cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does Earnings Guidance Invite Earnings Management

In the wake of Enron-era scandals, practitioners warn that earnings guidance invites earnings management as executives scramble to achieve previously announced targets. Concurrent academic studies show that company executives manage earnings to achieve benchmark targets. This study attempts to connect these two bodies of work by developing a model of earnings management behavior. Hypothesis testing uses structural equation modeling of responses to a survey completed by 344 financial executives. The primary finding is that general guidance activities appear to constrain earnings management. However, earnings per share guidance given in the context of an active investor relations program is associated with a higher propensity to structure business transactions to manage reported income.
The Beginning of Zoophysiology (1899–1904)

The future now looked bright. August had a position in Bohr’s laboratory and would soon have a regular salary. In November 1899 he received a document from Viggo advising him that his education since he was eighteen years old had cost his parents DKr 3,309.25. This sum was to be considered an advance on his inheritance. The financial agreement that August had with his parents was very complete and included the cost of having his laundry done in Grenaa by his mother. But now even that would be charged directly. Back home in Grenaa finances were tight as Viggo was fighting to keep his business afloat. August tried to be as helpful to his father as he could. When a law to tax beer sales was proposed, August spent hours listening to the parliamentary debates and reporting them in detail to his father. To help his father brew beer, he designed and constructed an alarm-thermometer to wake Viggo when the temperature of the mash fell below a certain level.
Cells, Development, and Evolution: Teeth Studies at the Intersection of Fields

Early in the twentieth century, biology was seen as grounded in the dual foundations of cells and evolution. Cells provided the most basic living unit, and evolution provided a way for cells to become established in different organisms. However, as the twentieth century progressed, cells and cellular level phenomena became embedded in different research traditions within developmental biology with varying connections to an evolutionary framework. While researchers focusing on differentiation could continue to link their research to evolution through heredity, those focused on morphogenesis largely gave up any evolutionary perspective. Morphogenetic research programs continued, without evolution, until late into the twentieth century, when fruitful new insights brought development back into the process of evolution. This chapter takes teeth as an exemplary case study for these changes with special focus on the enamel knot, now thought of as the morphogenetic control center of the developing tooth. Once development, and especially cellular level phenomena, was seen in the light of evolution, the enamel knot became the central component of a new paradigm in evolutionary developmental biology—one that, to this day, continues to provide a means of understanding the development and evolution of teeth. The intersection of cells and “the Darwinian tradition” is a complex relationship. This chapter offers an alternative history of the ways in which development, evolution, and cells were brought together throughout the twentieth century and challenges the common conception that genes are the sole locus of explanation for research at the intersection of development and evolution.
The Effectiveness of Bilingual Education: Review of a Report.

A recent report by the U.S. Department of Education on the effectiveness of bilingual education programs reflects a number of issues that are at the very core of bilingual education. Clarification of these issues has implications not only for policy and research in bilingual education, but also for the interpretation of the report itself. Two of these issues and their implications are discussed: the purpose of bilingual education and the nature of bilingual education programs. Alternative interpretations of the report that arise from clarification of these issues are presented. Methodological weaknesses in the report are also discussed. These include gross over- simplification in the method of tallying the results of primary studies, and the failure to apply equally rigorous research standards to all studies when interpreting their results. Finally, an alternative review methodology is described that would enable the gleaning of all relevant information from the primary studies included in the report with...
SCAVM: A self-powered cardiac and activity vigilant monitoring system

This paper introduces a Self-powered Cardiac and Activity Vigilant Monitoring (SCAVM) system that continuously senses and wirelessly streams electrocardiogram (ECG) and motion data to a smartphone. SCAVM consumes only 370 μW on average and is powered solely by indoor solar, allowing it to maintain its monitoring at a sampling rate such that no critical events are missed. The fully integrated system incorporates an energy harvesting and power management unit, an ECG analog-front end (AFE), an accelerometer, and a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) System on Chip (SoC) for data collection and wireless communication. SCAVM represents a significant advancement in self-powered multi-modal sensing with continuous vigilant operation and smartphone/cloud interface capabilities, providing a feasible solution for long-term patient monitoring beyond the clinic.
MxR Framework for Uncertainty Based Explanation for Uncovering Adversarial Behavior

Mixed Reality (MxR) technologies have previously been explored in military applications oriented towards supporting both individual situational awareness and team collaborations. Ongoing technological advances in MxR have expanded its potential usage by military analyst teams to view, digest, and evaluate information from multiple data sources for uncovering adversarial behavior. Towards facilitating improved situational awareness, MxR is a promising medium for explaining patterns in data to uncover vital information. By extension, analyst collaborations conducted using MxR may further enhance collaborative decision making techniques used in military settings. In general, explanations provide summarizations or descriptive information that supports conclusions, depending on the desired level of abstraction. However, explanations that summarize information may not always preserve the underlying uncertainty present in the data. This work proposes a fused reason-based explanation technique for MxR that may help bring clarity to data where patterns may be unexpected, potentially revealing adversarial behavior.
Mapping Heterogeneous XML Document Collections to Relational Databases

