Traditional neuropsychological batteries are time consuming. This pilot study obtained feasibility data for a brief neuropsychological battery. Mean administration time was 40 ± 7.5 minutes, averting subject fatigue, and the battery was sensitive to cognitive impairments.