cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using Concept Maps to Mediate Meaning in Undergraduate Mathematics

The chapter presents the concept map data from a study, which investigated the use of concept maps and Vee diagrams (maps/diagrams) to illustrate the conceptual structure of a topic, its relevant problems and common procedures. Students were required to construct comprehensive topic maps/diagrams as ongoing exercises throughout the semester and to present these for critique before individuals finalized them. With improved mapping proficiency and on-going social critiques, students’ mathematical understanding deepened, becoming more conceptual as a result of continually revising their work as the validity of each map is dependent on how effective it illustrated the intended meanings and correct mathematics structure. Students also developed an appreciation of the crucial inter-linkages between mathematical principles, common procedures and formulas, and how all of these mutually reinforce each other conceptually and methodologically. Incorporating concept mapping as a normal mathematical practice in classrooms can potentially alter the learning of mathematics, making it more meaningful and conceptual to supplement the predominantly procedural proficiency practised in many mathematics classrooms.
Learning to recognize unfamiliar talkers: Listeners rapidly form representations of facial dynamic signatures.

Abstract Seeing the motion of a talking face can be sufficient to recognize personally highly familiar speakers, suggesting that dynamic facial information is stored in long-term representations for familiar speakers. In the present study, we tested whether talking-related facial dynamic information can guide the learning of unfamiliar speakers. Participants were asked to identify speakers from configuration-normalized point-light displays showing only the biological motion that speakers produced while saying short sentences. During an initial learning phase, feedback was given. During test, listeners identified speakers from point-light displays of the training sentences and of new sentences. Listeners learned to identify two speakers, and four speakers in another experiment, from visual dynamic information alone. Learning was evident already after very little exposure. Furthermore, listeners formed abstract representations of visual dynamic signatures that allowed them to recognize speakers at test even from new linguistic materials. Control experiments showed that any potentially remaining static information in the point-light displays was not sufficient to guide learning and that listeners learned to recognize the identity, rather than the sex, of the speakers, as learning was also found when speakers were of the same sex. Overall, these results demonstrate that listeners can learn to identify unfamiliar speakers from the motion they produce during talking. Listeners thus establish abstract representations of the talking-related dynamic facial motion signatures of unfamiliar speakers already from limited exposure.
Interpolation in Sub-Bergman Spaces

A general interpolation problem with operator argument is studied for functions f from sub-Bergman spaces associated with an analytic function S mapping the open unit disk ⅅ into the closed unit disk.
Probabilistic Neighborhood Selection in Collaborative Filtering Systems

This paper presents a novel probabilistic method for recommending items in the neighborhood-based collaborative filtering framework. For the probabilistic neighborhood selection phase, we use an efficient method for weighted sampling of k neighbors without replacement that also takes into consideration the similarity levels between the target user and the candidate neighbors. We conduct an empirical study showing that the proposed method alleviates the over-specialization and concentration biases in common recommender systems by generating recommendation lists that are very different from the classical collaborative filtering approach and also increasing the aggregate diversity and mobility of recommendations. We also demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms both the previously proposed user based k-nearest neighbors and k-furthest neighbors collaborative filtering approaches in terms of item prediction accuracy and utility based ranking measures across various experimental settings. This accuracy performance improvement is in accordance with ensemble learning theory.
PTEN in Prostate Cancer

PTEN is one of the most commonly deleted/mutated tumor suppressor genes in human prostate cancer. As a lipid phosphatase and negative regulator of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, PTEN controls a number of cellular processes, including survival, growth, proliferation, metabolism, migration, and cellular architecture. Over the past 15 years since its discovery, a number of mechanisms governing PTEN expression and function, including transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, post-translational modifications, and protein–protein interactions, have been shown to be altered in human prostate cancer. The functions of PTEN within the cell have been expanded to include phosphatase-independent roles and functions within the nucleus. The generation of genetically engineered mouse models (GEMs) with deletion of Pten has further revealed that varying degrees of Pten loss in combination with other genetic alterations are able to recapitulate all spectrums of human prostate cancer, from tumor initiation to metastasis. With new methods of genomic and transcriptional analysis of human prostate cancer specimens, PTEN loss can potentially be used as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for prostate cancer, as well as predict patient responses to emerging PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors. Finally, deeper insight into communication between the PI3K/AKT/mTOR and Ras/MAPK signaling pathways has led to the creation of metastatic murine prostate cancer models that develop lethal metastases, while new understanding of a feedback loop between PTEN and androgen receptor (AR) controlled pathways has unveiled a new mechanism for the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Our expanded knowledge of PTEN and its role in prostate cancer initiation and ­progression will inform the rational design of novel therapeutics that target PTEN-controlled pathways alone or in combination with other related pathways for the treatment of metastatic and castration-resistant prostate cancer.
The Early Modern Period: 1500–1789

In this chapter, Moore identifies seven key developments affecting the evolution of universities in the Early Modern Period: literary humanism, the printing press, the Oceanic Age, and the Protestant Reformation, followed by the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment, and the growing power of major centralizing states. Then, each is explained by showing the role of selected major figures. The Oceanic Age led to new universities on new continents, especially in the Spanish and Portuguese Empires. Throughout, Moore stresses continuity as well as change. He describes the internal developments of universities, the impact of religious divisions, and the growth of learned institutions outside of universities. Finally, he shows how the Enlightenment and over-bearing central governments led to the American and French Revolutions.
Lung allograft donors with excessive alcohol use have increased levels of human antimicrobial peptide LL-37.