XML web data is heterogeneous in terms of content and tagging of information. Integrating, querying, and presenting heterogeneous collections presents many challenges. The structure of XML documents is useful for achieving these tasks; however, not every XML document on the web includes a schema. We propose and implement a framework for efficient schema extraction, integration, and relational schema mapping from heterogeneous XML documents collected from the web. Our approach uses the Schema Extended Context Free Grammar (SECFG) to model XML schemas and transform them into relational schemas. Unlike other implementations, our approach is also able to identify and transform many XML constraints into relational schema constraints while supporting multiple XML schema languages, e.g., DTD or XSD, or no XML schema, as input. We compare our approach with other proposed approaches and conclude that we offer better functionality more efficiently and with greater flexibility.
Lesson Learned and Outlook

This textbook aims to equip the reader with a fundamental understanding of how information and communication technology (ICT) is influencing the processes of managing and leading political institutions and administrations in the digital era. In times of social media, the internet and all-encompassing digitized communication channels, designing and conducting political agendas has changed fundamentally.
Macromolecular Changes during Insect Metamorphosis

Insects have been used extensively as the experimental organisms of choice to study biochemical changes associated with the developmental patterns of higher eukaryotes. One has only to recall the contributions of Drosophila to biochemical genetics to realize its potential for probing the biochemistry of development. An in-depth discussion of macromolecular changes and control of gene activities during insect metamorphosis is limited by the format of this volume. First, much of the biochemical work is in relation to hormonal changes and has been reviewed recently (Sridhara et al., 1978). Second, much of the interesting recent progress in this field has occurred with two systems, both of which are discussed individually in this volume (Chapters 7 and 8). Third, due to the diversity of organisms and tissues studied as a function of a specific developmental age or hormonal milieu, few generalizations can be drawn from published data on macromolecular changes, particularly those pertaining to protein and RNA.
Ordered nanoporous lyotropic liquid crystal polymer resin for heterogeneous catalytic aerobic oxidation of alcohols

An ordered, nanoporous, TEMPO-based polymer resin formed from lyotropic liquid crystal monomers catalyzes the hetereogeneous oxidation of alcohols with high activity and substrate size selectivity under transition-metal-free, aerobic conditions.
A Multiscale Model to Study Transport in Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

Silicon heterojunction solar cells comprised of crystalline silicon and a thin amorphous silicon top layer, have consistently achieved record device efficiencies in recent years for Si devices. In particular, the intrinsic amorphous layer provides passivation at the a-Si/c-Si heterointerface that facilitates high $\mathrm {V}_{\mathrm {o}\mathrm {c}}'\mathrm {s}$. However, this heterointerface also results in high fields where hot carrier effects may dominate, in contrast to low-field diffusive transport which is prevalent in the bulk of the device. In this paper we present a fully coupled self-consistent drift-diffusion-Monte Carlo (DD-MC) solver that connects the Lowfield physics of the drift-diffusion model with the high-field physics of the Monte Carlo domain at the interface.
Propagation Characteristics of Fasting Duodeno-Jejunal Contractions in Healthy Controls Measured by Clustered Closely-spaced Manometric Sensors.

Background/aims High-resolution methods have advanced esophageal and anorectal manometry interpretation but are incompletely established for intestinal manometry. We characterized normal fasting duodeno-jejunal manometry parameters not measurable by standard techniques using clustered closely-spaced recordings. Methods Ten fasting recordings were performed in 8 healthy controls using catheters with 3-4 gastrointestinal manometry clusters with 1-2 cm channel spacing. Migrating motor complex phase III characteristics were quantified. Spatial-temporal contour plots measured propagation direction and velocity of individual contractions. Coupling was defined by pressure peak continuity within clusters. Results Twenty-three phase III complexes (11 antral, 12 intestinal origin) with 157 (95% CI, 104-211) minute periodicities, 6.99 (6.25-7.74) minute durations, 10.92 (10.68-11.16) cycle/minute frequencies, 73.6 (67.7-79.5) mmHg maximal amplitudes, and 4.20 (3.18-5.22) cm/minute propagation velocities were recorded. Coupling of individual contractions was 39.1% (32.1-46.1); 63.0% (54.4-71.6) of contractions were antegrade and 32.8% (24.1-41.5) were retrograde. Individual phase III contractions propagated > 35 fold faster (2.48 cm/sec; 95% CI, 2.25-2.71) than complexes themselves. Phase III complexes beyond the proximal jejunum were longer in duration (P = 0.025) and had poorer contractile coupling (P = 0.025) than proximal complexes. Coupling was greater with 1 cm channel spacing vs 2 cm (P ＜ 0.001). Conclusions Intestinal manometry using clustered closely-spaced pressure ports characterizes novel antegrade and retrograde propagation and coupling properties which degrade in more distal jejunal segments. Coupling is greater with more closely-spaced recordings. Applying similar methods to dysmotility syndromes will define the relevance of these methods.
Using mHealth to improve health care delivery in India: A qualitative examination of the perspectives of community health workers and beneficiaries.

