cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microstructures of NiCrAlY Coating Applied on CMSX-4 by Cathodic Arc Deposition

NiCrAlY overlay coatings were applied on Ni-base single-crystal superalloy CMSX-4 substrates by cathodic arc deposition. The coated specimens were subjected to one- and two-step heat treatments performed under 870°C/20h/AC (AC stands for air cooling) and 1140°C/6h/AC+870°C/20h/AC conditions, respectively. The microstructure of the original NiCrAlY cathodes fabricated by spark plasma sintering and the as-deposited as well as heat-treated coatings were characterized using the scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. It was observed that the cathodes contained multiple phases uniformly distributed across the cathode volume. The as-deposited coatings exhibited a duplex microstructure consisting of splats and inter-splat regions with the latter showing internal porosity and a significantly lower Al concentration compared to that of the cathodes. The post-deposition heat treatments eliminated the porosity but further reduced the Al content, resulting in a coating microstructure dominated by the solid solution γ-Ni phase. The total thickness of the coating including the interdiffusion zone increased significantly during the two-step heat treatment. The oxide scale formed on the coating surface during heat treatment consisted primarily of α-Al2O3, with Y2O3 pegs underpinning the scale to the coating. The oxide scale was continuous on the smooth sections of the coating surface, but became fragmented at the protruding macroparticles present on the coating surface.Copyright © 2014 by Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada
Whatever happened to home hemodialysis

Advantages of home hemodialysis over center include better patient survival and rehabilitation, more patient convenience, decreased risk of hepatitis, and cheaper costs. Home dialysis places stress on the family and requires a great time commitment of the helper. Ninety-three patients began home dialysis training at our institution. Seventy-eight successfully completed training and five patients are still in training. Of the seventy-eight who completed training, fifty (64%) are still performing home dialysis for periods of from one month to 6 1/2 years. 10% received a kidney transplant, 13% died, and 13% have returned to a center for dialysis. Family stress was the major reason for return to a center in the ten patients who chose to do so. Even though home dialysis is superior to center dialysis, the percentage of patients being treated in the home in this country is diminishing. Possible reasons for this decline are discussed.
Open source analytics: an introduction to the special issue

This special issue contains six articles on open source analytics. It includes an article describing the Weka data mining system, two articles on infrastructure to support analytics, an article on the PMML standard for statistical and data mining models, an article on how clouds are being used in analytics, and an article about an open source tool for cleaning data.
Alanine substitutions within a linker region of the influenza A virus non-structural protein 1 alter its subcellular localization and attenuate virus replication

The influenza A virus non-structural protein 1 (NS1) is a multifunctional protein and an important virulence factor. It is composed of two well-characterized domains linked by a short, but not well crystallographically defined, region of unknown function. To study the possible function of this region, we introduced alanine substitutions to replace the two highly conserved leucine residues at amino acid positions 69 and 77. The mutant L69,77A NS1 protein retained wild-type (WT)-comparable binding capabilities to dsRNA, cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor 30 and the p85β subunit of PI3K. A mutant influenza A virus expressing the L69,77A NS1 protein was generated using reverse genetics. L69,77A NS1 virus infection induced significantly higher levels of beta interferon (IFN-β) expression in Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells compared with WT NS1 virus. In addition, the replication rate of the L69,77A NS1 virus was substantially lower in MDCK cells but not in Vero cells compared with the WT virus, suggesting that the L69,77A NS1 protein does not fully antagonize IFN during viral replication. L69,77A NS1 virus infection was not able to activate the PI3K/Akt anti-apoptotic pathway, suggesting that the mutant NS1 protein may not be localized such that it has access to p85β in vivo during infection, which was supported by the altered subcellular localization pattern of the mutant NS1 compared with WT NS1 after transfection or virus infection. Our data demonstrate that this linker region between the two domains is critical for the functions of the NS1 protein during influenza A virus infection, possibly by determining the protein’s correct subcellular localization.
Variation in antiparasitic behaviors of Red-winged Blackbirds in response to simulated Brown-headed Cowbirds

ABSTRACT Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) are a frequently parasitized host species of obligate brood parasitic Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater). Yet, this common host does not reject parasite eggs or young. A hypothesis to explain the lack of cowbird egg and nestling rejection is that redwings frontload their responses by investing into antiparasitic nest defense behaviors toward female cowbirds, relative to non-laying male cowbirds and non-threatening other species. A review of prior studies using cowbird-mount presentations with or without acoustic playbacks supported some but not all predictions of this hypothesis. We conducted a new study at two geographically separate sites, in New York City, NY and in Ithaca, NY, USA, where Red-winged Blackbirds were presented with taxidermic models on a tripod and species- and sex-specific vocalization playbacks of female or male Brown-headed Cowbirds, female Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), or a tripod and silence (control). Reactions ...
Manual muscle strength testing of critically ill patients: feasibility and interobserver agreement

