cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary hypertension in polymyositis-dermatomyositis: clinical and hemodynamic characteristics and response to vasoactive therapy

The increased incidence of pulmonary hypertension and its association with decreased survival is well-recognised in patients with systemic sclerosis. This association is not widely appreciated in patients with polymyositis-dermatomyositis. We report clinical and hemodynamic characteristics and response to vasoactive therapy in three patients with polymyositis-dermatomyositis and pulmonary hypertension and discuss them in light of the available literature.
Mechanisms of abrupt climate change of the last glacial period

[1] More than a decade ago, ice core records from Greenland revealed that the last glacial period was characterized by abrupt climate changes that recurred on millennial time scales. Since their discovery, there has been a large effort to determine whether these climate events were a global phenomenon or were just confined to the North Atlantic region and also to reveal the mechanisms that were responsible for them. In this paper, we review the available paleoclimate observations of abrupt change during the last glacial period in order to place constraints on possible mechanisms. Three different mechanisms are then reviewed: ocean thermohaline circulation, sea ice feedbacks, and tropical processes. Each mechanism is tested for its ability to explain the key features of the observations, particularly with regard to the abruptness, millennial recurrence, and geographical extent of the observed changes. It is found that each of these mechanisms has explanatory strengths and weaknesses, and key areas in which progress could be made in improving the understanding of their long-term behavior, both from observational and modeling approaches, are suggested. Finally, it is proposed that a complete understanding of the mechanisms of abrupt change requires inclusion of processes at both low and high latitudes, as well as the potential for feedbacks between them. Some suggestions for experimental approaches to test for such feedbacks with coupled climate models are given.
Ice and climate modeling: An editorial essay

The growth and decay of ice sheets are driven by forces affecting the seasonal cycles of snowfall and snowmelt. The external forces are likely to be variations in the earth's orbit which cause differences in the solar radiation received. Radiational control of snowmelt is modulated by the seasonal cycles of snow albedo and cloud cover. The effects of orbital changes can be magnified by feedbacks involving atmospheric CO2 content, ocean temperatures and desert areas. Climate modeling of the causes of the Pleistocene ice ages involves modeling the interactions of all components of the climate system; snow, sea ice, glacier ice, the ocean, the atmosphere, and the solid earth. Such modeling is also necessary for interpreting oxygen isotope records from ice and ocean as paleoclimatic evidence.
Color properties of specular reflections

A study has been carried out on the effect of the optical density of inks on the specular reflectance of a printed surface. Samples of cyan, magenta, and yellow ink were printed with a liquid electrophotographic, an offset lithographic, and a thermal transfer printer. Specular reflectance was measured using a goniophotometric instrument to produce the bidirectional reflectance distribution function. The results clearly demonstrated that the amount of specular light reflected from a printed surface depends strongly on the optical density of the ink. A linear correlation was observed between the total amount of specular light reflected from the surface and the square of the transmittance of the ink layer. A highly transparent ink (e.g., yellow ink measured with red light) reflected approximately twice as much specular light than a highly absorbing ink (e.g., yellow with blue or cyan with red). It is suggested that specular reflections from surfaces below the ink layer can contribute significantly to overall specular reflectance of a printed image.
Sampling the latest work in receiver operating characteristic analysis: what does it mean?

Radiology practice involves extracting diagnostically useful information from medical images. Judgment is a necessary component of this process, as it is in all other medical specialties. Although based on clinical expertise, a radiologist’s judgment remains a subjective skill. The subjective component of radiology practice can make it difficult to measure the level of diagnostic performance. Simple diagnostic performance measures such as sensitivity and specificity are a start, but they can mask the underlying variability of radiology readers. For example, radiologists are constantly faced with the tradeoff between sensitivity and specificity caused by differing thresholds for calling an exam abnormal or indicative of a particular disease. We know that in radiology practice, some radiologists tend to be ‘‘overcallers’’ (higher sensitivity but lower specificity, on average), and some tend to be ‘‘undercallers’’ (lower sensitivity but higher specificity, on average) (1). Who has the ‘‘right’’ sensitivity and specificity? Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis adjusts for possible differences in reader thresholds so that ‘‘overcallers’’ and ‘‘undercallers’’ can be considered on the same scale. If we compare two different imaging techniques, we want to know if there is a difference in sensitivity and/or specificity that is not due to differences in reader thresholds. ROC analysis allows us to tease out these real underlying differences. This issue of Academic Radiology is the first of two issues honoring the memory of Dr. Charles E. Metz, a pioneer in the application of ROC analysis to the evaluation of radiology exams (2). It is fitting that Dr. Metz is honored in this journal because Academic Radiology has published some of the seminal articles in ROC analysis (3,4). Among Academic Radiology articles published in the past 5 years, 2 of the 10 most cited articles have been about ROC analysis, and they happened to be coauthored by Dr. Metz (5,6). This issue features 10 articles sampling the latest original work and reviews on ROC analysis. Many of the authors
Metabolic specialization of mouse embryonic stem cells

Mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells are endowed with four unusual properties. They are exceedingly small, exhibiting an intracellular volume two to three orders of magnitude smaller than that of normal mammalian cells. Their rate of cell division, wherein cell doubling takes place in only 4-5 h, is more rapid than even the fastest growing cancer cell lines. They do not senesce. Finally, mouse ES cells retain pluripotency adequate to give rise to all cell types present in either gender of adult mice. We have investigated whether some or all of these unusual features might relate to the possibility that mouse ES cells exist in a specialized metabolic state. By evaluating the abundance of common metabolites as a function of the conversion of mouse ES cells into differentiated embryoid bodies, it was observed that the most radical changes in metabolite abundance related to cellular building blocks associated with one carbon metabolism. These observations led to the discovery that mouse ES cells use the threonine dehydrogenase (TDH) enzyme to convert threonine into acetyl-coenzyme A and glycine, thereby facilitating consumption of threonine as a metabolic fuel. Here we describe the results of a combination of nutritional and pharmacological studies, providing evidence that mouse ES cells are critically dependent on both threonine and the TDH enzyme for growth and viability.
The Volatility and Transmission of Equity Returns among the G-7 Countries: the post-Bretton Woods experience

This paper models the volatility of national stock market returns of the G-7 countries using ARCH and GARCH modeling techniques. Then, via the use of vector autoregression analysis, the international transmission of volatility among the countries is explored for the period between April 1973 and July 1990. Variance decompositions are calculated in order to quantify the impacts of volatility shocks in one market on the others. Impulse response functions are used to inspect the dynamic responses of domestic and foreign volatility shocks. Results indicate that volatility transmission among the G-7 countries is the norm in the post-Bretton Woods era. Further, we find that volatility shocks are generally absorbed within six to nine months.
The impact of structural salience within on‐air promotion

To determine what maximizes the effectiveness of on‐air promotions, as measured by ratings/share changes, this study tested a seven‐part model focusing on the structural salience of network prime‐time promos carried within other prime‐time programs. The results of analysis of more than 5,000 promos carried within 656 videotaped prime‐time hours provided consistent support for the salience model. Results showed significant changes in industry promotional practices over time and significant differences by network, genre, and the familiarity of the program to audiences. Although lead‐in ratings remained the dominant force impacting ratings for series programs (but not sporting events, movies, or specials), promotional salience variables contributed significantly to improved ratings, especially for mid‐rated continuing programs.
Reinforcing Inequalities: The Impact of the CDBG Program on Post-Katrina Rebuilding

Over the last two decades, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program has repeatedly been adapted as a vehicle to respond to federal disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, and terrorist strikes. In this article, I describe the use of the CDBG program for disaster recovery, identify changes in rules governing the use of special disaster-related allocations, and explain the advantages and limitations of using the CDBG program to distribute funds to disaster-devastated areas. In particular, I analyze the operation of CDBG disaster-recovery assistance programs in Louisiana and Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. I examine how the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development–approved CDBG disaster-recovery programs in these states were designed and implemented in a class and racially discriminatory manner that violated the Fair Housing Act and the low-and-moderate-income rules of the Housing and Community Development Act. In conclusion, I critique the practice of granting waivers of ...
Fractional Optimal Control of Continuum Systems

This paper presents a formulation and a numerical scheme for fractional optimal control (FOC) of a class of continuum systems. The fractional derivative is defined in the Caputo sense. The performance index of a fractional optimal control problem is considered as a function of both the state and the control variables, and the dynamic constraints are expressed by a partial fractional differential equation. The scheme presented relies on reducing the equations of a continuum system into a set of equations that have no space parameter. Several strategies are pointed out for this task, and one of them is discussed in detail. The numerical scheme involves discretizing the space domain into several segments, and expressing the spatial derivatives in terms of variables at spatial node points. The calculus of variations, the Lagrange multiplier, and the formula for fractional integration by parts are used to obtain the Euler-Lagrange equations for the problem. The numerical technique presented in the work ofAgrawal (2006, "A Formulation and a Numerical Scheme for Fractional Optimal Control Problems," Proceedings of the Second IFAC Conference on Fractional Differentiations and Its Applications, FDA '06, Porto, Portugal) for the scalar case is extended for the vector case. In this method, the FOC equations are reduced to the Volterra type integral equations. The time domain is also discretized into a number of subintervals. For the linear case, the numerical technique results in a set of algebraic equations that can be solved using a direct or an iterative scheme. An example problem is solved for various orders of fractional derivatives and different spatial and temporal discretizations. For the problem considered, only a few space grid points are sufficient to obtain good results, and the solutions converge as the size of the time step is reduced. The formulation presented is simple and can be extended to FOC of other continuum systems.
On the origins of the variability of the Malvinas Current in a global, eddy‐permitting numerical simulation

