cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Tropical Eastern Pacific Seasonal Cycle: Assessment of Errors and Mechanisms in IPCC AR4 Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere General Circulation Models

Warmer SST and more rain in the Northern Hemisphere are observed year-round in the tropical eastern Pacific with southerly wind crossing the equator toward the atmospheric heating. The southerlies are minimal during boreal spring, when two precipitation maxima straddle the equator. Fourteen atmosphere– ocean coupled GCMs from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3) and one coupled regional model are evaluated against observations with simple metrics that diagnose the seasonal cycle and meridional migration of warm SST and rain. Intermodel correlations of the metrics elucidate common coupled physics. These models variously simulate the climatology of SST and ITCZ rain. In 8 out of 15 models the ITCZ alternates symmetrically between the hemispheres with the seasons. This seasonally alternating ITCZ error generates two wind speed maxima per year—one northerly and one southerly—resulting in spurious cooling in March and a cool SST error of the equatorial ocean. Most models have too much rain in the Southern Hemisphere so that SST and rain are too symmetric about the equator in the annual mean. Weak meridional wind on the equator near the South American coast (2°S–2°N, 80°–90°W) explains the warm SST error there. Northeasterly wind jets blow over the Central American isthmus in winter and cool the SST in the eastern Pacific warm pool. In some models the strength of these winds contributes to the early demise of their northern ITCZ relative to observations. The February–April northerly wind bias on the equator is correlated to the antecedent December–February Central American Pacific wind speed at 0.88. The representation of southern-tropical stratus clouds affects the underlying SST through solar radiation, but its effect on the meridional atmospheric circulation is difficult to discern from the multimodel ensemble, indicating that errors other than the simulation of stratus clouds are also important for accurate simulation of the meridional asymmetry. This study identifies several features to be improved in atmospheric and coupled GCMs, including the northeasterly cross–Central American wind in winter and meridional wind on the equator. Improved simulation of the seasonal cycle of meridional wind could alleviate biases in equatorial SST and improve simulation of ENSO and its teleconnections.
Amperozide, a novel antipsychotic drug, inhibits the ability of d-amphetamine to increase dopamine release in vivo in rat striatum and nucleus accumbens.

The in vivo effects of amperozide, a novel atypical antipsychotic drug, on the release of dopamine (DA) and the output of its metabolite, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), were investigated in the striatum and the nucleus accumbens of awake, freely moving rats using microdialysis. Amperozide (2-10 mg/kg, s.c.) significantly increased extracellular levels of DA in both the striatum and nucleus accumbens in a dose-dependent manner. It had a similar but lesser effect on extracellular DOPAC levels in both regions. d-Amphetamine (2 mg/kg, s.c.) alone produced a very large (43-fold) increase in DA release, together with a 70% decrease in DOPAC levels in both the striatum and the nucleus accumbens. Amperozide (1-5 mg/kg, s.c.) 30 min before d-amphetamine (2 mg/kg) dose-dependently attenuated d-amphetamine-induced DA release but had no effect on the d-amphetamine-induced decrease in extracellular DOPAC levels in both regions. The effect of amperozide on d-amphetamine-induced DA release in the nucleus accumbens may explain the inhibitory effect of amperozide on amphetamine-induced locomotor activity. However, the failure of amperozide to block amphetamine-induced stereotypy, despite marked inhibition of striatal DA release, suggests the need to reexamine the importance of striatal DA for amphetamine-induced stereotypy.
Integrated Chinese Level 1, Part 1. 3rd ed. Simplified Characters by LIU, YUE HUA, & TAO–CHUNG YAO

The article reviews the book "Integrated Chinese Level 1, Part 1: Simplified Characters," 3rd ed. by Yue Hua Liu and Tao-Chung Yao.
Robust wideband beamforming

Robust wideband beamforming with a real-time array testbed will be studied in this paper. For the practical consideration of uncertainty, channel impulse responses or channel transform functions of RF chains can not be obtained exactly due to the limitation of sounding and calibration procedure. Thus robust optimization will be applied to wideband beamforming. It is assumed that the uncertainty will be bounded and the worst case performance can be guaranteed by robust optimization. Finally, the optimal coefficients for a 2-dimensional filter bank to perform wideband beamforming will obtained.
For Application to Human Spaceflight and ISS Experiments: VESGEN Mapping of Microvascular Network Remodeling during Intestinal Inflammation

Challenges to long-duration space exploration and colonization in microgravity and cosmic radiation environments by humans include poorly understood risks for gastrointestinal function and cancer. Nonetheless, constant remodeling of the intestinal microvasculature is critical for tissue viability, healthy wound healing, and successful prevention or recovery from vascular-mediated inflammatory or ischemic diseases such as cancer. Currently no automated image analysis programs provide quantitative assessments of the complex structure of the mucosal vascular system that are necessary for tracking disease development and tissue recovery. Increasing abnormalities to the microvascular network geometry were therefore mapped with VESsel GENeration Analysis (VESGEN) software from 3D tissue reconstructions of developing intestinal inflammation in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) mouse model. By several VESGEN parameters and a novel vascular network linking analysis, inflammation strongly disrupted the regular, lattice-like geometry that defines the normal microvascular network, correlating positively with the increased recruitment of dendritic cells during mucosal defense responses.
Vitamin D—A Passenger, Not a Driver in Cardiovascular Disease