Abstract The relatively low long-term survival rate of lung transplant recipients as compared to other organ recipients serves as an impetus to identify potential lung dysfunction as early as possible. There is an association between donor heavy alcohol use and acute lung injury in the lung allograft after transplant, known as primary graft dysfunction. Excessive alcohol use (EAU) can induce pulmonary immune dysregulation in response to an infection. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an important component of the innate immune response to pulmonary infections, but the impact of EAU on AMPs in the allograft lung has not been evaluated. Our hypothesis is that specific lung AMPs, LL-37, α-defensin-1,2,3, and β-defensin-2, are dysregulated in the lungs from organ donors who had EAU. In this prospective observational investigation, we measured AMPs via ELISA and inflammatory cytokines via multiplex bead array, in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of lung allograft donors, comparing results based on their alcohol consumption. LL-37 levels in lung donors with EAU were found to be increased compared to nondrinker (ND) donors [median 7.7 ng/mL (IQR 4.1–37.0) vs. 2.3 ng/mL (IQR 1.1–7.9), p = 0.004], whereas α-defensins-1,2,3 were decreased only in the presence of an infection in donors with EAU compared to ND donors [median 2.2 ng/mL (IQR 1.6–2.4) vs. 3.2 ng/mL (IQR 2.3–3.8), p = 0.049]. There was no difference in β-defensin-2 levels. Gene expression levels of these AMPs were not different. Elevated levels of CXCL8 were noted in bronchial washings of donors with EAU compared to ND donors, [median 4372 pg/mL (IQR 3352–13180) vs. 867.3 pg/mL (IQR 163.6–3675), p = 0.04], suggesting a potentially heightened inflammatory response. At 1 month post-transplant, LL-37 and CXCL8 levels are decreased compared to levels at time of transplant. In lung donors with EAU, LL-37 and α-defensins-1,2,3 dysregulated levels in the presence of an infection may be a harbinger of dysfunction of the lungs through the transplant process.
Spiritual microaggressions: Understanding the subtle messages that foster religious discrimination

Social workers have an ethical duty to recognize and support each person’s spiritual identity and ameliorate diverse forms of religious bias. These ethnical mandates are increasingly salient in lig...
Ambulatory quality, special health care needs, and emergency department or hospital use for US children.

Objective This study examined family-reported ambulatory care quality and its association with emergency department and hospital utilization, and how these relationships differed across levels of medical complexity. Data sources The 2006-2013 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Study design Secondary analysis of MEPS data. Variables fitting the National Quality Measures Clearinghouse clinical quality measures domain framework were selected. Exploratory factor analysis grouped ambulatory quality into 12 access, experience, or process measures. Weighted negative binomial regression stratified by health status identified associations between ambulatory quality and ED visits or hospitalizations. Data collection 41,497 children ≤18 years were included. The 5-item special health care needs (SHCN) screener categorized health status as complex, less complex, or no SHCN. Principal findings Weighted SHCN proportions were 1.6 Percent complex, 18.2 Percent less complex, and 80.0 Percent no SHCN. Mean ED visits were 130 and 335 visits/1000 children/year for no/ complex SHCN, respectively. Mean hospitalizations were 20 and 175 hospitalizations/1000 children/year for no/complex SHCN, respectively. ED visits were associated with 8 of 12 quality measures for no/less complex SHCN. For example, usually/always receiving needed care right away was associated with 22 Percent lower ED visit rate (95% CI 0.64-0.96). Hospitalizations were associated with 4 of 12 quality measures for less complex SHCN. In complex SHCN, associations between ambulatory quality and ED/hospital use were weak and inconsistent. Conclusions Ambulatory quality may best predict ED and hospital use for children with no or less complex SHCN. Whether and how ambulatory care predicts emergency and hospital care in complex SHCN remains an important question.
Disbanding Police Agencies