Introduction: It has been proposed that intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired weakness (ICUAW) should be assessed using the sum of manual muscle strength test scores in 12 muscle groups (the sum score). This approach has been tested in patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome, yet little is known about the feasibility or test characteristics in other critically ill patients. We studied the feasibility and interobserver agreement of this sum score in a mixed cohort of critically ill and injured patients. Methods: We enrolled patients requiring more than 3 days of mechanical ventilation. Two observers performed systematic strength assessments of each patient. The primary outcome measure was interobserver agreement of weakness as a binary outcome (ICUAW is sum score less than 48; “no ICUAW” is a sum score greater than or equal to 48) using the Cohen’s kappa statistic. Results: We identified 135 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Most were precluded from study participation by altered mental status or polytrauma. Thirty-four participants were enrolled, and 30 of these individuals completed assessments conducted by both observers. Six met the criteria for ICUAW recorded by at least one observer. The observers agreed on the diagnosis of ICUAW for 93% of participants (Cohen’s kappa = 0.76; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.44 to 1.0). Observer agreement was fair in the ICU (Cohen’s kappa = 0.38), and agreement was perfect after ICU discharge (Cohen’s kappa = 1.0). Absolute values of sum scores were similar between observers (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.83; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.91), but they differed between observers by six points or more for 23% of the participants. Conclusions: Manual muscle testing (MMT) during critical illness was not possible for most patients because of coma, delirium and/or injury. Among patients who were able to participate in testing, we found that interobserver agreement regarding ICUAW was good, particularly when evaluated after ICU discharge. MMT is insufficient for early detection of ICU-acquired neuromuscular dysfunction in most patients and may be unreliable during critical illness.
Another Look at the Phenomenological Equivalence of Pre- and Postmanipulation Attitudes in the Forced-compliance Experiment1

Bem and McConnell (1970) reported a high correlation between recalled initial attitudes and final attitudes for subjects in a forced- compliance experiment. These correlational data were taken as support for the self-perception proposition that subjects in forced-compliance experiments perceive their pre- and postmanipulation attitudes as "phenomenologically idential." The present study suggests an alterna tive interpretation based upon demands created by Bem and McConnell's sequencing of attitudinal judgments and provides data consistent with this alternative explanation.
Identification of novel substrates for human cytochrome P450 2J2.

Several antihistamine drugs including terfenadine, ebastine, and astemizole have been identified as substrates for CYP2J2. The overall importance of this enzyme in drug metabolism has not been fully explored. In this study, 139 marketed therapeutic agents and compounds were screened as potential CYP2J2 substrates. Eight novel substrates were identified that vary in size and overall topology from relatively rigid structures (amiodarone) to larger complex structures (cyclosporine). The substrates displayed in vitro intrinsic clearance values ranging from 0.06 to 3.98 μl/min/pmol CYP2J2. Substrates identified for CYP2J2 are also metabolized by CYP3A4. Extracted ion chromatograms of metabolites observed for albendazole, amiodarone, astemizole, thioridazine, mesoridazine, and danazol showed marked differences in the regioselectivity of CYP2J2 and CYP3A4. CYP3A4 commonly metabolized compounds at multiple sites, whereas CYP2J2 metabolism was more restrictive and limited, in general, to a single site for large compounds. Although the CYP2J2 active site can accommodate large substrates, it may be more narrow than CYP3A4, limiting metabolism to moieties that can extend closer toward the active heme iron. For albendazole, CYP2J2 forms a unique metabolite compared with CYP3A4. Albendazole and amiodarone were evaluated in various in vitro systems including recombinant CYP2J2 and CYP3A4, pooled human liver microsomes (HLM), and human intestinal microsomes (HIM). The Michaelis-Menten-derived intrinsic clearance of N-desethyl amiodarone was 4.6 greater in HLM than in HIM and 17-fold greater in recombinant CYP3A4 than in recombinant CYP2J2. The resulting data suggest that CYP2J2 may be an unrecognized participant in first-pass metabolism, but its contribution is minor relative to that of CYP3A4.
"Natural Committee for Life" Accepting Death in Our Patients

The thoughts here expressed evolved out of a series of three Child Care Conferences held in the University of Nebraska Pediatrics De partment. Those present had individually and in small groups strug gled with the ethical and moral problems which are associated with the artificial prolongation of life, and these struggles are still with us. We believe these collective thoughts are worth sharing with others.
Association of anti-apoptotic Mcl-1L isoform expression with radioresistance of oral squamous carcinoma cells.