Epidemiological studies and the popular media suggest that vitamin D deficiency, estimated by measuring 25-hydroxyvitamin D in blood, is linked to increased risk of ischemic heart disease and stroke. However, randomized clinical trials testing whether vitamin D supplementation decreases the risk of these diseases have been surprisingly disappointing—but it is not understood why. To get at this question, Ooi et al. tested whether vitamin D deficiency caused a poor lipid profile (which in turn would cause heart disease or stroke) or vice versa. Their new results suggest that disease-causing atherogenic lipids [nonfasting remnant cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol] also decrease vitamin D levels. Ooi et al. cleverly used the data from the Copenhagen General Population Study and the Copenhagen City Heart Study to examine whether previously established genetic influencers of atherogenic lipids and decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol determined 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. They also examined the opposite question: whether previously established genetic predictors of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels affected atherogenic lipids and HDL. They found that genetic influencers of cholesterol significantly predicted 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. Each doubling of atherogenic lipids was significantly associated with lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, although genetically lowered HDL was associated with higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D. In striking contrast, genetically lower levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D did not predict concentrations of atherogenic lipids. The investigators concluded that elevated atherogenic lipids, but not HDL, contribute to the low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels associated with heart disease and stroke. The study has limitations, including an observational design, but is strengthened by sample size (85, 868 subjects) and conservative analytical approaches. These results suggest that low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are simply a secondary marker of elevated atherogenic lipids and raise doubt about the value of vitamin D supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. E. M. Ooi et al. , Elevated remnant cholesterol in 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency in the general population: A Mendelian randomization study. Circ. Cardiovasc. Genet. 10.1161/CIRCGENETICS.113.000416 (2014). [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://circgenetics.ahajournals.org/content/early/2014/07/27/CIRCGENETICS.113.000416
Network-centric localization in MANETs based on particle swarm optimization

There exist several application scenarios of mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) in which the nodes need to locate a target or surround it. Severe resource constraints in MANETs call for energy efficient target localization and collaborative navigation. Centralized control of MANET nodes is not an attractive solution due to its high network utilization that can result in congestions and delays. In nature, many colonies of biological species (such as a flock of birds) can achieve effective collaborative navigation without any centralized control. Particle swarm optimization (PSO), a popular swarm intelligence approach that models social dynamics of a biological swarm is proposed in this paper for network-centric target localization in MANETs that are enhanced by mobile robots. Simulation study of two application scenarios is conducted. While one scenario focuses on quick target localization, the other aims at convergence of MANET nodes around the target. Reduction of swarm size during PSO search is proposed for accelerated convergence. The results of the study show that the proposed algorithm is effective in network-centric collaborative navigation. Emergence of converging behavior of MANET nodes is observed.
An enhanced simple method for designing switched reluctance motors under multi-phase excitation

The paper presents a simple method for designing switched reluctance motors (SRM) under multi-phase excitation using specific design coefficients (derived from the flux and MMF distributions for each SRM configuration), and taking into account the magnetic loading. The torque and magnetic loading performances of various SRM configurations designed using the proposed method are verified through finite element analysis (FEA).
Representing Value and the Value of Representation: A Different Look at Money

A telling joke circulated in Israel in the fall of 1984. Two men meet somewhere in the country. One has just been abroad. The other says: "Those are nice pants. How much did they cost you?" The friend replies: "Twenty pounds Sterling." The first then asks, "How much is that in Israeli money?" The second replies, "Twenty-five dollars"-that is, twenty-five U.S. dollars. Officially, the shekel (and not the dollar) was Israel's currency and only legal tender. It was printed by the Israeli government, circulated through designated government channels, regulated, bolstered, and devalued from time to time by branches and instruments of the government. The lira, Israel's official currency until 1980, had already been driven out of the market by governmental action and was no longer an acceptable means of payment or exchange. The Jordanian dinar remained legal tender in the West Bank alongside the Israeli shekel. Officially, the U.S. dollar remained foreign currency. Yet in the nearly six years since I had first gone to Israel, I had participated in dozens of transactions involving the transfer of actual cash dollars and many more calculated in U.S. dollars, though formally paid in official Israeli currency. I had grown accustomed to handling $100 bills and worrying about whether they were counterfeit. Like most Israelis, I had watched illegal money changers in Israel proper develop a thriving business alongside their legal counterparts in the West Bank, and I had gotten used to checking the black-market dollar rate printed daily in all the major Hebrew-language newspapers. Israel had developed galloping inflation, changed its currency from the lira to the shekel in an effort to curb the "psychological" effects of inflation and make accounting calculations easier, contemplated formally dollarizing the economy, and simultaneously shown public outrage at the very suggestion of de jure dollarization. Everyone spoke of dollar balatot (literally floor tile dollars) as "real money" kept in people's homes or safe deposit boxes. I knew I had never lived in a situation of galloping inflation or day-to-day use of multiple currencies before I encountered the Israel of the 1980s. I also knew that while many Israelis were becoming quite adept at changing currencies, buying commodities for the express purpose of "preserving value," and moving
Lipid phosphate phosphatase activity regulates dispersal and bilateral sorting of embryonic germ cells in Drosophila