Since the killing of George Floyd, a national consensus has emerged that reforms are needed to prevent discriminatory and violent policing. Calls to defund and abolish the police have provoked pushback, but several cities are considering disbanding or reducing their police forces. This Essay assesses disbanding as a reform strategy, from a democratic and institutionalist perspective. Should localities disband their police forces? One reason to do so is that discriminatory police departments are often too insulated from democratic oversight to be reformed. But can localities succeed in disbanding and replacing their forces with something better? Unfortunately, the structural entrenchment of sheriffs’ offices and municipal police forces insulate them against such attacks as well. To challenge police power, localities may have to disband, and to disband, localities may have to alter the legal structure of state and local government. Reformers must use rare moments of mobilization like this one to overcome the misguided efforts of past reformers to lock in their victories. Successful reformers can best avoid repeating such mistakes by trusting in the democratic experiment, and concentrating supervision of law enforcement at one level, the most local.
Magnetocrystalline anisotropy of α″–Fe16N2 under various DFT approaches

The magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) energy of the giant saturation magnetization candidate material α″–Fe16N2 was investigated using first-principles electronic-structure calculations. The plane-wave density-functional theory (DFT) code Quantum ESPRESSO was employed to study the effect of different DFT approaches on the system, particularly the influence of exchange-correlation functionals and pseudopotential methods. The MCA energies obtained this way are within the range of previous theoretical and experimental results, while exhibiting significant variation between the different approaches. The role and limitations of these approaches in the view of Fe16N2 band structure are discussed in detail.
Hybrid resist synthesis by ex-situ vapor-phase infiltration of metal oxides into conventional organic resists

We have developed an organic-inorganic hybrid resist platform featuring versatile ex-situ control of its performance by incorporating inorganic elements using vapor-phase infiltration (VPI) into standard organic resists. With poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-AlOx hybrid as a model composition we unveiled controllability of the critical exposure dose, contrast (as high as ~30), and etch resistance; estimated Si etch selectivity over ~300, demonstrating high aspect ratio ~17 with ~30 nm resolution Si fin-structures. Building upon the demonstration of PMMA-AlOx hybrid resist, we expanded our material portfolio to a high sensitivity resist and other inorganic moieties. We present preliminary results obtained from the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography dose tests conducted on corresponding infiltrated hybrids and optimization of infiltration with the help of transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Manganese dioxide nanosheets induce mitochondrial toxicity in fish gill epithelial cells.

The development and production of engineered 2D nanomaterials are expanding exponentially, increasing the risk of their release into the aquatic environment. A recent study showed 2D MnO2 nanosheet...
Severity of substance use as an indicator of suicide risk among U.S. military veterans.

Abstract Background Substance use is a strong risk factor for suicidal behavior. To date, however, no known study has evaluated optimal cut-off scores on substance use severity measures to identify individuals who may be at elevated risk for suicide. Methods Data were analyzed from the 2019–2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, which surveyed a nationally representative sample of 4069 U.S. veterans. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were conducted to identify cut-off scores on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and Screen of Drug Use (SDU) that optimally differentiated veterans with and without past-year suicidal ideation (SI) in the full sample, as well a high-risk subsample with histories of major depressive disorder (MDD) and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Results The prevalence of past-year SI was 11.7% (n = 387); A total of 10.5% (n = 360) of the sample screened positive for past-year alcohol use disorder, 9.1% (n = 314) for past-year drug use disorder, and 22.4% (n = 833) for lifetime MDD/PTSD. The optimal AUDIT cut-off score that differentiated suicide ideators and non-ideators was ≥14 in the full sample, and ≥18 in the high-risk subsample; these scores are indicative of moderate-to-severe alcohol use disorder. The optimal SDU cut-off score was ≥1 for both the full sample and high-risk subsample, which is lower than the recommend cut-off score for probable drug use disorder (≥7). Conclusions Results identify high-specificity thresholds on the AUDIT and SDU that may have clinical utility in suicide risk assessment in veterans. Veterans with moderate-to-severe alcohol use disorder or who use non-prescription drugs may warrant further suicide risk assessment.
Trends in Lateral Retinacular Release from 2010 to 2017.

Historically, lateral retinacular release (LRR) procedures have been utilized in the treatment of a variety of patellofemoral disorders, including lateral patellar instability. However, in the past decade, there has been an increasing awareness of the importance of the lateral stabilizers in patellar stability, as well as the complications of LRR, such as recurrent medial patellar instability. The purpose of this study was to investigate current trends in LRR procedures from 2010 through 2017 using a large national database. The American College of Surgeons-National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database was queried for arthroscopic LRR procedures (the Current Procedural Terminology [CPT] code, 29873) from 2010 to 2017. The number and incidence of lateral release procedures, both isolated and nonisolated, were analyzed and separated into cohorts for analysis. Age and gender of the LRR cohort was investigated and compared with all other orthopaedic procedures during the same time period in the NSQIP database. In addition, concomitant procedures and associated International Classification of Disease-9th Revision (ICD-9) and ICD-10th Revision (ICD-10) codes were analyzed over time and between LRR groups. From 2010 to 2017, 3,117 arthroscopic LRRs were performed. The incidence for LRR was 481.9 per 100,000 orthopaedic surgeries in 2010 and significantly decreased to 186.9 per 100,000 orthopaedic surgeries in 2017 (p < 0.01). LRR was more commonly performed in females (66%) and 58% of patients were under 44 years of age. In addition, LRR was most commonly performed with a concomitant meniscectomy (36%), synovectomy (19%), or microfracture (13%), and for a diagnosis of pain (22%). The overall incidence of LRR procedures significantly decreased from 2010 to 2017. LRRs were more commonly performed in younger, female patients for a diagnosis of pain with the most common concomitant procedure being meniscectomy, synovectomy, or microfracture.
Bringing Social Procurement into Public Management Research