[1] This article investigates the origins of the variability of the Malvinas Current (MC) transport using the results of an eddy-permitting ocean general circulation model. First, the dynamical links between the variabilities of the MC and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) transports at the Drake Passage are established. Time series analyses indicate that the connection between the transport variations of the ACC and the MC is masked by high-frequency oscillations. Although a substantial portion of this highfrequency variability is produced and dissipated locally, there are also anomalies that propagate between those regions. The most conspicuous of these signals has an average speed of � 6–7 cm s � 1 and a period of � 150 days. Second, the contribution of the wind forcing to the variability of the ACC and the MC is determined from Principal Estimator Patterns analysis. The analysis indicates that the variance of the transport of both currents is more directly related to the variability of the wind stress than to the wind stress curl. The transport variability is particularly sensitive to zonal wind stress anomalies in the latitudinal range of the Drake Passage that extends farther north over the South Indian Ocean. A rather counterintuitive result of our analysis is that the wind stress forcing over the South Atlantic Ocean is unimportant to the variability of the MC transport.
Bullying victimisation and social support of adolescent male dance students: an analysis of findings

This analysis (n = 33), drawn from the findings of the author’s larger mixed method research study, investigated bullying and harassment of adolescent male students (ages 13–18) pursuing dance study at the pre-professional level in the United States. Procedures for this analysis included review of primary and secondary sources from the international literature in psychology, adolescent and public health, paediatrics, sexuality studies, and dance education, an adapted version of the Dancer’s Social Support Scale, and data from online surveys and in-depth interviews. Findings indicate significant bullying of adolescent males engaging in western concert dance training. Analyses reveal pervasive heterocentric discourses and continued homophobic attitudes surrounding the adolescent male dancer and his experiences regardless of his sexual orientation. The importance of social support in and outside the dance studio especially support from his dance teacher-director, best friend in dance or school, and his mothe...
Health and medical software related to computer user satisfaction: an interactive online expert system using diagnostic audit trails through telecommunication networks

The selection of a health and medical software (HMS) system is a complicated process. The overall satisfaction derived from a system depends on many variables. This study analyzes the influence of HMS predictor variables on overall satisfaction as determined by multiple regression. The null hypothesis, that multiple correlation coefficient is zero, is rejected. Th alternative hypothesis is accepted. This study confirms the theories that suggest that HMS ease of operation, independent variables, technical support troubleshooting, and reliability of computer are the major determinations of overall computer user satisfaction. The factors identified were used in the design of an HMS expert system based on artificial intelligence (ESAI).
The Management of Dialysis and Transplantation in Children

Children with severe renal failure face numerous problems which are unique to their age group. The physiological and psychosocial changes which characterize growth and development must be integrated into the medical care of children requiring dialysis and renal transplantation. Congenital abnormalities are of greater importance in the young age group and glomerulonephritis less frequent as a cause of terminal renal failure. The problems of children during chronic hemodialysis often include retarded growth, sexual maturation and emotional development. Modifications in medications, equipment and technique are required for infants undergoing dialysis or transplantation. Growth following renal transplantation has been variable and related to renal function, age at transplantation, steroid therapy, and serum somatomedin activity. Rehabilitation has been achieved with both modes of therapy but is more likely following successful renal transplantation.
The ATLAS Simulation Software

We present the status of the ATLAS Simulation Project. Recent detector description improvements have focussed on commissioning layouts, implementation of inert material, and comparisons to the as-built detector. Core Simulation is reviewed with a focus on parameter optimizations, physics list choices, visualization, large-scale production, and validation. A fast simulation is also briefly described, and its performance is evaluated with respect to the full Simulation. Digitization, the last step of the Monte Carlo chain, is described, including developments in pile up and data overlay.
Time windows in retention over the first year-and-a-half of life: spacing effects.