In Drosophila, germ cell survival and directionality of migration are controlled by two lipid phosphate phosphatases (LPP), wunen (wun) and wunen-2 (wun2). wun wun2 double mutant analysis reveals that the two genes, hereafter collectively called wunens, act redundantly in primordial germ cells. We find that wunens mediate germ cell-germ cell repulsion and that this repulsion is necessary for germ cell dispersal and proper transepithelial migration at the onset of migration and for the equal sorting of the germ cells between the two embryonic gonads during their migration. We propose that this dispersal function optimizes adult fecundity by assuring maximal germ cell occupancy of both gonads. Furthermore, we find that the requirement for wunens in germ cell survival can be eliminated by blocking germ cell migration. We suggest that this essential function of Wunen is needed to maintain cell integrity in actively migrating germ cells.
THE FIRST NEGATIVE HECKE EIGENVALUE OF GENUS 2 SIEGEL CUSPFORMS WITH LEVEL N ≥ 1

In this short paper, we extend results of Kohnen and Sengupta on the sign of eigenvalues of Siegel cuspforms. We show that their bound for the first negative Hecke eigenvalue of a genus 2 Siegel cuspform of level 1 extends to the case of level N > 1. We also discuss the signs of Hecke eigenvalues of CAP forms.
An Analysis of the Role of the Indigenous Microbiota in Cholesterol Gallstone Pathogenesis

Background and Aims: Cholesterol gallstone disease is a complex process involving both genetic and environmental variables. No information exists regarding what role if any the indigenous gastrointestinal microbiota may play in cholesterol gallstone pathogenesis and whether variations in the microbiota can alter cholesterol gallstone prevalence rates. Methods: Genetically related substrains (BALB/cJ and BALB/cJBomTac) and (BALB/AnNTac and BALB/cByJ) of mice obtained from different vendors were compared for cholesterol gallstone prevalence after being fed a lithogenic diet for 8 weeks. The indigenous microbiome was altered in these substrains by oral gavage of fecal slurries as adults, by cross-fostering to mice with divergent flora at ,1day of age or by rederiving into a germ-free state. Results: Alterations in the indigenous microbiome altered significantly the accumulation of mucin gel and normalized gallbladder weight but did not alter cholesterol gallstone susceptibility in conventionally housed SPF mice. Germ-free rederivation rendered mice more susceptible to cholesterol gallstone formation. This susceptibility appeared to be largely due to alterations in gallbladder size and gallbladder wall inflammation. Colonization of germ-free mice with members of altered Schaedler flora normalized the gallstone phenotype to a level similar to conventionally housed mice.
Data models for automatic inspection

This paper will review functional and structural models for image data that have proved effective in automatic inspection applications. Examples will be taken from practical industrial systems.
The Identification of Birth Order Personality Attributes

Abstract Adjectival listings were used to record quantitative and qualitative assessments of personality traits for birth order positions. Personality profiles that outlined the perceived strengths and weaknesses of each rank and sex were established. Regardless of sex, the first born was viewed as the most favored birth position, followed by the middle, youngest, and only-child positions. Ranking of the subjects' own birth position was consistent with the way others perceived that position. The data were obtained primarily from African American and Hispanic college students and suggest a need for cross-ethnic referencing.
Dithiolodithiole as a Building Block for Conjugated Materials

The development of new conjugated organic materials for dyes, sensors, imaging, and flexible light emitting diodes, field-effect transistors, and photovoltaics has largely relied upon assembling π-conjugated molecules and polymers from a limited number of building blocks. The use of the dithiolodithiole heterocycle as a conjugated building block for organic materials is described. The resulting materials exhibit complimentary properties to widely used thiophene analogues, such as stronger donor characteristics, high crystallinity, and a decreased HOMO–LUMO gap. The dithiolodithiole (C4S4) motif is readily synthetically accessible using catalytic processes, and both the molecular and bulk properties of materials based on this building block can be tuned by judicious choice of substituents.
Strong resistance of (tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl)triethoxysilane (TTS) nanofilm to protein adsorption