Background: Oral cancer is a common cancer and a major health problem in the Indian subcontinent. At our laboratory Mcl-1, an anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family has been demonstrated to be overexpressed in oral cancers and to predict outcome in oral cancer patients treated with definitive radiotherapy. To study the role of Mcl-1 isoforms in radiation response of oral squamous carcinoma cells (OSCC), we investigated in the present study, the association of Mcl-1 isoform expression with radiosensitivity of OSCC, using siRNA strategy. Methods: The time course expression of Mcl-1 splice variants (Mcl-1L, Mcl-1S & Mcl-1ES) was studied by RT-PCR, western blotting & immunofluorescence, post-irradiation in oral cell lines [immortalized FBM (radiosensitive) and tongue cancer AW8507 & AW13516 (radioresistant)]of relatively differing radiosensitivities. The effect of Mcl-1L knockdown alone or in combination with ionizing radiation (IR) on cell proliferation, apoptosis & clonogenic survival, was investigated in AW8507 & AW13516 cells. Further the expression of Mcl-1L protein was assessed in radioresistant sublines generated by fractionated ionizing radiation (FIR). Results: Three to six fold higher expression of anti-apoptotic Mcl-1L versus pro-apoptotic Mcl-1S was observed at mRNA & protein levels in all cell lines, post-irradiation. Sustained high levels of Mcl-1L, downregulation of proapoptotic Bax & Bak and a significant (P<0.05) reduction in apoptosis was observed in the more radioresistant AW8507, AW13516 versus FBM cells, post-IR. The ratios of anti to pro-apoptotic proteins were high in AW8507 as compared to FBM. Treatment with Mcl-1L siRNA alone or in combination with IR significantly (P<0.01) increased apoptosis viz. 17.3% (IR), 25.3% (siRNA) and 46.3% (IR plus siRNA) and upregulated pro-apoptotic Bax levels in AW8507 cells. Combination of siRNA & IR treatment significantly (P<0.05) reduced cell proliferation and clonogenic survival of radioresistant AW8507 & AW13516 cells, suggesting a synergistic effect of the Mcl-1L siRNA with IR on radiosensitivity. Interestingly, during the development of radioresistant sublines using FIR, high expression of Mcl-1L was observed. Conclusion: Our studies suggest that Mcl-1L isoform has an important role in the survival and radioresistance of OSCC and may be a promising therapeutic target in oral cancers.
Caldesmon reduces the apparent rate of binding of myosin S1 to actin-tropomyosin.

Equilibrium measurements of the rate of binding of caldesmon and myosin S1 to actin- tropomyosin from different laboratories have yielded different results and have led to different models of caldesmon function. An alternate approach to answering these questions is to study the kinetics of binding of both caldesmon and S1 to actin. We observed that caldesmon decreased the rate of binding of S1 to actin in a concentration-dependent manner. The inhibition of the rate of S1 binding was enhanced by tropomyosin, but the effect of tropomyosin on the binding was small. Premixing actin with S1 reduced the amplitude (extent) of caldesmon binding in proportion to the fraction of actin that contained bound S1, but the rate of binding of caldesmon to free sites was not greatly altered. No evidence for a stable caldesmon-actin-tropomyosin-S1 complex was observed, although S1 did apparently bind to gaps between caldesmon molecules. These results indicate that experiments involving caldesmon, actin, tropomyosin, and myosin are inherently complex. When the concentration of either S1 or caldesmon is varied, the amount of the other component bound to actin-tropomyosin cannot be assumed to remain fixed. The results are not readily explained by a mechanism in which caldesmon acts only by stabilizing an inactive state of actin-tropomyosin. The results support regulatory mechanisms that involve changes in the actin-S1 interaction.
Effect of Threat of Shock on Pupillary Response in a Problem Solving Situation.