The time window construct describes when and how an earlier experience will be enduring. According to the construct, there is a limited period after an event occurs, or time window, in which a second event can retrieve and be integrated with the memory of the first event. The construct also holds that when the integration occurs later in the time window, its effects are more enduring. This study examined the time window construct for session spacing with 6- to 18-month-old human infants. Infants of all ages exhibited the retention benefit of two (integrated) sessions only when the second session occurred within the time window, but only 6-month-olds remembered longer when it occurred late in the time window. Combined with 3-month-olds' data, these findings document the generality and predictive validity of the time window construct throughout the infancy period with one modification: Integration late in the time window only benefits infants younger than 9 months. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 52: 764–774, 2010.
The Effect of Wing Movement by the Green Peach Aphid on the Transmission of Lettuce Mosaic Virus

Investigations were conducted to determine if wing movement of alate green peach aphids, Myzus Persicae (Sulzer), would affect transmission efficiency of lettuce mosaic virus when compared with transmission efficiency of alates not allowed wing movement and apterous adults. All aphids tested were attached to pins with watercolor paint. Single aphids were used in 30 tests with each of the 3 groups. Treatment times used for the groups were 0, 15,30, 60, 900, 1800, and 2,700 seconds. Preceding treatment, all aphids were given a 15-second artificially interrupted access feeding on a lettuce mosaic virus source plant. The results indicated that regardless of form, transmission efficiency was similar at any time period. Loss of transmission efficiency was similar for all groups.
Effect of acute physiological hyperinsulinemia on gene expression in human skeletal muscle in vivo.

This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that short-term exposure (4 h) to physiological hyperinsulinemia in normal, healthy subjects without a family history of diabetes would induce a low grade inflammatory response independently of glycemic status. Twelve normal glucose tolerant subjects received a 4-h euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp with biopsies of the vastus lateralis muscle. Microarray analysis identified 121 probe sets that were significantly altered in response to physiological hyperinsulinemia while maintaining euglycemia. In normal, healthy human subjects insulin increased the mRNAs of a number of inflammatory genes (CCL2, CXCL2 and THBD) and transcription factors (ATF3, BHLHB2, HES1, KLF10, JUNB, FOS, and FOSB). A number of other genes were upregulated in response to insulin, including RRAD, MT, and SGK. CITED2, a known coactivator of PPARα, was significantly downregulated. SGK and CITED2 are located at chromosome 6q23, where we previously detected strong linkage to fasting plasma insulin concentrations. We independently validated the mRNA expression changes in an additional five subjects and closely paralleled the results observed in the original 12 subjects. A saline infusion in healthy, normal glucose-tolerant subjects without family history of diabetes demonstrated that the genes altered during the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp were due to hyperinsulinemia and were unrelated to the biopsy procedure per se. The results of the present study demonstrate that insulin acutely regulates the levels of mRNAs involved in inflammation and transcription and identifies several candidate genes, including HES1 and BHLHB2, for further investigation.
A Vocabulary Flood: Making Words “Sticky” With Computer-Response Activities

Children's literature is a primary source for introducing young children to new words at home and at school, and children's early vocabulary knowledge is a key component of oral language, which is essential for comprehension. This column is focused on children from low socioeconomic backgrounds who frequently find themselves in a vocabulary crisis. It describes how computer-related activities may play a role in tackling this problem. Furthermore, this column provides the background, rationale, and steps for using vocabulary flood—a five-day instructional cycle the authors developed that uses computer technologies and related activities.
A low-power phase-splitting adaptive equalizer for high bit-rate communication systems

A low-power architecture for a phase-splitting passband equalizer (PSPE) is proposed for a transceiver in this correspondence. The Hilbert relationship between the in-phase and quadrature-phase equalizers in the PSPE is exploited to develop the proposed architecture. It is shown via analysis and simulations that in a 51.84-Mb/s ATM-LAN environment, the proposed receiver results in (1) a net saving in power if the length of the Hilbert filter is less than 130, and (2) a saving of up to 20% can be achieved with a degradation in signal-to-noise ratio of less than 0.5 dB.
Cyclin D1 is frequently overexpressed in microsatellite unstable colorectal cancer, independent of CpG island methylator phenotype

Aims: Cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinases are commonly activated in colorectal cancer. Microsatellite instability (MSI) and CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) are important molecular classifiers in colorectal cancer. The aim was to clarify the relationship between cyclin D1, MSI and CIMP. Methods and results: Among 865 colorectal cancers with MSI and CIMP data, 246 tumours (28.4%) showed cyclin D1 overexpression by immunohistochemistry. DNA methylation in p14 and eight CIMP-specific promoters (CACNA1G, CDKN2A (p16), CRABP1, IGF2, MLH1, NEUROG1, RUNX3 and SOCS1) was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (MethyLight). Both MSI-high and CIMP-high were associated with cyclin D1 overexpression (P < 0.0001). After tumours were stratified by MSI and CIMP status, the relationship between MSI-high and cyclin D1 persisted (P ≤ 0.02), whereas the relationship between CIMP-high and cyclin D1 did not. Cyclin D1 overexpression was correlated with BRAF mutation (P = 0.0001), p27 loss (P = 0.0007) and p16 loss (P = 0.02), and inversely with p53 expression (P = 0.0002) and p21 loss (P < 0.0001). After stratification by MSI status, the inverse relationship between cyclin D1 and p21 loss still persisted (P < 0.008). Conclusions: Cyclin D1 activation is associated with MSI and inversely with p21 loss in colorectal cancers. Cyclin D1 may play an important role in the development of MSI-high tumours, independent of CIMP status.
An Analysis of the Mechanical Behavior of Triaxial Fabrics and the Equivalency of Conventional Fabrics