In this report, the properties of fluorocarbon-containing (tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl)triethoxysilane (TTS) (C14 H19 F13 O3 Si) nanofilm coated on silicon surface and its potential to resist protein adsorption were examined. Thickness and wettability of the silicon surface before and after TTS nanofilm coating were examined by ellipsometry and contact angle goniometry, respectively. The same techniques were used to examine protein layer on nonmodified and TTS-coated silicon surface. In addition, bright-field optical microscopy and fluorescence spectrophotometry were used to provide visual, qualitative description of adsorbed proteins and the specific signal of fluorescence-labeled bovine serum albumin (BSA), respectively, on bare and TTS-coated silicon surface. Single-component protein solution of four model proteins, namely BSA, human fibrinogen, bovine serum immunoglobulin G, and fibronectin, was prepared, and the adsorption responses of these four proteins on TTS nanofilm were examined, using nonmodified silicon surface as comparison. TTS substantially reduces the adsorption of all four proteins tested. Our results indicate that fluorocarbon-containing TTS, once coated on surfaces, is an effective molecule for resisting protein adsorption. This will open up potential applications, particularly for silicon-containing implant devices such as glass.
Conflicting Goals: Superfund, Risk Assessment, and Community Participation in Decision Making

This article uses the history of a Superfund site—the Torch Lake site in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan—to suggest that the risk-based decision-making process of Superfund sends mixed messages, frustrating public participation even when some level of involvement is appropriate and desirable. In this case, Superfund-related conflicts in the community remained unresolved even after the USEPA issued its Superfund Record of Decision. Only after a public advisory council reviewed the beneficial uses of the waterway as part of a decision-making process required by the joint US-Canadian Area of Concern program did the community have a mechanism to reach some consensus on these issues. Rather than reducing a complex problem to a set of numbers that discouraged discussion, the review of beneficial uses facilitated discussions that allowed non-experts to place the various impairments in perspective. The implication for regulators who are required to make risk-based decisions is that, where public involvement in the decision-making process is appropriate, indicator-based discussions of beneficial uses are likely to be more productive than discussions centered around risk.
Toddler Teachers’ Use of Teaching Pyramid Practices

Effective strategies to promote social-emotional development and prevent occurrence of challenging behaviors in young children is critical. The Teaching Pyramid, a framework for supporting social-emotional development and preventing and addressing challenging behaviors, was developed for preschool children. This mixed methods study investigated toddler teachers’ use of Teaching Pyramid practices and the relationship between these practices and classroom quality. Results indicated that toddler teachers used practices associated with the universal level of the Pyramid (e.g., positive relationships with children and parents). At this level, however, it was also evident that some preventive practices were missing (e.g., posted visual schedules and rules). Missing across classrooms was evidence of practices associated with the secondary level (e.g., explicitly teaching behavior expectations) and tertiary level (e.g., participating in developing behavior support plans). Implementation of Pyramid practices appea...
Trend analysis of key solvency ratios for health plans in Medicaid managed care.

Abstract The focus of this article is to assess the solvency of health plans that manage Medicaid members across key plan traits, specifically Medicaid dominant or plans with more than 75 percent Medicaid members, and plans owned by publicly traded companies, and sponsored by health care providers. The study accessed National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) financial data and computed key solvency ratios for 117 Medicaid health plans over a five-year time trend from 2007 to 2011. A mean test compared the mean values for each year and for the entire study period on risk-based capital (RBC), cash-flow margin and debt to total capital ratios across these plan traits. For all years except 2008 Medicaid dominant plans had a lower RBC ratio for all four out of five years. Cash-flow margin ratio for Medicaid dominant plans was only lower in 2011 than non-Medicaid dominant plans. From 2007 to 2010, debt to total capital was higher for plans owned by publicly traded companies than non-publicly traded companies. Given the potential for an expanding Medicaid market, Medicaid health plans have reduced their risk of insolvency by increasing the RBC over time and reducing their debt capital. However between 2010 and 2011 cash-flow margin ratio decreased by almost 180 basis points for Medicaid dominant plans.
Base and Nucleotide Excision Repair of Oxidatively Generated Guanine Lesions in DNA

The well known biomarker of oxidative stress, 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine, is more susceptible to further oxidation than the parent guanine base and can be oxidatively transformed to the genotoxic spiroiminodihydantoin (Sp) and 5-guanidinohydantoin (Gh) lesions. Incubation of 135-mer duplexes with single Sp or Gh lesions in human cell extracts yields a characteristic nucleotide excision repair (NER)-induced ladder of short dual incision oligonucleotide fragments in addition to base excision repair (BER) incision products. The ladders were not observed when NER was inhibited either by mouse monoclonal antibody (5F12) to human XPA or in XPC(-/-) fibroblast cell extracts. However, normal NER activity appeared when the XPC(-/-) cell extracts were complemented with XPC-RAD23B proteins. The Sp and Gh lesions are excellent substrates of both BER and NER. In contrast, 5-guanidino-4-nitroimidazole, a product of the oxidation of guanine in DNA by peroxynitrite, is an excellent substrate of BER only. In the case of mouse embryonic fibroblasts, BER of the Sp lesion is strongly reduced in NEIL1(-/-) relative to NEIL1(+/+) extracts. In summary, in human cell extracts, BER and NER activities co-exist and excise Gh and Sp DNA lesions, suggesting that the relative NER/BER product ratios may depend on competitive BER and NER protein binding to these lesions.
Republic of Armenia, Draft Law on Procedure for Deposit Attraction: Desktop Review