2 groups of 7 Ss each were presented with 2 series of 3 multiplication problems which served as the problem-solving task. On the first series of problems Ss were run under identical conditions to establish response baselines between groups. On the second series of problems the experimental group was threatened with shock for an incorrect answer. Comparisons were made on response latency, correct responses, absolute pupil size, and pupillary dilation during problem solving. The only significant difference between groups was the degree of pupillary dilation while solving the second series of problems. The results are discussed within the context of the coping process under the threat of stress and are related to previous research on the pupillary response as a measure of mental activity.
Picosecond and femtosecond dynamical studies on thin layers

valuable information on the interaction of an intense pulse with an absorbing medium can be gathered from a measurement of the reflected amplitude and phase as a function of time (in fs). Correlation techniques and algorithms have been developed to provide a complete (amplitude and phase) display of a fs signal. A sensitive method to study index nonlinearities is to use the large change in reflection occurring near critical angle. Picosecond switching and energy limiting has been demonstrated at the interface between glass and dye solution.
Measuring patient attitudes in a comprehensive health care setting

Systematic patient feedback is important for assessing the impact of existing hospital policy on patients and for providing a base for continuing inservice training of personnel. Health professionals need to have knowledge of patient attitudes about quality of care, interpersonal relations, treatment methods, health status and rights, and the health facility process. A unique combination of the Rosenberg-Fishbein, AID, and psychographic models has considerable promise for objective measurement of patient attitudes over a wide range of health care activities. The model is discussed in terms of a recent patient attitude survey conducted at a major consolidated health care agency in an SMSA of the southeast which provides common management policy and consolidated financial services for two separate hospital facilities.
Flexible Parylene Packaged Intraocular Coil for Retinal Prostheses

We present a flexible and fully-implantable coil designed for use as a power and data transfer component in retinal prosthesis applications. Compared with traditional hand-made intraocular coils, this microfabricated coil is flexible, with a 9.5 mm outer diameter and 10-mum-thick parylene C as the primary structural and packaging material. A post-fabrication heat treatment was used to improve the parylene package in order to protect the device in harsh corrosive environments such as the human eye. Long-term accelerated-lifetime soak testing in heated saline has been performed, and the mean time to failure (MTTF) of the parylene package extrapolated to 37degC was estimated using the Arrhenius relationship. The electrical failure of this device was also characterized by measuring the DC resistance in saline
Where There’s a Will There’s a Way?: Survey of Academic Librarian Attitudes about Open Access

Academic libraries are becoming increasingly involved in scholarly communication through work with institutional repositories and other open access models. While academic librarians are being encouraged to promote these new models, their opinions about open access have not been documented. This article reports on the results of a national survey conducted in the summer of 2006 of academic librarians’ attitudes toward open access principles and related behaviors. While attitude responses were largely positive, there were differences in levels of support related to respondents’ job descriptions and funding of open access activities. Surveyed librarians appear to be more comfortable with tasks that translate traditionally held responsibilities, such as educating others, to the open access environment. Most significant is the discrepancy between stated support of library involvement in open access initiatives and significantly lacking action toward this end. The results offer insight into how open access proponents may better focus their advocacy efforts.
Bayesian network for online global pose estimation

We cast the location estimation problem in vision-based robotic navigation in a Bayesian framework. We derive an efficient online algorithm for updating the trajectory of a robot as new frames of data become available. For each new frame, the algorithm computes the pose of the robot relative to past frames and combines these relative pose changes to obtain a robust estimate of its trajectory. The complexity of this algorithm grows linearly with the number of frames so far processed. Since it is effectively tracking against an appearance-based map, our algorithm provides consistent results in circular environments, where the robot returns to places already visited.
COSOLVENT-ENHANCED ELECTROKINETIC REMEDIATION OF SOILS CONTAMINATED WITH PHENANTHRENE

This research was carried out to evaluate feasibility of using an electrokinetic technique to remove hydrophobic organic pollutants from soils, with the assistance of a cosolvent ( n-butylamine, tetrahydrofuran, or acetone) added to the conducting fluid. The experiments were carried out on glacial till clay with phenanthrene as the test compound. Desorption equilibrium was investigated by batch tests. The electrokinetic experiments were conducted using a 19.1 cm long 3 6.2 cm inside diameter column under controlled voltage. Water or 20% (volume) cosolvent solution was constantly supplied at the anode. The concentration of phenanthrene in the effluent collected at the cathode was monitored. Each experiment lasted for 100 to 145 days. Results showed that the presence of n-butylamine significantly enhanced the desorption and electrokinetic transport of phenan- threne; about 43% of the phenanthrene was removed after 127 days or 9 pore volumes. The effect of acetone was not as significant as butylamine. The effluent flow in the tetrahydrofuran experiments was minimal, and phenanthrene was not detected in the effluent. The use of water as the conducting solution did not cause observable phenanthrene migration.
Discovery of repetitive patterns in DNA with accurate boundaries