The results are presented of an earlier analysis of a triaxial fabric by extension of the classical results of Peirce and Grosberg. Using the geometrical model of this earlier work, a theoretical analysis is presented in which the work necessary to deform the fabric is approximated by the change in strain energy in the constituent threads. The relationship between triaxial and conventional fabrics is discussed in the context of equivalency. The relationships among triaxial, plain, and leno fabrics are discussed. Using a specially constructed biaxial test fixture, fabric moduli predicted in earlier work are experimentally verified. In addition, equivalent weight conventional fabrics, both plain and leno, are compared with a triaxial fabric through ball burst and tear testing. The study shows that, although both conventional fabrics can be thought of as equivalent to the triaxial fabric, in reality no conventional equivalent exists.
Multi-source cooperative communications using multiple small relay UAVs

Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have found wide use in civilian and military applications. One of the important applications is to relay information in an obstructed line-of-sight environment so as to maintain reliable wireless communication links between users which are difficult to directly communicate to each other. The use of multiple networked UAVs as relay nodes can further enhance spectral and link connectivity. In this paper, we consider a multi-source cooperative communication system in which a number of small UAVs are used to relay the source signals to the destination nodes in a decode-and-forward manner. We analyze the outage probability at the relay UAVs and at the destination in a Rician fading environment. The use of single and multiple antennas at the destination node is considered and their respective performance is examined. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed cooperative UAVs schemes.
Multibranching Carbon Nanotubes via Self-Seeded Catalysts

A novel multibranching carbon nanotube (CNT) structure is synthesized by direct current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The structure consists of aligned CNTs which have branches of smaller diameters growing aligned along a direction perpendicular to the original CNT. The mechanism of branching is explained in terms of a self-seeding of Ni catalyst which is transferred by sputtering from the original catalyst particles in the backbone CNTs to the walls of those CNTs. It is also shown that the branching induced a large increase in surface area and total nanotube length and can be beneficial in supporting very fine Pt nanoparticles for fuel cell and other catalytic applications. Such an array of Y-junction nanostructures could be useful for the fabrication of a high-density array of nanoelectronics switches and transistors.
Bark beetle-caused mortality in a drought-affected ponderosa pine landscape in Arizona, USA

Extensive ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) mortality associated with a widespread severe drought and increased bark beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) populations occurred in Arizona from 2001 to 2004. A complex of Ips beetles including: the Arizona fivespined ips, Ips lecontei Swaine, the pine engraver beetle, Ips pini (Say), Ips calligraphus (Germar), Ips latidens (LeConte), Ips knausi Swaine and Ips integer (Eichhoff) were the primary bark beetle species associated with ponderosa pine mortality. In this study we examine stand conditions and physiographic factors associated with bark beetle-caused tree mortality in ponderosa pine forests across five National Forests in Arizona. A total of 633 fixed-radius plots were established across five National Forests in Arizona: Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab, Prescott, and Tonto. Prior to the bark beetle outbreak, plots with mortality had higher tree and stocking compared with plots without pine mortality. Logistic regression modeling found that probability of ponderosa pine mortality caused by bark beetles was positively correlated with tree density and inversely related with elevation and tree diameter. Given the large geographical extent of this study resulting logistic models to estimate the likelihood of bark beetle attack should have wide applicability across similar ponderosa pine forests across the Southwest. This is particularly true of a model driven by tree density and elevation constructed by combining all forests. Tree mortality resulted in significant reductions in basal area, tree density, stand density index, and mean tree diameter for ponderosa pine and for all species combined in these forests. Most of the observed pine mortality was in the 10–35 cm diameter class, which comprise much of the increase in tree density over the past century as a result of fire suppression and grazing practices. Ecological implications of tree mortality are discussed.
Evaluation of antral follicle count and ovarian morphology in crossbred beef cows: investigation of influence of stage of the estrous cycle, age, and birth weight.