The draft Law on Procedure for Deposit Attraction in the Republic of Armenia is intended to provide consumers with basic information when they open bank accounts. The added transparency that the law requires will enhance competition in the banking industry by allowing consumers to do comparative shopping for terms and conditions that best suit their individual needs. The law also gives consumers rights against banks that do not disclose account terms as required by the law.The draft law is based upon the Truth in Savings Act in the United States, which Congress enacted in 1991, and on Regulation DD, 12 C.F.R. part 230, which was issued by the Federal Reserve Board in 1992. Regulation DD expands upon the basic provisions of the Truth in Savings statute and provides additional guidance to banks and consumers on the disclosure requirements of the statute. This paper reviews the draft law in detail and makes several suggestions on how it could be modified to comply with international norms regarding consumer bank deposits.
Comparison With the Typical College Student Predicts Graduation When Identity Is Uncertain

This study investigated the effect of personal identity and social comparison on college graduation. First-year college students completed an online survey measuring exploration and commitment to personal identity and perceptions of the prototypical student. Those who perceived the typical student as favorable but dissimilar to themselves had the lowest probability of graduating within 6 years if they were also not committed to a personal identity. Among students with a clearly established identity, comparison with the typical student was unrelated to graduation. The results suggest that commitment to a personal identity protects students against the potentially deleterious effects of social comparison.
Nation-building in Turkey and Morocco: governing Kurdish and Berber dissent

Kurds in Turkey (15–20% of the population) and Berbers in Morocco (40–45%) have historically resided in ‘areas of dissidence’ – defined as peripheral regions characterised by difficult terrain and ...
Biochemistry of Senile Dementia

This review of senile dementia shall be confined to the major pathological entity, Alzheimer’s disease, a devastating and increasingly recognized illness that has become the focus of intensifying research over the decade since the first edition of this handbook. Demographic statistics showing the increasing life span of the American population, coupled with an enhanced age-related risk of affliction with Alzheimer’s disease, have heightened the urgency for research into what is and promises to become an increasingly common and debilitating health problem of the elderly.1 Dementia is defined as a progressive loss of memory and cognitive function over an extended period of time, i.e., months to years. Although there are several diseases that result in the insidious onset of cognitive loss during the middle years, Alzheimer’s disease represents the largest percentage of presently incurable senile dementias. However, major progress in identifying biochemical abnormalities of the brain in Alzheimer’s disease has been made during the past decade, distinguishing these patients from those with other disorders of cognitive function and from the changes occurring in normal, age-matched elderly controls. Specific biochemical and structural alterations associated with “normal” or “accelerated” aging need to be further differentiated from the progressive biochemical changes of Alzheimer’s disease.
Chronic Nicotine Self-Administration Augments Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Responses to Mild Acute Stress

We investigated the effect of chronic nicotine self-administration (SA) on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) hormonal responses to acute stressors. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were given access to nicotine (0.03 mg/kg) for 23 h per day for 20 days. On day 1 of acquisition of nicotine SA, plasma levels of both adrenocorticotropin and corticosterone were significantly increased 15–30 min after the first dose of nicotine. These hormonal changes were no longer significant on day 3, when adrenocorticotropin levels were <60 pg/ml and corticosterone levels were <110 ng/ml during the hour after the first dose of nicotine. Chronic nicotine SA (20 days) significantly augmented (2–3-fold) both hormonal responses to mild foot shock stress (0.6 mA, 0.5 s per shock, 5 shocks per 5 min), but did not affect hormonal responses to moderate shock (1.2 mA, 0.5 s per shock, 5 shocks per 5 min), lipopolysaccharide or immobilization. Similar data were obtained in Lewis rats. These results provide further support for the concept that chronic nicotine SA is a stressor. In alignment with the effects of other stressors, nicotine activated the HPA axis on the first day of SA, but desensitization occurred with repeated exposure. Furthermore, chronic nicotine SA selectively cross-sensitized the HPA response to a novel stressor. These observations suggest that nicotine may selectively increase the HPA response to stressors in human smokers.
Insect Control on Late-Planted Sweet Corn

A conventional and ULV sprayer were compared for use on late-planted sweet corn. Six insecticides were used. Under the heavy population pressure of fall armyworm, Spodaptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), encountered in this study, plots treated with the ULV sprayer produced the best plant protection as determined by observation and use of an insect damage index and by ears produced.
Single-Walled Aluminosilicate Nanotubes with Organic-Modified Interiors