Author(s): Gopalakrishnan, Lakshmi; Buback, Laura; Fernald, Lia; Walker, Dilys; Diamond-Smith, Nadia; in addition to The CAS Evaluation Consortium | Abstract: BACKGROUND:mHealth technologies are proliferating globally to address quality and timeliness of health care delivery by Community Health Workers (CHWs). This study aimed to examine CHW and beneficiaries' perceptions of a new mHealth intervention (Common Application Software [CAS] for CHWs in India. The objectives of the study were to seek perspectives of CHWs and beneficiaries on the uptake of CAS, changes in CHW-beneficiary interactions since the introduction of CAS and potential barriers faced by CHWs in use of CAS. Further, important contextual factors related to CHW-beneficiary interface and dynamics that may have a bearing on CAS have been described. METHODS:A qualitative study was conducted in two states of India (Bihar and Madhya Pradesh) from March-April 2018 with CHWs (n = 32) and beneficiaries (n = 55). All interviews were conducted and recorded in Hindi, transcribed and translated into English, and coded and thematically analysed using Dedoose. FINDINGS:The mHealth intervention was acceptable to the CHWs who felt that CAS improved their status in the communities where they worked. Beneficiaries' views were a mix of positive and negative perceptions. The divergent views between CHWs and beneficiaries surrounding the use and impact of CAS highlight an underlying mistrust, socio-cultural barriers in engagement, and technological barriers in implementation. All these contextual factors can influence the perception and uptake of CAS. CONCLUSIONS:mHealth interventions targeting CHWs and beneficiaries have the potential to improve performance of CHWs, reduce barriers to information and potentially change the behaviors of beneficiaries. While technology is an enabler for CHWs to improve their service delivery, it does not necessarily help overcome social and cultural barriers that impede CHW-beneficiary interactions to bring about improvements in knowledge and health behaviors. Future interventions for CHWs including mHealth interventions should examine contextual factors along with the acceptability, accessibility, and usability by beneficiaries and community members.
Aortic Intramural Hematoma and Penetrating Aortic Ulcer

Acute aortic syndrome includes aortic dissection, intramural hematoma, and penetrating aortic ulcer. There is overlap in the etiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and management of these potentially life-threatening diseases. Early recognition, when feasible, and treatment relies on an understanding of the disease progression. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and echocardiography are critical modalities for the imaging of the disease process. Tailoring of therapy may require medical management, open surgical repair, endovascular repair, or a combination of these therapeutic interventions.
Magnetically Actuated Simple Millirobots for Complex Navigation and Modular Assembly

Magnetic millirobots can be controlled remotely by external magnetic fields, making them promising candidates for biomedical and engineering applications. This letter presents a low-cost millirobot that is simple in design, easy to fabricate, highly scalable, and can be used as modular sub-units within complex structures for large-scale manipulation. The rectangular-shaped millirobots were 3D printed using a polylactic acid (PLA) filament, where two cylindrical permanent magnets were subsequently embedded at each end. Individual millirobots are highly agile and capable of performing a variety of locomotive tasks such as pivot walking, tapping, and tumbling. A comparative study is presented to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of each locomotion mode. However, among these modes of locomotion, pivot walking at millimeter length scale is demonstrated for the first time in this letter, and our experimental data shows that this is the fastest and the most stable of the motion modes examined. Further, we demonstrate that the millirobot could be deployed through an esophagus-like bent tube and a maze-like path with combined motion modes. Later, to extend the functionality of our millirobots, we present two systems utilizing multiple millirobots combined together: a stag beetle and a carbot. Using a powerful electromagnetic coil system, we conduct extensive experiments to establish feasibility and practical utility of the magnetically actuated millirobot.
Benchmark Comparison of Experimental Data with Thermal-Hydraulic Codes RELAP5-3D and TRACE for a RIA Transient Scenario

The effort to perform transient (TR) testing of nuclear fuel and materials in the United States took an important step in 2017 with the resumption of operations at the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT...
An Economic Perspective on Balancing Unquantified Harms and Benefits Under the Consumer Welfare Standard

Judge Ginsburg’s address on how to balance unquantified benefits and harms under the consumer welfare standard highlights two distinct roles for qualitative assessment. The first is the role of qualitative evidence in antitrust analyses. The second is the consideration of both price and non-price effects. While these two topics are related—e.g., analysis of non-price competitive effects often relies on qualitative evidence—they raise distinct issues. We provide an economic perspective on these topics as a complement to Judge Ginsburg’s learned legal commentary. Specifically, we explain the central role that sound qualitative evidence traditionally and properly plays in the economic analysis of both price and non-price effects of mergers and accused conduct. We also discuss the state of economic analysis when a broad economic interpretation of the consumer welfare standard would require balancing the welfare of one group against another.
Exploring a framework for the mentoring of early career teachers in Catholic schools in Western Australia