As the largest buyers in the economy, government have enormous purchasing power. Public procurement, therefore, can be leveraged for social outcomes, such as helping marginalized communities, and r...
Noninvasive Thalamotomy for Refractory Tremor by Frameless Radiosurgery.

ABSTRACT Objective We sought to determine whether a more widely accessible, non-invasive frameless approach to radiosurgical thalamotomy would improve objective measures of refractory essential or parkinsonian tremor without added toxicity compared to reports of frame-based radiosurgery. Methods We conducted a single-arm pilot observational prospective trial of adult patients with essential or parkinsonian tremor from 2013 to 2019 and report results at one-year follow-up. Patients were treated with frameless unilateral radiosurgical ablation of the thalamic ventral intermediate nucleus to a maximum dose of 160 Gy. Treatment response was measured by the Fahn-Tolosa-Marin (FTM) tremor rating scale and the Quality of Life in Essential Tremor or Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire obtained prior to treatment and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Results Thirty-three patients, including 23 with essential tremor and 10 with Parkinson's disease, were enrolled. Overall treatment response rate per FTM was 83% (n=15/18) at 6 months. There was a marked improvement in tremor, with average total FTM reduction of 21% at 3 months (from 46 to 30 points, p=0.003) and 41% at 6 months (from 46 to 24 points, p=0.001). At 6 months, functional decline had regressed by 54% (from 15 to 7 points, p=0.001). Quality of life improved by 57% (p=0.001) at 6 months in patients with essential tremor, and patients with Parkinson's Disease had unchanged quality of life. At one-year follow-up, grade 2 neurologic adverse events were observed in 6% (n=2/33) of patients without any grade ≥ 3 events. Conclusion Noninvasive, frameless radiosurgical thalamotomy may be a feasible treatment for patients with refractory tremor and demonstrates short-term safety at one-year follow-up. This pilot study provides promising preliminary descriptions of efficacy, and definitive estimates of long-term safety and benefit require further study with longer follow-up.
China's Iron & Steel Industry and the Global Financial Crisis

This article reviews the sustained and fast development of China's iron & steel industry since the reform and opening-up, the serious impact of the global financial crisis in 2008 on China's iron & steel industry and the domestic and foreign market backgrounds which rapidly brought China's iron & steel industry into downturn. It introduces the important measures the Chinese government has taken to expand domestic demand and restrain economic decline. It analyses the profound problems accumulated during the long-term rapid development of China's iron & steel industry and the challenges it faces. It raises important issues which need attention and main measures which should be adopted for China's iron & steel industry to react to the crisis and realize long-term and stable development.
Optimal shrinkage estimation in heteroscedastic hierarchical linear models

Shrinkage estimators have profound impacts in statistics and in scientific and engineering applications. In this article, we consider shrinkage estimation in the presence of linear predictors. We formulate two heteroscedastic hierarchical regression models and study optimal shrinkage estimators in each model. A class of shrinkage estimators, both parametric and semiparametric, based on unbiased risk estimate (URE) is proposed and is shown to be (asymptotically) optimal under mean squared error loss in each model. Simulation study is conducted to compare the performance of the proposed methods with existing shrinkage estimators. We also apply the method to real data and obtain encouraging and interesting results.
Derivative Financial Instruments and the Financial Management of Nonprofit Health Systems

This paper examines the impact of derivative financial instruments use on the financial management of US nonprofit health systems. We review the existing literature on interest rate derivative instruments and US hospitals and health systems. There are several published papers have described the design of these derivative financial instruments from a theoretical perspective. Our contribution to the literature is to provide an empirical evaluation of derivative financial instruments usage by US nonprofit health systems. We present five case studies of US hospitals and integrated delivery systems that describe the design and operations of the fixed rate to floating rate swap, the floating rate to fixed rate swap, the basis swap, the interest rate cap, and the swaption. In each case study we examine the impact of derivative use across the dimensions of risk management, cash flow, and reported operating results. We conclude that interest rate swaps; caps, and swaptions are effective risk management tools. However, we also found that while these derivative financial instruments are useful hedges against the risks of issuing long term financing instruments, they also expose derivative users to additional credit and other risks. In conclusion, we find that these financial instruments can also generated negative as well as positive cash flows and have both a positive and negative impact on reported operating results.
Transfusion medicine on American television.