A methodology for modifying the interior of single-walled metal oxide (aluminosilicate) nanotubes by covalently immobilizing organic functional entities on the interior surface of the nanotube structure is reported. Characterization of the modified nanotubes by a range of solid-state characterization techniques—including nitrogen physisorption, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and solid-state NMR—strongly indicates that the organic entities are immobilized on the inner surface of the nanotubes by reaction with the silanol groups on the interior wall. The resulting organic-modified single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) show higher hydrophobicity than bare nanotubes based upon water adsorption measurements. Furthermore, a mechanistic understanding of water adsorption in the modified SWNTs is developed, by interpretation of the water adsorption data with a multilayer adsorption model. The degree of interior surface silanol substitution is estimated...
Professional development for K-12 online teachers

This chapter provides a survey of what is known about professional development for both brick and mortar and online teachers and uses this knowledge as a springboard to suggest policy and research implications for the professional development of K-12 online teachers. While research is currently limited, opportunities abound for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to make important contributions to the professional development of K-12 online teachers.
Distribution to Undo Excess: The Ninth Circuit Looks to an Equitable Approach to Apportion the Costs of Environmental Cleanup in AmeriPride Services Inc. v. Texas Eastern Overseas Inc.

On April 2, 2015, in AmeriPride Services Inc. v. Texas Eastern Overseas Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit joined the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in holding that district courts are not bound to a single method of distributing response costs in contribution actions under § 9613(f) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”). The First and Ninth Circuits have held that courts may allocate such costs according to the most equitable method as long as it is consistent with the language and the purposes of CERCLA. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, alternatively, has ruled that district courts must allocate response costs using the method prescribed by the Uniform Contribution Among Tortfeasors Act, which accounts for settlements by reducing total liability by the dollar amount of the agreement. This Comment argues that the First and Ninth Circuits’ interpretation of CERCLA is correct because it accounts for the variety and complexity of contribution actions under CERCLA and because it furthers CERCLA’s goals of promoting the prompt cleanup of hazardous waste sites and ensuring that parties responsible for environmental harm bear the cost of cleaning the damage.
Uracil ribonucleotide metabolism in rat and human glomerular epithelial and mesangial cells.

Uridine diphosphosugars (UDP-sugars: UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, UDP-glucose, and UDP-glucuronic acid) are essential coenzymes for the synthesis of glomerular basement membrane and mesangial matrix (GBM-MM). This study has characterized UDP-sugar metabolism in rat and human glomerular cells in tissue culture. Culture of rat mesangial cells in medium containing dialyzed fetal calf serum resulted in UTP loss (28 +/- 4 nmol.mg DNA-1.h-1); the addition of 2 microM orotate to this medium resulted in net UTP accretion (5.42 +/- 0.06 nmol.mg DNA-1.h-1). Rat mesangial cells demonstrated 16- and 29- to 46-fold greater UTP and UDP-sugar pools, respectively, than whole glomeruli. In human mesangial cells, 6-azauridine (500 microM) decreased UDP-sugar pools by 48% (P less than 0.05), whereas uridine (50 microM) produced a 2.5-fold increase. Human and rat mesangial cells had greater (1.8- to 6.1-fold) UDP-sugar pools than epithelial cells and 1.7-3.4 times greater labeled precursor incorporation into UDP-sugars. In conclusion, glomerular cells utilize both exogenous orotate and uridine for ribonucleotide synthesis, and the extracellular concentration of these precursors markedly influence the formation and cellular content of UDP-sugars. Prominent differences exist between separate glomerular cell populations in their metabolism of UDP-sugars. This may represent diverse activity of glycosylating reactions.
The Strategic Importance of Channel Selection: A Deterministic Model of Cost Analysis

The selection of a distribution channel is of strategic importance as it influences the success of a business enterprise in the short‐run as well as in the long‐run. As such, the choice of a distribution channel should be based on rational thinking and systematic analysis. Yet, the choice is invariably based on "trial and error." This situation at least partly stems from the lack of knowledgeability about the elements of cost associated with different channels. This paper presents a generalized model of cost analysis in making channel decisions.
The Interventional Arm of the Flexibility In Duty-Hour Requirements for Surgical Trainees Trial: First-Year Data Show Superior Quality In-Training Initiative Outcomes