Depletion of the ovarian reserve is as- sociated with reproductive senescence in mammalian females, and there is a positive relationship between the size of the ovarian reserve and the number of antral follicles on the surface of the ovary. Therefore, we con- ducted a series of experiments to investigate the influ- ence of stage of the estrous cycle, age, and birth weight on antral follicle counts (AFC) in beef cows and heifers. Pairs of ovaries were collected from crossbred beef cows at slaughter (n = 72) or at necropsy (n = 333; 0 to 11 yr of age); all visible antral follicles were counted, the ovaries were weighed, and stage of the estrous cycle was estimated based on ovarian morphology. There was no influence of estimated stage of the estrous cycle on AFC (P = 0.36). There was a small but positive effect of birth weight on AFC (AFC = −1.7 + 0.31(birth weight); P = 0.007, r 2 = 0.05). When antral follicle counts were regressed on age, there was a quadratic effect of age such that AFC increased until 5 yr of age and decreased thereafter (AFC = 12.9 + 9.0(yr) − 0.86(yr 2 ); P 24 follicles, n = 178). Whereas estimated stage of the estrous cycle did not influence AFC (P = 0.62), heifers classified as low AFC had smaller ovaries (P = 0.001), decreased birth weight (P = 0.003), and a decreased heifer pregnancy rate (P = 0.05) compared with heifers in the high AFC group. From these results, we conclude that AFC in beef cows and heifers is influenced by birth weight and age but not by stage of the estrous cycle. In beef cows, the number of antral follicles increases to 5 yr of age and then begins to decline. This may indicate that a decrease in fertility due to decline of the ovarian reserve may begin earlier than previously thought in beef cows.
Phenomenology As Philosophy and Method: Applications to Ways of Doing Special Education

Phenomenology is a philosophical movement that approaches the study of human beings and their culture differently from the logical positivist model used in the natural sciences and in special education. phenomenologists view the application of the logical positivist model to the study of human beings as inappropriate because the model does not address the uniqueness of human life. in this article, the theroetical assumptions and methodological orientations of phenomenology are discussed, followed by their applications to ways of doing research in special education.
Cooperative regulation of non-small cell lung carcinoma by nicotinic and beta-adrenergic receptors: a novel target for intervention.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death; 80–85% of lung cancer cases are non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Smoking is a documented risk factor for the development of this cancer. Although nicotine does not have the ability to initiate carcinogenic events, recent studies have implicated nicotine in growth stimulation of NSCLC. Using three NSCLC cell lines (NCI-H322, NCI-H441 and NCI-H1299), we identified the cooperation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and β-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) as principal regulators of these effects. Proliferation was measured by thymidine incorporation and MTT assays, and Western blots were used to monitor the upregulation of the nAChRs and activation of signaling molecules. Noradrenaline and GABA were measured by immunoassays. Nicotine-treated NSCLC cells showed significant induction of the α7nAChR and α4nAChR, along with significant inductions of p-CREB and p-ERK1/2 accompanied by increases in the stress neurotransmitter noradrenaline, which in turn led to the observed increase in DNA synthesis and cell proliferation. Effects on cell proliferation and signaling proteins were reversed by the α7nAChR antagonist α-BTX or the β-blocker propranolol. Nicotine treatment also down-regulated expression of the GABA synthesizing enzyme GAD 65 and the level of endogenous GABA, while treatment of NSCLC cells with GABA inhibited cell proliferation. Interestingly, GABA acts by reducing β-adrenergic activated cAMP signaling. Our findings suggest that nicotine-induced activation of this autocrine noradrenaline-initiated signaling cascade and concomitant deficiency in inhibitory GABA, similar to modulation of these neurotransmitters in the nicotine-addicted brain, may contribute to the development of NSCLC in smokers. Our data suggest that exposure to nicotine either by tobacco smoke or nicotine supplements facilitates growth and progression of NSCLC and that pharmacological intervention by β blocker may lower the risk for NSCLC development among smokers and could be used to enhance the clinical outcome of standard cancer therapy.
Process Map for Urban-Human Mobility and Civil Infrastructure Data Collection Using Geosocial Networking Platforms

AbstractHuman mobility is central to our understanding of design, planning, and development of civil infrastructure in urban areas. Although researchers have spent considerable effort in studying h...
Chaos in Cosmological Hamiltoniansa

This paper summarizes a numerical investigation which aimed to identify and characterize regular and chaotic behavior in time-dependent Hamiltonians H(r, p, t) = p(2)/2 + V(r, t), with V = R(t)V0(r) or V = V0[R(t)r], where V0 is a polynomial in x, y, and/or z and R(t) proportional to tP is a time-dependent scale factor. When p is not too negative, one can distinguish between regular and chaotic behavior by determining whether an orbit segment exhibits a sensitive dependence on initial conditions. However, chaotic segments in these potentials differ from chaotic segments in time-independent potentials in that a small initial perturbation will usually exhibit a sub- or superexponential growth in time. Although not periodic, regular segments typically exhibit simpler shapes, topologies, and Fourier spectra than do chaotic segments. This distinction between regular and chaotic behavior is not absolute since a single orbit segment can seemingly change from regular to chaotic and vice versa. All these observed phenomena can be understood in terms of a simple theoretical model.
Thin Films of GeC Deposited Using a Unique Hollow Cathode Sputtering Technique