The basis for the paper ‘Exploring a Framework for the Mentoring of Early Career Teachers in Catholic Schools in Western Australia’ stems from the work undertaken in the author’s recently published PhD study (Topliss 2017) and on personal experiences of teaching philosophy to students as a classroom teacher, gifted and talented coordinator and School leader for over 28 years. The mixed methods study identified and explored the mentoring experiences in the transition from graduate to Early Career Teacher (ECT) in selected Catholic primary and secondary schools in Western Australia. The research addressed a significant deficit, as presently the lack of a system-wide framework for the mentoring of ECTs, the cessation of the current ECT program and the limited training of mentors, has resulted in less than ideal mentoring experiences for ECTs. A chief finding was that the guarantee of a mentor does not necessarily alleviate every problem faced by an ECT. However, the attributes of a mentor may significantly assist or hinder the aspirations of an ECT. Encouragingly, the majority of principals recognised the importance of mentoring by offering support for the instigation of a system-wide mentoring framework. On the basis of these findings, principles upon which a new mentoring framework might be developed are proposed. The suggested system frame-work for Western Australian Catholic Education, titled ‘Borromeo’s Mentoring Framework’, may benefit system-leaders, principals, mentors and ECTs through the implementation of programs at a school based level, that enhance critical thinking skills i.e. Philosophy for Children (P4C) and Circle of Inquiry (CoI).
New Recommendations and Revised Concepts in Recent Guidelines on the Management of Dyslipidemias to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease: the 2018 ACC/AHA and 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines

The purpose of this review is to discuss the updated guideline recommendations on management of dyslipidemia for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) and European Society of Cardiology/European Atherosclerosis Society (ESC/EAS) published revised cholesterol management guidelines in 2018 and 2019, respectively, to reflect new evidence in the field. Broadly speaking, both emphasize refining cardiovascular disease risk estimation and aggressively lowering low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) with statin and non-statin agents to curb cardiovascular risk. While they share the same guiding principles, there are important differences in the recommendations from both societies including how they define risk categories and goals for LDL-C lowering. This review summarizes current methods of managing dyslipidemia with a focus on the common themes and notable differences between the 2018 ACC/AHA and 2019 ESC/EAS cholesterol management guidelines.
Myocarditis: An Important Presentation of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)

Background Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) traditionally presents with ventricular arrhythmias or, less commonly, heart failure. Myocardial inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of ARVC, but clinical myocarditis in ARVC is not well described. We describe myocarditis as a presenting phenotype of ARVC, and hypothesized that patients with this presentation have distinct clinical characteristics. Methods Using the Johns Hopkins ARVC Registry, we examined patients diagnosed with myocarditis at index presentation based on European Society of Cardiology criteria, who were subsequently diagnosed with ARVC by Task Force Criteria (TFC). Results Of the 12 patients (all female, median age 20) initially diagnosed with myocarditis, the majority presented with chest pain (n=7, 58%) or ventricular arrhythmia (n=3, 25%). All patients had troponin elevations and left ventricular function was reduced in 5 (42%). Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated LV delayed gadolinium enhancement and/or pericardial enhancement in 10 (83%), however only 3 (25%) patients had RV abnormalities. Treatment of suspected myocarditis during index presentation consisted of steroids (n=3/12, 25%) and/or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (n=4/12, 33%). Pathogenic genetic variants were identified in 11 (92%) patients: 10 desmoplakin (DSP) and 1 desmoglein-2 (DSG2). The clinical course timeline for each patient is shown in Figure 1. Patients were diagnosed with ARVC 1.8 years (IQR 2.7 years) after myocarditis presentation. After diagnosis, an additional 5 (42%) patients were recommended for implantable cardiac defibrillator and screening led to 17 family member diagnoses of ARVC. Conclusions Myocarditis may be the initial presentation of ARVC in some patients. These patients may have distinct characteristics such as female predominance, LV involvement and DSP gene variants. Genetic testing is key to ARVC diagnosis, especially in left ventricle dominant forms, and should be considered in appropriately selected patients presenting with myocarditis.
Determinants of total end-of-life healthcare costs of Medicare beneficiaries: A quantile regression forests analysis.