SUMMARY Background Television is a beloved American pastime and a frequent American export. As such, American television shapes how the global public views the world. Objectives This study examines how the portrayal of blood transfusion and blood donation on American television may influence how domestic and international audiences perceive the field of transfusion medicine. Materials and Methods American television programming of the last quarter-century was reviewed to identify programmes featuring topics related to blood banking/transfusion medicine. The included television episodes were identified through various sources. Results Twenty-seven television episodes airing between 1991 and 2013 were identified as featuring blood bank/transfusion medicine topics. Although some accurate representations of the field were identified, most television programmes portrayed blood banking/transfusion medicine inaccurately. Conclusion The way in which blood banking/transfusion medicine is portrayed on American television may assist clinicians in understanding their patient's concerns about blood safety and guide blood collection organisations in improving donor recruitment.
Redefining En Banc Review in the Federal Courts of Appeals

Every circuit has the ability to review cases en banc. Hearing cases en banc allows the full circuit court to overturn a decision reached by a threejudge panel. Due to the decreasing probability of U.S. Supreme Court intervention, the circuit court is often the court of last resort in the ordinary life of a case, thereby amplifying the importance of en banc review. Despite its significance, many critics contend that en banc review is inefficient and rarely granted. Each circuit has enacted its own rules governing en banc procedure. These rules have both slight and significant differences from one another and from Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 35, which governs all of the circuits’ en banc review procedures. Because of the lack of uniformity across the circuits, the proper application of Rule 35 is unclear. This Note proposes to change the current en banc landscape by altering the method in which a court will make the decision to sit en banc. This Note suggests that petitions for en banc review should only be raised by judges sua sponte, and the decision of whether to sit en banc should be affirmatively voted on by a lower number of active-duty judges than is now required under the simple majority rule.
Abstract 4112: Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) and inositol against large granular lymphocytic leukemia (LGLL)

Introduction: The anticancer activity of dietary IP 6 and its parent compound inositol, either alone or in combination, has been shown in many different experimental models. Using rat leukemia RNK-16 cells, we investigated the in vitro efficacy of IP 6 and inositol in large granular lymphocytic leukemia (LGLL) that develops spontaneously in male Fisher 344 rats and is very similar to human disease. RAS and ERK are constitutively active in LGLL in both humans and rats, and the PI3K/Akt pathway plays a major role in proliferation and survival of these leukemic cells. Therefore, we also investigated the effect of IP 6 and inositol on these pathways. Methods: We have previously shown that after in vitro or in vivo administration, exogenous IP 6 rapidly dephosphorylates to inositol. In this study, we first implemented the assay for the measurement of unlabeled intracellular myo-inositol by LC-MS/MS after in vitro exposure to IP 6 and inositol. Cytotoxicity of IP 6 and inositol against Fisher 344 RNK-16 cells alone and in combination with 4-OH-cyclophosphamide was measured by MTT cytotoxicity assay. Western blot analysis was used for protein expression. Results: Uptake of inositol increased more than 5-fold following exposure to 2 mM inositol, and no differences were observed between unsynchronized and synchronized cells. Inositol was relatively non-toxic (30% cytotoxicity at 100 mM), while IP 6 had an IC 50 of approximately 2 mM. 4-OH-cyclophosphamide had an IC 50 of 180 µg/mL, and co-administration of either IP 6 or inositol decreased its IC 50 by 3-fold. While the expression and phosphorylation status of ERK1/2 were unaffected, p-Akt was completely inhibited between 5 and 60 min after 2 mM IP 6 and between 15 and 60 min after inositol, by 2-fold. Furthermore, IP 6 treatment caused a significant increase in the expression of the Cdk inhibitor p27 Kip1 in RNK-16 cells (1.9-fold) 5 and 15 min. Conclusion: Our data data suggest the use of inositol and IP 6 as chemopreventive agents in control of LGLL in humans or as adjuvant therapies. Further studies are justified and warranted. Support: P30-CA-47904 Citation Format: Ivana Vucenik, Jan H. Beumer, Julie L. Eiseman. Inositol hexaphosphate (IP 6 ) and inositol against large granular lymphocytic leukemia (LGLL). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4112. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4112
Transactivation functions facilitate the disruption of chromatin structure by estrogen receptor derivatives in vivo

The activation of gene transcription by nuclear receptors is invariably associated with alterations in chromatin structure at hormone-responsive elements of target genes. To identify the molecular functions underlying receptor-mediated chromatin structure alterations we have evaluated the effects of DNA binding and transactivation of estrogen receptor derivatives on the promoter chromatin structure of estrogen-responsive reporter minichromosomes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We report here that the DNase I-hypersensitive chromatin structure at the promoter region is not simply a consequence of estrogen receptor binding to estrogen-responsive elements but is greatly enhanced by transactivation functions. These chromatin structure alterations are dependent on the presence of more than one estrogen-responsive element as well as downstream promoter sequences and appear to be correlated with transcriptional competence of the promoter. Our results imply that a disruption of chromatin structure at promoters is associated with the establishment of active transcription complexes. Since RNA polymerase cannot initiate transcription on nucleosomal DNA in vitro (Lorch, Y., Lapointe, J.W., and Kornberg, R.D. (1987) Cell 49, 203-210) this local disruption of chromatin structure may represent a nucleosome-free window, allowing initiation to occur in vivo.
‘How many Eskimo words for ice?’ Collecting Inuit sea ice terminologies in the International Polar Year 2007–2008