Purpose With the implementation of strict 80-hour work week in general surgery training, serious questions have been raised concerning the quality of surgical education and the ability of newly trained general surgeons to independently operate. Programs that were randomized to the interventional arm of the Flexibility In duty-hour Requirements for Surgical Trainees (FIRST) Trial were able to decrease transitions and allow for better continuity by virtue of less constraints on duty-hour rules. Using National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Quality In-Training Initiative data along with duty-hour violations compared with old rules, it was hypothesized that quality of care would be improved and outcomes would be equivalent or better than the traditional duty-hour rules. It was also hypothesized that resident perception of compliance with duty hour would not change with implementation of new regulations based on FIRST trial. Methods Flexible work hours were implemented on July 1, 2014. National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Quality In-Training Initiative information was reviewed from July 2014 to January 2015. Patient risk factors and outcomes were compared between institutional resident cases and the national cohort for comparison. Residents’ duty-hour logs and violations during this period were compared to the 6-month period before the implementation of the FIRST trial. The annual Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education resident survey was used to assess the residents’ perception of compliance with duty hours. Results Institution Resident Cases = 379 (%) National Resident Cases = 49,064 (%) p Value Cases with 3 risk factors 15.57 8.04 Cases with 4 risk factors 5.54 3.06 Cases with 5+ risk factors 5.80 2.12 Unplanned readmissions in 30 d 5.01 7.26 N.S. Death within 30 d 1.58 1.30 N.S. With respect to the postoperative complications, the only statistically significant measures were higher prevalence of pneumonia (3.4% vs. 1.5%, p Conclusions Residents with flexible work hours on the interventional arm of the FIRST trial at our institution took care of a significantly sicker cohort of patients as compared with the national dataset with equivalent outcomes. Flexible duty-hour policy under the FIRST trial has enabled the residents to have fewer work-hour violations while improving continuity of care to the patients. Additionally, the overall perception of resident compliance with the duty-hour requirements was improved.
Extensive genome heterogeneity leads to preferential allele expression and copy number‐dependent expression in cultivated potato

Summary Relative to homozygous diploids, the presence of multiple homologs or homeologs in polyploids affords greater tolerance to mutations that can impact genome evolution. In this study, we describe sequence and structural variation in the genomes of six accessions of cultivated potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), a vegetatively propagated autotetraploid, and their impact on the transcriptome. Sequence diversity was high with a mean SNP rate of approximately 1 per 50 bases suggestive of high levels of allelic diversity. Additive gene expression was observed in leaves (3,605 genes) and tubers (6,156 genes) that contrasted the preferential allele expression of between 2,180 and 3,502 and 3,367 and 5,270 genes in the leaf and tuber transcriptome, respectively. Preferential allele expression was significantly associated with evolutionarily conserved genes suggesting selection of specific alleles of genes responsible for biological processes common to angiosperms during the breeding selection process. Copy number variation was rampant with between 16,098 and 18,921 genes in each cultivar exhibiting duplication or deletion. Copy number variable genes tended to be evolutionarily recent, lowly expressed, and enriched in genes that show increased expression in response to biotic and abiotic stress treatments suggestive of a role in adaptation. Gene copy number impacts on gene expression were detected with 528 genes having correlations between copy number and gene expression. Collectively, these data suggest that in addition to allelic variation of coding sequence, the heterogenous nature of the tetraploid potato genome contributes to a highly dynamic transcriptome impacted by allele preferential and copy number-dependent expression effects. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology in the Diagnosis of Lymphoma

Since 1985, almost 200 articles have been published inthe medical literature on the subject of fine-needle aspiration(FNA) cytology and the diagnosis of lymphoma. Themajority of recent studies describe the usefulness of acombined approach using FNA cytology and immunopheno-typing by flow cytometry (FC) or immunohistochemistry.
The Effects of Communication Modality on Outcomes of Collaborative Tasks

Collaborative learning involves students working in small groups to complete tasks related to class instruction. Collaborative learning techniques are widely used in business schools. There is research evidence to suggest that collaborative learning leads to positive outcomes. Specifically, the interaction that occurs among students in completing the group task provides both educational and social benefits. The easy availability of communication technology has changed the modality of interaction among students. This change has been furthered by an increase in the number of students who work full-time and also enroll in business schools. Such students tend to interact more using communication technologies, such as electronic mail and not necessarily face-to-face. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of these changes in communication modalities on the outcomes of group work. The results indicate that while students have a preference for using traditional face-to-face interaction, there seems to be no significant correlation between communication modality and measures of group outcomes.
Calibration of a compressive gravity thickening model from a single batch settling curve

A compressive gravity thickening model (Kos and Adrian, 1974; Kos, 1978) was calibrated from a single batch settling curve. This model was originally formulated in terms of the total suspended solids concentration, C , the dynamic pressure gradient, ∂ P /∂ z , and the gradient corresponding to the compressive yield strength, ∂σ y /∂ z . Fitch (1975) demonstrated that the model could be formulated in terms of C and the solids concentration gradient, ∂ C /∂ z . Utilizing this formulation the model was calibrated with data generated from elementary quantitative analysis of the steady-state conditions attained in continuous thickening experiments (Vaccari, 1984; Vaccari and Uchrin, 1989). In this investigation the model was calibrated from a single batch settling curve. This was done using the down-hill simplex optimization method proposed by Nelder and Mead (1965) in a curve-fitting capacity. The optimization routine adjusted the model coefficients in order to reduce the discrepancy between the simulated results of the model and the corresponding experimental batch settling data. When calibrated by this method the model was found to accurately predict experimental continuous thickening behavior observed for the sludge.
Validation of a dynamic joint contracture measuring device in a live rabbit model of arthrofibrosis.