Background To identify and rank the importance of key determinants of end-of-life (EOL) healthcare costs, and to understand how the key factors impact different percentiles of the distribution of healthcare costs. Methods We applied a principled, machine learning based variable selection algorithm, using Quantile Regression Forests, to identify key determinants for predicting the 10 th (low), 50 th (median) and 90 th (high) quantiles of EOL healthcare costs, including costs paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO), private HMO, and patient's out-of-pocket expenditures. Results Our sample included 7,539 Medicare beneficiaries who died between 2002 and 2017. The 10 th, 50 th and 90 th quantiles of EOL healthcare cost are $5,244, $35,466 and $87,241 respectively. Regional characteristics, specifically, the EOL-expenditure index, a measure for regional variation in Medicare spending driven by physician practice, and the number of total specialists in the hospital referral region, were the top two influential determinants for predicting the 50 th and 90 th quantiles of EOL costs, but were not determinants of the 10 th quantile. Black race and Hispanic ethnicity were associated with lower EOL healthcare costs among decedents with lower total EOL healthcare costs but were associated with higher costs among decedents with the highest total EOL healthcare costs. Conclusions Factors associated with EOL healthcare costs varied across different percentiles of the cost distribution. Regional characteristics and decedent race/ethnicity exemplified factors that did not impact EOL costs uniformly across its distribution, suggesting the need to use a "higher-resolution" analysis for examining the association between risk factors and healthcare costs.
Role of chronic continuous intravenous lidocaine in the clinical management of patients with malignant type 3 long QT syndrome.

Background Type 3 long QT syndrome (LQT3) is caused by pathogenic, gain-of-function variants in SCN5A leading to a prolonged action potential, ventricular ectopy, and torsades de pointes. Treatment options include pharmacotherapy, cardiac denervation, and/or device therapy. Rarely, patients with malignant LQT3 require cardiac transplantation. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of chronic continuous intravenous (IV) lidocaine as a therapeutic option for select patients with LQT3 refractory to standard therapy. Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients evaluated and treated at Mayo Clinic and identified 4 of 161 patients with LQT3 (2.5%) who were refractory to standard therapies and therefore treated with IV lidocaine. Results There were 4 patients (2 female [50%]). The median age at first IV lidocaine infusion was 2 months (interquartile range 1.5–4.8 months), and the median cumulative duration on IV lidocaine was 11.5 months (interquartile range 8.7–17.8 months). The main indication for IV lidocaine in all patients was persistent ventricular arrhythmias. Before IV lidocaine, all patients received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, and while on intermittent IV lidocaine, all patients underwent bilateral cardiac sympathetic denervation. Additionally, 2 (50%) patients had cardiac ablation for premature ventricular complexes. In all patients, lidocaine infusion resulted in a significant reduction of LQT3-triggered cardiac events. The main side effects of IV lidocaine observed were dizziness (n = 2, 50%) and seizures (n = 2, 50%). During follow-up, 3 of 4 (75%) patients underwent orthotopic cardiac transplantation. The remaining patient continues to receive IV lidocaine bolus for rescue as needed. Conclusion For patients with LQT3 who are refractory to standard treatment, chronic IV lidocaine infusion can be used as a potential “bridge to transplant.”
Imaging by intensity interferometry of x-ray fluorescence at a compact x-ray free-electron laser

A semiclassical theory of incoherent diffractive imaging is given, based on the Hanbury Brown and Twiss effect when used to image inner-shell x-ray fluorescence from heavy atoms excited by the femtosecond pulses of an x-ray laser. Interference between emission from different atoms is expected when the pulse duration is shorter than the fluorescent lifetime. Simulations for atoms at the vertices of an icosahedral virus capsid are given, and reconstructions are presented based on phasing of the pair correlation function between photons emitted independently from many different atoms at two different detector pixels. The dependence of the pair-correlation function on the fluorescence lifetime relative to the pulse duration of the x-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) is computed, and a simple expression is obtained for the contrast of incoherent diffractive imaging speckles as a function of the XFEL's flux and lifetime. This indicates that compact XFELs, with reduced flux but sub-femtosecond pulses, should be ideally suited to atomic-resolution three-dimensional mapping of heavy atoms in materials science, chemistry, and biology.
Infrared irradiation of skin for the development of non-invasive health monitoring technologies

Infrared radiation was employed to study the optical transmission properties of pigskin and the factors that influence transmission at room temperature. The skin samples from the forehead of piglets were irradiated using an infrared-pulsed source by varying the beam properties such as optical power, power density, duty cycle, as well as sample thickness. Because infrared radiation in select instances can penetrate through thick-fleshy skin more easily than visible radiation, temperature fluctuations observed within the skin samples stemming from exposure-dependent absorption revealed interesting transmission properties and the limits of optical exposure. Pigskin was selected for this study since its structure most closely resembles that of human skin. Furthermore, the pulsed beam technique compared to continuous operation offers more precise control of heat generation within the skin. Through this effort, the correlated pulsed-beam parameters that influence infrared transmission were identified and varied to minimize the internal absorption losses through the dermis layers. The two most significant parameters that reduce absorption losses were frequency and duty cycle of the pulsed beam. Using the Bouger-Beer-Lambert Law, the absorption coefficient from empirical data is approximated, while accepting that the absorption coefficient is neither uniform nor linear. Given that the optical source used in this study was single mode, the infrared spectra obtained from irradiated samples also reveal characteristics of the skin structure. Realization of appropriate sample conditions and exposure parameters that reduce light attenuation within the skin and sample degradation could give way to novel non-invasive measuring techniques for health monitoring purposes.
Formative Evaluation for Educational Technologies