Inuit knowledge of the sea ice environment has been praised by generations of early explorers, arctic travellers, natural scientists, anthropologists, and popular writers. Surprisingly little has been done to systematically document and analyze the richness of the Inuit sea ice nomenclatures until quite recently. This article reviews the history of Inuit (Eskimo) sea ice terminology collection, including efforts undertaken in 2005–2009 for the International Polar Year (IPY) 2007–2008. Altogether, a database of 35 indigenous ice nomenclatures from the Bering Sea to East Greenland has been created, displaying the richness of over 1,500 terms for sea ice in all Inuit/Eskimo languages and most regional dialects, as well as in other indigenous northern languages (Chukchi, Dena’ina Athabascan, and Sami). Processing these vocabularies, analyzing the origins and historical geography of the Inuit sea ice nomenclatures, and returning the data to participating communities as educational, heritage, and language materials may become one of the lasting contributions of the IPY 2007–2008 program.
A blackboard based system for context sensitive mission planning in an autonomous vehicle

This paper describes an experimental route planner for an autonomous vehicle. Given a high level mission specification (an unordered list of way-points to visit and surveys to run), the system works out a route connecting the mission tasks and issues intermediate level motion commands that describe that route. This planner is implemented in Flavors and is based on the Blackboard Control Architecture. which separates the domain specific issues from the control issues of a problem solving effort. This separation allows the planner to reason about what strategies to apply during the problem solving exercise. The control subsystem allows the planner to adopt one of two planning strategies according to an input parameter in the mission specification. The system forms a basis for context sensitive planning, which is an important issue for an autonomous vehicle. The planner is being translated into Common Lisp for installation on board an autonomous vehicle in late summer 1987.
In-hospital pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination is associated with detection of pneumococcal vaccine serotypes in adults hospitalized for community-acquired pneumonia

During an etiology study of adults hospitalized for pneumonia, in which urine specimens were examined for serotype-specific pneumococcal antigen detection, we observed that some patients received 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine before urine collection. Some urine samples became positive for specific vaccine pneumococcal serotypes shortly after vaccination, suggesting false-positive test results.
Preliminary X-ray analysis of crystals of murine adenosine deaminase.

Abstract We have obtained single crystals of a cloned mammalian adenosine deaminase ( M r = 41,000), a key enzyme in purine degradation and in normal development of the immune system, that are suitable for high-resolution structural analysis. The crystals belong to the space group C 2 with unit cell parameters a = 101.68 A (1 A = 0.1 nm ), b = 94.38 A , c = 85.51 A , and β = 96.54 ° . The asymmetric unit contains two enzyme molecules.
The spacing effect in the free recall of homogeneous lists: present and accounted for.

Memory performance nearly always improves as a function of the spacing between repetitions. However, previous studies indicated that college students exhibited no spacing effect in the free recall of lists composed exclusively of words sampled from a single semantic category. We explored this puzzling phenomenon in two experiments. We found that the spacing effect in free recallcan occur with homogeneous lists. Most interestingly, the effect seems to depend on the number of items (lag) separating spaced repetitions. Short lags between spaced repetitions yield a spacing effect, whereas longer lags do not.
Calculation of helium photoionization with excitation including angular distribution and resonance structure

A nine-channel coupled-equation calculation for photoionization of the 1s/sup 2/ ground state of He is performed within the framework of many-body perturbation theory. Partial cross sections for leaving the ion in 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, and 3d levels are obtained together with the angular asymmetry parameter for leaving the ion in n = 2 states. The resonance structure in the 1s, 2s, and 2p cross sections and in the n = 2 angular asymmetry parameter due to doubly excited autoionizing states below the n = 3 threshold is calculated. Also, parameters describing the resonances in the 1s cross section below the n = 2 threshold are obtained.
What controls the error structure in evapotranspiration models