Experimental results on thin films of the new material GexC1-x, deposited by a unique dual plasma hollow cathode sputtering technique are presented here. The (Ge, C) system is extremely promising since the addition of C to Ge has reduced the lattice dimensions enough to allow a lattice match to silicon, while increasing the bandgap close to that of c-Si. The sputtering is accomplished by igniting a dc plasma of the Ar and H2 gases which are fed through Ge and C nozzles, cylindrical tubes 30 mm in length with an outside diameter of 8 mm and an inside diameter of 3 mm. The basic material, optical, and structural properties were analyzed. Film characterization was performed using Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The film properties from a variety of deposition conditions are discussed. The measurements made indicate that the films can be grown so that the C enters the material at lattice sites. In addition, the GexC1-x films absorb photons much more efficiently than either c-Si or c-Ge. Initial results on films which include Al as an added impurity are presented.
Response To Mayers And Redick: “Clinical Utility Of Impact Assessment For Postconcussion Return-To-Play Counseling: Psychometric Issues”

Mayers and Redick (2012) offer their opinion on select psychometric properties of the Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT), as they relate to clinical utility for postcon...
Variability in Planning and Assessment: Statistical Considerations and Models

Nutrition researchers are called upon to inform policymakers of the consequences of consuming different amounts of various nutrients: how much is enough, how much is too much, and why. Traditionally, requirements were described by population-average levels and some measure of between-individual variation, whereas toxicities were described by single levels above which a toxic response was likely to occur. These statistics were used to estimate the prevalence of various adverse health effects in individual populations. Recently, accumulated data and improved understanding have led to more complete descriptions of the utilization of a few important nutrients and to the formulation of a model that includes both requirement and toxicity as extremes of the healthy-intake spectrum. This approach is based on estimating the full statistical distributions of individual nutritional deficits and surfeits within a population and using this to derive prevalence curves for specific adverse health effects. This information promises to provide policy planners with better tools to judge the health of populations, design feeding programs, and predict the sequelae of modifications in food supply and dietary habits.
The Antarctic Ice Sheet during the Last Glacial Maximum and its subsequent retreat history: a review

Abstract An emerging body of evidence from studies of the last glacial/interglacial cycle suggests that the East and West Antarctic ice sheets have not advanced and retreated in concert. The West Antarctic ice sheet advanced to the outer shelf in most regions during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The retreat from the shelf commenced shortly after the LGM and continued into the late Holocene. The West Antarctic Ice Sheet in Ross and Amundsen seas slid across a deforming bed, at least during the final phases of extended glaciation. This implies that at this time the ice sheet had a low profile. Differences in the number and locations of grounding-zone wedges and smaller grounding zone features from trough to trough imply that individual West Antarctic Ice Sheet ice streams retreated episodically. Details concerning the expansion, retreat, and behavior of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) are more sparse. The picture emerging is that the EAIS did not expand to the continental shelf edge during the LGM; rather, it achieved a maximum extent of a mid-shelf position in some locations, while in other areas the ice terminus was situated near its present location. The timing of retreat along sectors within the EAIS appears diachronous, and in places occurred prior to the LGM. The Antarctic Peninsula shelf contained considerably more ice during the LGM than previously proposed. The results presented in this paper support more recent published ice-sheet models that call for greater contributions of melting ice from West Antarctica, including the Antarctic Peninsula, to the post-glacial rise in sea level.
The nature of iodine oxygen bonds in hypervalent 10-I-3 iodine compounds

Iodine oxygen bonds of hypervalent 10-I-3 iodine(III) compounds with T-shaped geometry were investigated using analysis of the Cambridge Crystallographic Database and ab initio molecular orbital calculations. The statistical analysis of the I-O bond lengths revealed an average of 2.14 A and a strong correlation between the two bond lengths.
Evaluation of College Level Coursework for the Gifted Adolescents: An Investigation of Epistemological Stance, Knowledge Gain and Generalization

The investigation evaluated the proximal and distal effects of an innovative course of study, a college level Introductory Psychology course which was offered to precocious adolescents in a three-w...
What makes a movement a gesture