The current method of measuring arthrofibrosis in live rabbits is critically limited. Specifically, this method involves radioactive fluoroscopy, error-prone goniometric measurements, and static joint angle outcomes that fail to approximate the compliance of tissues surrounding the joint. This study aims to validate a novel method of capturing the compliance of contracted tissues surrounding the joint without the use of fluoroscopy or animal sacrifice. Surgically induced contractures of one-hundred and eight rabbits were measured using the current standard of contracture measurement (a pulley system) as well as a newly designed dynamic load cell (DLC) device. The DLC device was highly reliable when compared to the pulley system (r = 0.907, p < 0.001). Finally, the DLC device produced joint stiffness hysteresis curves capable of approximating the compliance of stiff joint tissues, ultimately calculating a mean joint stiffness of 1.57 ± 1.31 N · m · rad-1 (range, 0.33-6.37 N · m · rad-1 ). In conclusion, the DLC device represents a valid method for measuring joint contractures. Further, the DLC device notably improves current techniques by introducing the capacity to approximate the compliance of contracted tissues in living rabbits. © 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res.
Trauma Quality Improvement: Reducing Triage Errors by Automating the Level Assignment Process.

Background Trauma patients are triaged by the severity of their injury or need for intervention while en route to the trauma center according to trauma activation protocols that are institution specific. Significant research has been aimed at improving these protocols in order to optimize patient outcomes while striving for efficiency in care. However, it is known that patients are often undertriaged or overtriaged because protocol adherence remains imperfect. The goal of this quality improvement (QI) project was to improve this adherence, and thereby reduce the triage error. It was conducted as part of the formal undergraduate medical education curriculum at this institution. Study Design A QI team was assembled and baseline data were collected, then 2 Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles were implemented sequentially. During the first cycle, a novel web tool was developed and implemented in order to automate the level assignment process (it takes EMS-provided data and automatically determines the level); the tool was based on the existing trauma activation protocol. The second PDSA cycle focused on improving triage accuracy in isolated, less than 10% total body surface area burns, which we identified to be a point of common error. Traumas were reviewed and tabulated at the end of each PDSA cycle, and triage accuracy was followed with a run chart. Setting This study was performed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Medical School, which has a large level 1 trauma center covering over 75,000 square miles, and which sees urban, suburban, and rural trauma. Participants The baseline assessment period and each PDSA cycle lasted 2 weeks. During this time, all activated, adult, direct traumas were reviewed. There were 180 patients during the baseline period, 189 after the first test of change, and 150 after the second test of change. All were included in analysis. Results Of 180 patients, 30 were inappropriately triaged during baseline analysis (3 undertriaged and 27 overtriaged) versus 16 of 189 (3 undertriaged and 13 overtriaged) following implementation of the web tool (p = 0.017 for combined errors). Overtriage dropped further from baseline to 10/150 after the second test of change (p = 0.005). The total number of triaged patients dropped from 92.3/week to 75.5/week after the second test of change. There was no statistically significant change in the undertriage rate. Conclusion The combination of web tool implementation and protocol refinement decreased the combined triage error rate by over 50% (from 16.7%-7.9%). We developed and tested a web tool that improved triage accuracy, and provided a sustainable method to enact future quality improvement. This web tool and QI framework would be easily expandable to other hospitals.
Life Cycle Analysis of Photovoltaics: Strategic Technology Assessment

Abstract The photovoltaic (PV) market is experiencing vigorous growth, with prices dropping rapidly. This growth has in large part been possible through public support, deserved for its promise to produce electricity at low cost to the environment. It is therefore important to monitor and minimize environmental impacts associated with PV technologies as well to project improvements in conversion efficiencies and material and energy utilization that would better the environmental profile of PV technologies. This chapter discusses both the current environmental status of commercial PV technologies and the potential for future improvements of their environmental profile.
United States vs. Mehanna , the First Amendment, and Material Support in the War on Terror

This Note examines the recent conviction of U.S. citizen Tarek Mehanna for providing material support for terrorism. Mehanna was convicted of providing material support for terrorism not because he posed an immediate threat, but rather because he translated al Qaeda propaganda into English. This Note argues that the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court case Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project provides inadequate guidance for when speech made in support of terror is punishable, and that the Court’s deference to the political branches will have a deleterious impact on free speech rights. This Note further argues that speech like Mehanna’s should be evaluated using an incitement standard developed specifically for material support cases. This proposed standard will allow courts to strike a proper balance between free speech rights and national security.