Abstract Evapotranspiration models allow climate modelers to describe surface–atmosphere interactions, ecologists to understand the impact that global temperature change and increased radiation budgets will have on ecosystems, and farmers to decide how much irrigation to give their crops. Physically based algorithms for estimating evapotranspiration must manage a trade-off between physical realism and the difficulty of parameterizing key inputs, namely resistance factors associated with water vapor transport through the canopy and turbulent transport of water vapor from the canopy to ambient air. In this study we calculate predicted evapotranspiration at 42 AmeriFlux sites using two types of dedicated evapotranspiration models—one using physical resistances from the Penman–Monteith equation ( Monteith, 1965 ) ( Mu et al., 2007 , Mu et al., 2011 ) and another based on the Priestley–Taylor (1972) equation, substituting functional constraints for resistances ( Fisher et al., 2008 ). We analyze the structure of the residual series with respect to various meteorological and biophysical inputs, specifically Jarvis and McNaughton's (1986) decoupling coefficient, Ω, which is designed to represent the degree of control that plant stomata versus atmospheric demand and net radiation exercise over transpiration. We find that vegetation indices, magnitude of daytime fluxes, and bulk canopy resistance (rc)—which largely drives Ω—are strong predictors of patterns in model bias for all flux products. Though our analysis suggests a consistently negative relationship between Ω and mean predicted error for all evapotranspiration models, we found that vegetation indices and flux magnitudes were the most significant drivers of model error. Before addressing error associated with canopy resistance and Ω, refinements to existing models should focus on correcting biases with respect to flux magnitudes and canopy indices. We suggest a dual-model approach for backsolving rc (rather than estimating it from lookup tables and canopy indices), and increased attention to water availability, which largely drives stomatal opening and closure.
Engineering HVOF-Sprayed Cr3C2-NiCr Coatings: The Effect of Particle Morphology and Spraying Parameters on the Microstructure, Properties, and High Temperature Wear Performance

Chromium carbide-based thermally sprayed coatings are widely used for high temperature wear applications (typical temperature range from 540 to 900 °C). In these extreme environments at those temperatures, several phenomena will degrade, oxidize, and change the microstructure of the coatings, thereby affecting their wear behavior. Although it can be easily conceived that the Cr3C2-NiCr coating microstructure evolution after high temperature exposure will depend on the as-sprayed microstructure and spraying parameters, very little has been done in this regard. This study intends to develop a better understanding of the effect of spraying parameters on the resulting chromium carbide coating microstructure after high temperature operation and high temperature sliding wear properties. The microstructures of different coatings produced from two morphologies of Cr3C2-NiCr powders and under a window of in-flight particle temperature and velocity values were characterized through x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Sliding wear at 800 °C was performed and the wear behavior correlated with the spraying parameters and coating microstructure. Vickers microhardness (300 gf) of the coatings before and after sliding wear was also measured.
Comparison of recruitment, retention, and compliance results for three children's exposure monitoring studies.

The School Health Initiative: Environment, Learning, Disease (SHIELD) study, the Minnesota Children's Pesticide Exposure Study (MNCPES), and the National Cooperative Inner-City Asthma Study (NCICAS) are three of the most intensive and invasive exposure-monitoring projects ever undertaken in children. An intrinsic facet of each study was the need to recruit children and their families, retain them for the duration of the project, and ensure that they completed monitoring protocols successfully. All of the studies used fiscal incentives to encourage participation, retention, and compliance. Recruitment rates varied from 40% in MNCPES, to 57% in SHIELD, to 64% in NCICAS, while retention rates varied from 85% in SHIELD, to 94% in MNCPES, to 95% in NCICAS. Rates of compliance with exposure sampling procedures were typically >80% for each study. For example, ≥85% of the enrolled children provided all requested urine samples (1 for NCICAS, 2 for SHIELD, 3 for MNCPES), and 82% of the children in SHIELD provided two out of two blood samples (optional in MNCPES and NCICAS). However, compliance rates were substantially lower (34% SHIELD, 40% NCICAS, not applicable to MNCPES) for the more complex and time-consuming protocol used to collect peak flow data. Overall, results demonstrate that it is practical and affordable to conduct demanding exposure-monitoring studies in children, including children from poor minority communities.
Multiply Abundant Numbers.

A multiply abundant number N of order r is a number for which the sum of the proper divisors, S(N), is greater than r times N. The authors explore abundant, double abundant, and triple abundant numbers as well as abundant numbers of higher orders. They also consider odd abundant numbers of orders greater than 1. They present a proof that abundant numbers of every order r exist. Readers are encouraged to use the included computer code to explore abundant numbers for themselves, look for patterns in the output, and consider further questions about these fascinating numbers.
A comment on “wave scattering from non-random fractal surfaces”

Abstract A certain rough surface used in a recent communication [X. Sun and D.L. Jaggard, Optics Comm. 78 (1990) 20–24] to this journal was claimed to be self-similar. This contention is being disputed here.
A Macroscale-Mesoscale Numerical Model of Intense Baroclinic Development

Abstract A numerical model has been designed to link quasi-geostrophic and mesoscale forcing. Initializations performed at 127 km with either a barotropic forecast or a diagnostic omega equation are followed by a prediction with a moist nine-level primitive equation model operating on a 32-km grid mesh. The results of two short-period integrations indicate good correspondence between forecast omega fields and radar observations, observed snowfall, and diagnostic integrations. Vertical motions reach maxima of 25 and 50 cm sec−1, while the forecast dependent variables indicate an integral role played by long gravity waves in organizing mesoscale development.
Metabolic allometry during development and metamorphosis of the silkworm Bombyx mori: analyses, patterns, and mechanisms.