Contents: Introduction. Part I: The Concept. Formative Evaluation in Decision-Making. Program Development and the Role of Evaluation. Part II: The Practice. L. Schauble, Formative Evaluation in the Design of Educational Software at the Children's Television Workshop. S. Rockman, The Program Development Process of the Agency for Instructional Technology. K.S. Wilson, W.J. Tally, The "Palenque" Project: Formative Evaluation in the Design and Development of an Optical Disc Prototype. S.D. Jolliffe, Formative Evaluation of Interactive Videodisc Training Materials. V. Crane, L. Callahan, S. Isaacson, In Search of a Methodology: Evaluating "SCOOP" the WGBH Teletext Magazine for High School Students. Part III: The Methods. Planning Formative Evaluation. Issues of User Friendliness: Does it Bite? Issues of User Reception: Does it Appeal? Issues of Outcome Effectiveness: Does it Teach?
Lens development: III. Relationship between the growth of the lens and the growth of the outer eye coat

This investigation explored the relationships which exist between the growth of the lens and the growth of the outer eye coat (cornea plus sclera) during the development of the chick embryo eye. By introducing one end of a minute glass drainage tube through the eye wall at 4 days of incubation, vitreous substance was allowed to escape as it formed. Intubated eyes increased in overall size at rates which ranged from normal to very slow. Consequently, by 16 days of incubation the group of intubated eyes had achieved widely differing sizes, despite the fact that they were all of the same chronological age. In the first of two experiments, the total protein nitrogen per eye wall in the intubated eyes was proportional to the size which the eye had achieved by 16 days of incubation. This indicates that the smaller size of the outer eye coat reflected a depressed growth rate, and not simply a different spatial distribution of the same amount of substance, Furthermore, within the outer eye coat the growth rates of both the cellular portion, which was measured as total deoxyribonucleic acid per outer eye wall, and the extracellular portion, which was measured as hydroxyproline present in collagen per eye wall, were depressed. However, the amount of extracellular substance produced per cell (estimated as collagen/DNA) was constant regardless of the rate of growth of the outer eye wall. These results suggest that the enlarging vitreous body regulated the growth of the outer coat of the eye by controlling the number of cells in this layer rather than by controlling the amount of extracellular matrix produced by each cell. In a second experiment, similar to the first, the increase in size and the change in shape of lenses in intubated eyes were measured as a function of age. Such lenses grew normally and maintained normal shapes as development proceeded. Thus the growth of the lens was uncoupled from the growth of the outer eye coat. While the outer coat of the eye did not control the growth of the lens to harmonize with its own growth, the lens appeared to exert an indirect control over the growth of the outer coat of the eye in the following manner. Previous work had established that the lens must be present for vitreous substance to accumulate. The enlarging vitreous body, in its turn, helped control the growth of the outer coat of the eye.
Comparison of Dual Retard VCT to Continuously Variable Event Valvetrain

Variable cam timing strategies which utilize retard of the intake and exhaust valve events at part load have been previously shown to provide improved fuel consumption and feedgas NOx. These benefits can be increased by enhancing the combustion system with variable charge motion. A variable event duration valvetrain was simulated on engine dynamometer by running a series of short duration/low lift intake valve events. The fuel consumption benefit for this simulated variable event valvetrain is compared to that of dual retard VCT with variable charge motion. An estimated upper limit for the fuel consumption improvement potential of variable valve timing is presented. This upper limit includes both pumping work reduction and indicated efficiency improvement with high levels of exhaust residual dilution. The measured benefits of dual retard VCT and of the variable event valvetrain are compared to the estimated upper limit.
Kuby, C. R. (2013). Critical Literacy in the Early Childhood Classroom: Unpacking Histories, Unlearning Privilege

Children are exposed to injustices and inequities during the early years despite the best efforts of parents and teachers to protect them. Such experiences shape beliefs and power positions into ad...
Benefits and criticism. Should we support or neglect using rubrics? Evidences from a literature review

Despite their numerous advantages, Rubrics have come under some criticism recently, some of it is reasonable, but much of it is not (Spandel, 2006). This article will spot the light on the rubrics as a formative assessment tool, starting with its definition, its benefits, and finally a debate between its supporters and opponents. In education, we need an ongoing conversation about assessment tools not just in our professional community, but in our classrooms, with students; that key piece of dialogue is all too often overlooked by all of those who extol the rubric’s usefulness or who prophesy the doom it may bring (Gilmore ,2007)
Lignans Are Involved in the Antitumor Activity of Wheat Bran in Colon Cancer SW480 Cells