Theories of how adults interpret the actions of others have focused on the goals and intentions of actors engaged in object-directed actions. Recent research has challenged this assumption, and shown that movements are often interpreted as being for their own sake (Schachner & Carey, 2013). Here we postulate a third interpretation of movement-movement that represents action, but does not literally act on objects in the world. These movements are gestures. In this paper, we describe a framework for predicting when movements are likely to be seen as representations. In Study 1, adults described one of three scenes: (1) an actor moving objects, (2) an actor moving her hands in the presence of objects (but not touching them) or (3) an actor moving her hands in the absence of objects. Participants systematically described the movements as depicting an object-directed action when the actor moved objects, and favored describing the movements as depicting movement for its own sake when the actor produced the same movements in the absence of objects. However, participants favored describing the movements as representations when the actor produced the movements near, but not on, the objects. Study 2 explored two additional features-the form of an actor's hands and the presence of speech-like sounds-to test the effect of context on observers' classification of movement as representational. When movements are seen as representations, they have the power to influence communication, learning, and cognition in ways that movement for its own sake does not. By incorporating representational gesture into our framework for movement analysis, we take an important step towards developing a more cohesive understanding of action-interpretation.
Discovery and characterization of the first non-coding RNA that regulates gene expression, micF RNA: A historical perspective

Discovery and characterization of the first non-coding RNA that regulates gene expression, micF RNA: A historical perspective
Agency theory: the times, they are a-changin’

Purpose – Theories develop over time and are influenced by both events and people. Looking primarily at the applications between contracting principal-agent relationships, the purpose of this paper is to explore how agency theory emerged from a number of economic and social developments. In doing so, the authors explain how this once dominant theory comes up short regarding varying realms of entrepreneurship as well as with multiple modern business phenomena. Design/methodology/approach – The authors first present a brief overview of agency theory. Second, the authors identify major events and people and address how they impacted the development of agency theory. Third, the authors provide insights on agency theory across three contexts (strategic entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, and family business). Implications, limitations, and future research directions are then offered. Findings – The authors provide a deeper understanding of agency theory, thus broadening its underpinnings and enabling re...
Context and condition dependent plasticity in sexual signaling in gray treefrogs

For many species sexual signaling is a very costly activity, both in terms of energetic expenditure and increased conspicuousness to predators. One potential strategy to limit the costs of signaling is to only signal at maximum effort in contexts when signaling is expected to be most effective. Multiple studies have documented extensive plasticity in sexual signaling within a variety of contexts, however fewer experiments have examined individual-level variation in the extent of signaling plasticity and the causes of this variation. In this study we examined the influence of size and physical condition on the magnitude of signaling plasticity using a gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor) study system. We quantified signaling plasticity by recording male calling behavior first in the absence and then in the presence of a sexually receptive female. For one call property, call length, we found that both weight and condition had a significant influence on the magnitude of plasticity. Smaller males, and males in higher condition exhibited the greatest degree of plasticity. We discuss several possible explanations for this pattern and provide suggestions for future work to examine the consequences of this plasticity and the potential interactive effects of multiple biotic and abiotic contexts on signaling plasticity.
Dietary protein quality alters ornithine decarboxylase activity but not vitamin B-6 nutritional status in rats.

Weanling male rats were fed diets that varied in protein quality (casein or wheat gluten) and vitamin B-6 (0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mg pyridoxine HCl/kg diet) to test the hypotheses that low protein quality would depress vitamin B-6 nutritional status and that activity of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) would be a sensitive functional indicator of vitamin B-6 nutritional status. The wheat gluten diet depressed body weight gain ∼17% at higher vitamin B-6 levels, as expected. However, vitamin B-6 nutritional status was not worse in gluten-fed compared with casein-fed groups, as evidenced by static measures (B-6 vitamer concentrations in plasma and tissues) and a functional indicator (tryptophan load test). The activity of ODC (holo- and total) in liver, kidney and small intestine did not vary significantly at the three higher levels of vitamin B-6 intake. In groups fed casein, total ODC activity in these tissues was two- to fivefold higher in rats fed diets containing 0.0 mg vitamin B-6/kg compared with higher B-6 levels, without corresponding differences in ODC mRNA abundance in liver and kidney. Concentrations of B-6 vitamers (except pyridoxal phosphate in plasma) increased linearly with dietary vitamin B-6 in plasma, liver, kidney and intestine. These data suggest that low quality protein fed as wheat gluten suppresses growth but not vitamin B-6 nutritional status, and that ODC activity is not a sensitive functional indicator of marginal vitamin B-6 status. J. Nutr. 125 : 2199-2207, 1995.
External Stimuli and the Development and Organization of Behavior

Animals interact with their environment in many ways during development and in the process of adapting their behavior to it. Sensory interaction with the environment is particularly crucial because effects of sensory stimuli on animal behavior are well known and there are few aspects of the physiological functioning of animals that are not affected by sensory stimuli. The close relationship between animals and their environments and between physiological and behavioral functioning in animals are always mediated through multiple effects of key sensory stimuli. Comparative psychology has traced the evolution of increasingly higher levels of psychological capacities through processes of sensory integration (Schneirla, 1949, 1962) in general treatments, and in the treatment of special areas of behavioral functioning (Beach, 1948; Nissen, 1951; Wheeler, 1928).