Abstract Intraspecific allometric (scaling) relationships for metabolism, which have received little examination compared to interspecific relationships, reflect a complex interplay of organogenesis, growth, and shifting physiologies. In this study of the silkworm Bombyx mori, we hypothesized that allometric relationships for metabolism both across all developmental stages and within each stage would not reflect conventional scaling coefficients (e.g., \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $b\neq 0.75$ \end{document} )....
A CMOS electrochemical impedance spectroscopy biosensor array for label-free biomolecular detection

Biosensors are one of the fundamental detection platforms in biotechnology. They take advantage of unique biomolecular interactions to capture and detect specific analytes on a surface. The detection versatility of biosensors has always been their key advantage and it has been demonstrated that they can detect almost any analyte such as DNA, proteins, metabolites, and even micro-organisms. However, the achievable SNR and detection DR of biosensors can be very low. This is due to the fact that the capturing processes in biosensors suffer from a significant amount of biological interference (i.e., non-specific bindings) and biochemical noise which typically necessitate the use of complex biochemical labeling processes and sophisticated detectors [1]. Hence, the main design challenge of biosensors is to increase the SNR and DR while minimizing the complexity of both the assay and the detector. Today, this is the main impediment in point-of-care (PoC) biosensors, particularly in high-performance applications such as molecular diagnostics and forensics.
Spinal dural arteriovenous fistula with an associated feeding artery aneurysm: case report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: A case of a spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) with two associated feeding artery aneurysms is reported. Intradural spinal arteriovenous malformations have been associated with aneurysms that present with subarachnoid hemorrhage and with venous varices that produce mass effect, but spinal DAVFs have not previously been described in association with feeding artery aneurysms. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 71-year-old man presented with progressive spastic paraparesis, constipation, and overflow incontinence. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a spinal vascular lesion and venous ischemia in the lower spinal cord. Diagnostic spinal angiography revealed a DAVF originating from the left T11 radicular artery and having the unusual feature of two proximal feeding artery aneurysms. INTERVENTION: The patient deteriorated neurologically after undergoing angiography, prompting emergent surgery. The DAVF was resected through a T1 1 transpedicular approach. One aneurysm was dolichoectatic and therefore unclippable, requiring proximal occlusion of the parent artery after establishing tolerance of test occlusion using somatosensory evoked potentials; the second aneurysm was adjacent to the fistula and was resected with the DAVF. CONCLUSION: Feeding artery aneurysms in association with spinal DAVFs have not been previously reported. They present additional risk to patients and, with simple modifications of the standard operative approaches, can easily be treated as part of the surgery for the DAVF.
Comparison of the binding of human chorionic gonadotropin to isolated bovine luteal cells and bovine luteal plasma membranes.

The specific binding of [125I]iodohCG to intact luteal cells obtained frombovine corpus luteum by enzymatic treatment, or to purified plasma membranes obtained from bovine corpus luteum has been compared. It was a saturable process with respect to the [l25]iodohCG concentration. Specific binding could be detected at concentrations as low as 1.8 ng of hCG per ml and saturation achieved at 92 ng/ml. The [125I]iodohCG specifically boundto the luteal cells or to the plasma membranes was displaced by increasing concentrations of native hCG. Subunits hCGα and β had respectively 200- and 800-fold less activity than hCGFour to 10 times more ovine LH than hCG was required to displace an identical amount of bound [125I]iodohCG. The binding of hCG to its receptor site was a function of time and temperature. The affinity of hCG for its receptor sites in luteal cells or plasma membranes of luteal cellswas similar (dissociation constants of 5.3 and 3.8 s 10-10 M, respectively). Thenumber of sites per luteal cell was 5 ...
Supplementary factors required for serum-free culture of rat kidney cells of line NRK-49F

Factors requred as supplements to basal tissue culture medium for the multiplication of cells of the cloned rat fibroblast line called normal rat kidney 49F (NRK-49F) were identified as epidermal growth factor, fibronectin, insulin, and retinoic acid. The requirement for fibronectin was manifested on a clean glass surface but not on the polystyrene plastic surface tested. This set of required factors differs substantially from the factor sets required by the Madin-Darby, canine kidney (MDCK) and LLC-PK1 pig kidney lines of epithelial cells and the baby hamster kidney 21 (BHK-21) line of fibroblasts. The serum-free medium supplemented with the four factors supported rapid growth of NRK-49F cells when the initial cell population density was about 8,000 cells/cm2 or greater. At lower initial densities, cell multiplication was markedly increased by adding serum-free medium that had been conditioned by NRK-49F cells. Cell growth rate in the defined serum-free medium stayed high through two serial passages but declined in the third serial passage unless the cell-conditioned medium was added.