Wheat bran was shown to provide protection against colorectal cancer in human intervention and animal studies. Our recent study showed, however, that antitumor activities of wheat bran from various wheat cultivars differed significantly even when wheat fiber was equal in diets. We hypothesized that phytochemical lignans in wheat bran may account for the differences among wheat cultivars in cancer prevention. The concentration of a major lignan, secoisolariciresinol diglycoside, was determined by HPLC in 4 selected wheat cultivars (i.e., Madison, Ernie, Betty, and Arapahoe). The lignan concentrations and their antitumor activities, previously determined in APC-Min mice, were correlated (r = 0.73, P < 0.02). The cancer preventive mechanisms of 2 prominent lignan metabolites (enterolactone and enterodiol) were further studied in human colonic cancer SW480 cells. Treatment with enterolactone and enterodiol, alone or in combination, at 0-40 micromol/L resulted in dose- and time-dependent decreases in cell numbers. Although the cytotoxicity as measured by trypan blue staining in adherent cells was not affected, DNA flow cytometric analysis indicated that the treatments induced cell cycle arrest at the S-phase. Western blot analysis for cyclin A, a required protein for S/G2 transition, showed that the cyclin A protein levels decreased after treatment with enterodiol or the combination of enterolactone and enterodiol at 40 micromol/L for 72 h. Apoptosis analysis by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay showed an increased percentage of apoptotic cells in the floating cells after enterodiol alone or combined treatments. These results suggest for the first time that lignans may contribute, at least in part, to the cancer prevention by wheat bran observed in APC-Min mice. Inhibition of cancer cell growth by lignan metabolites seems to be mediated by cytostatic and apoptotic mechanisms.
The preparation and properties of neutral diamide ionophores for group IIA metal cations-II

Abstract The elaboration of a series of neutral ligands featuring vicinal ether and N,N-dialkylacetamido groups is described. Several of these ligands were prev with K app =10 3 -10 5 in methanol of the Group IIA cations for which they are sensitive. Binding constants by the Scatchard method are reported for a number of ligands mainly with Ca, Sr, Mn and Ba. The ligands in methylene chloride solution extract these cations via their picrate salts from water. The electrochemical K ij pot (selectivity) values for some of the ligands when they are incorporated into liquid membrane electrodes and tested with various cations as determined by Simon . (ETH Zurich) are reported. Selectivity ratios of over 100:1 for Na vs Ca were found for several piperidenyl amides of 1,2-phenylenedioxydiacetic acid. Incorporation of N-methylamino instead of ether oxygen groups into the basic structure gives a stronger cation binder which is still selective for Group IIA vs Group IA cations but with binding capacity for transition metal cations also. Limitations of the Scatchard plots for these ligands and the non-correspondance of electrochemical selectivities with the ordering of binding of cations in single liquid phase are discussed.
Effects of Maternal Growth on Fecundity and Egg Quality of Wild and Captive Atka Mackerel

Abstract Trade-offs in energy allocation between growth and reproduction can result in variations in reproductive potential in fish with differing growth patterns. Spawning biomass is often used as a proxy for reproductive potential on the assumption that fecundity is directly proportional to body weight. We examined variations in the reproductive potential of Atka mackerel Pleurogrammus monopterygius by studying the effect of differential growth and condition patterns on fecundity, atresia, and egg energy. Fecundity and egg energy were determined for fish from two geographic areas, Seguam Pass and Amchitka Island, Alaska, and compared with those of fish held in captivity. These Atka mackerel showed distinct differences in growth and condition, with weight at length and length at age being the highest among captive fish, intermediate among fish from Seguam Pass, and lowest among fish from Amchitka Island. Realized fecundity showed that on average captive fish spawned seven batches, fish from Seguam Pass s...
Adsorption of zearalenone by organophilic montmorillonite clay.

Acidic montmorillonite clay was chemically modified via exchange with various ammonium- and pyridinium-based organic cations. These organo clays were then shown to adsorb zearalenone (ZEN) with an efficacy related to the exchanged cation hydrophobicity, as gauged by estimated critical micelle concentration values (cmc) and length of the alkyl chain. ZEN adsorption was greatest for clay samples that had been modified by interlayer exchange with cations possessing 16-carbon alkyl chains: hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) and cetylpyridinium (CP). Isothermal analysis of ZEN adsorption (at 37 °C, pH 6.5) indicated that the clay exchanged with CP at a level of less than or equivalent to the cation exchange capacity (CEC) binds ZEN primarily by a partition process. In contrast, clay exchanged at the 1.5 CEC level gave an S-shaped curve with at least two plateaus, suggesting additional mechanisms of adsorption. A capacity (Qmax) and distribution coefficient (Kd) for the first site were estimated. At acid pH, t...
Heat Transfer Measurement on a Waverider at Mach 10 Using Fluorescent Paint

The principles of the fluorescent paint technique for global surface temperature measurement are presented. This technique is used to measure the surface temperature and heat transfer on the windward side of a waverider model at Mach 10. The model used for calculation of heat transfer for hypersonic flow over an insulating layer is also discussed. Quantitative comparisons between heat transfer measured by the fluorescent paint and data obtained by thermocouples are made with good agreement. The heat transfer maps are able to clearly show not only transition from laminar to turbulent flow, but also movement of the transition line. Nomenclature c = specific heat at constant pressure / = fluorescence intensity k = thermal conductivity L = insulating-layer thickness p = pressure q = heat flux T = temperature a = thermal diffusivity 0 = T - T-m p = density Subscripts b = / in r s w 0 base insulating layer initial reference surface wall total freestream
New novel method for solving ASML alignment fail (model error) in color filter process

For better resolution and throughput concern on color filter process, we use ASML5500/100 for color filter production instead of 1X CANON, but it often suffered alignment fail (error code: model error) at the green layer. Some items have been studied: (1) pattern close to ASML PM mark; (2) level sensor issue (level sensor contamination, plate tilt, level lens contamination); (3) different process sequence; (4) open the clear-out window at passivation layer to reduce interference effect. All of these items are proved no obviously influence to induce model error. By checking the spectrum of the green photo-resist, we found that it is low transmittance at 633 nm1 (the wavelength that the ASML alignment laser uses). Raising the transmittance by reducing the thickness of green resist is proved useful to eliminate the occurrence of model error. On the other hand, the ATHENATM provided by ASML which use red and green lights for alignment will get rid of the alignment failure.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The influence of kinetics on the oxygen isotope composition of calcium carbonate

Paleotemperature reconstructions rely on knowledge of the equilibrium separation of oxygen isotopes between aqueous solution and calcium carbonate. Although oxygen isotope separation is expected on theoretical grounds, the temperature-dependence remains uncertain because other factors, such as slow exchange of isotopes between dissolved CO2-species and water, can obscure the temperature signal. This is problematic for crystal growth experiments on laboratory timescales and for interpreting the oxygen isotope composition of crystals formed in natural settings. We present results from experiments in which inorganic calcite is precipitated in the presence of 0.25μM dissolved bovine carbonic anhydrase (CA). The presence of dissolved CA accelerates oxygen isotope equilibration between the dissolved carbon species CO2, H2CO3, HCO3−, CO32− and water, thereby eliminating this source of isotopic disequilibrium during calcite growth. The experimental results allow us to isolate, for the first time, kinetic oxygen isotope effects occurring at the calcite–water interface. We present a framework of ion-by-ion growth of calcite that reconciles our new measurements with measurements of natural cave calcites that are the best candidate for having precipitated under near-equilibrium conditions. Our findings suggest that isotopic equilibrium between calcite and water is unlikely to have been established in laboratory experiments or in many natural settings. The use of CA in carbonate precipitation experiments offers new opportunities to refine oxygen isotope-based geothermometers and to interrogate environmental variables other than temperature that influence calcite growth rates.
Myotonic muscle in mouse: a light and electron microscopic study in serial sections.

Abstract The EDL muscle of the Bar Harbor Strain C57BL 6Jdy 2j mouse was studied in serial section by light and electron microscopy. Phase contrast microscopy of 15 μm epon sections revealed fiber abnormalities such as central nucleation, atypical fiber diameter and regions of focal fiber necrosis; fiber splitting detected in such sections was a prominent feature of the myotonic muscle. Ultrathin resectioning of selected 15 μm sections showed additional alterations such as dilation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrial conglomerations and disruptions, sarcolemmal infolding and breakdown, and myofibrillar degeneration. The most notable neuropathic changes included distortion in shape and decrease in numbers of synaptic vesicles as well as axonal retraction, reduplication of the basement membrane, and the presence of dense bodies between axon and junctional sarcolemma. These data indicate the involvement of both muscle fiber and motor end plate in mouse myotonic dystrophy.
Glutamate signaling proteins and tyrosine hydroxylase in the locus coeruleus of alcoholics.

It has been postulated that alcoholism is associated with abnormalities in glutamatergic neurotransmission. This study examined the density of glutamate NMDA receptor subunits and its associated proteins in the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) in deceased alcoholic subjects. Our previous research indicated that the NMDA receptor in the human LC is composed of obligatory NR1 and regulatory NR2C subunits. At synapses, NMDA receptors are stabilized through interactions with postsynaptic density protein (PSD-95). PSD-95 provides structural and functional coupling of the NMDA receptor with neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), an intracellular mediator of NMDA receptor activation. LC tissue was obtained from 10 alcohol-dependent subjects and 8 psychiatrically healthy controls. Concentrations of NR1 and NR2C subunits, as well as PSD-95 and nNOS, were measured using Western blotting. In addition we have examined tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of norepinephrine. The amount of NR1 was lower in the rostral (−30%) and middle (−41%)portions of the LC of alcoholics as compared to control subjects. No differences in the amounts of NR2C, PSD-95, nNOS and TH were detected comparing alcoholic to control subjects. Lower levels of NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor in the LC implicates altered glutamate-norepinephrine interactions in alcoholism.