The accurate identification of repeats remains a challenging open problem in bioinformatics. Most existing methods of repeat identification either depend on annotated repeat databases or restrict repeats to pairs of similar sequences that are maximal in length. The fundamental flaw in most of the available methods is the lack of a definition that correctly balances the importance of the length and the frequency. In this paper, we propose a new definition of repeats that satisfies both criteria. We give a novel characterization of the building blocks of repeats, called elementary repeats, which leads to a natural definition of repeat boundaries. We design efficient algorithms and test them on synthetic and real biological data. Experimental results show that our method is highly accurate.
Further Results on Frequency-Domain Channel Equalization for Single Carrier Underwater Acoustic Communications

A frequency-domain channel equalization and phase correction method was proposed in a previous work published in Oceans'07 conference, in which 10-4 BER performance was presented for fixed-to-fixed source/receiver channels. The method is improved by using minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimation in channel updates rather than least squares estimation. It is applied to moving-to-fixed channels in the AUVFest'07 ocean experiment where single-carrier wideband transmission was employed with quadrature phase shift keying modulation. The moving source channels exhibit higher Doppler shift and larger Doppler drift than the fixed-to-fixed channels. Therefore, the number of symbols required for initial phase estimation is increased from 2 to 8 symbols when the group- wise phase correction algorithm is applied to the moving sources. Thirty-six packets with data block length of 512 symbols have been processed and 34 of them achieved an uncoded Bit Error Rate (BER) lower than 10-2. The overall uncoded BER performance of all 36 packets is 1.81 times 10-3 which is slightly higher than that of the fixed-to-fixed channels.
Antirealism and Holes in the World

In the final paragraph of his 'Realism and Idealism',1 J. J. C. Smart suggests that a consequence of the doctrine of semantic (or Dummettian) antirealism is that the universe 'has a lot of fuzzy holes in it'.2 In my review of Neil Tennant's Antirealism and Logic3 I suggested what seems to be the same idea.4 (At the time, I was unaware of Smart's paper.) I was responding to Tennant's assertion that the ontological claim to the effect that the world is independent, at least largely, of our thoughts, a claim characteristically made by scientific realists, is compatible with the neoverificationistic attitude toward truth associated with semantic antirealism.5 A related claim concerning the independence of the world from our cognitive capacities seemed to me doubtful, and still does, as it apparently seems also to Smart. But as has been observed (I do not know who is to be credited with this), one man's reductio is another man's modus ponens. Smart offers holes as a symptom of the semantic antirealist's fall into idealism-a result of the alleged confusion of ontological and epistemological issues6-and Smart is of course a realist. My sympathies are with the antirealist, so I see the presence of ontological indeterminacies as a consequence of that position, which accordingly should be accepted because the position itself should be adopted. In my review, however, I did not endorse the idea of ontological indeterminacies. In that context, I was merely questioning a proposition suggested by my reading of Tennant. Even now, having confessed my antirealistic inclination, I must admit that I would welcome a compelling account of how I am mistaken about holes, i.e., of how such peculiarities can be avoided by the semantic antirealist. James 0.
Economic Policy and Reforms in Contemporary Italy

This paper analyses the spectacular fiscal adjustment currently occurring in Italy. In 1990, the Italian General Government showed the second largest primary deficit-to-GDP ratio in Europe; in 1997 it is expected to have the largest primary surplus-to-GDP ratio, with a 3% overall deficit to-GDP ratio. Inflation and inflationary expectations are beaten; the lira is firmly reintroduced in the EMS exchange rate mechanism and the interest rate differential on Treasury bonds with the rest of Europe is almost non-existent; in the budget process most of the traditional divergences between the appropriations approved by Parliament and the final cash expenditures are eliminated. Some qualitative shortcomings, however, appear in the Italian fiscal adjustment. They concern the excessive use of taxation, the cut of public investment, the insufficiency of structural reforms of the Welfare State and the slowness of concrete steps in the overall administrative reform and in the rethinking of the public sector role in a modern society (liberalizations, public properties? rentability, privatizations).
Progression of Focused Helium Ion Beam Milling in Gold Substrates

The focused helium ion beam-solid state material interaction volumes differ in thin membranes and in bulk substrates [1, 2]. While nanometer-scale structures with feature sizes of 5 nm or smaller have been machined in thin membranes [3-5], inconsistent results have been observed in bulk substrates where the irradiated region often swells rather than mills [6]. The depth and breadth of the interaction volume scales with beam energy, and the sputter yield also varies significantly. In this study, we seek to explore and understand these differences by observing the progression of focused helium ion beam milling. For this we used transmission electron microscope images of the beam-irradiated cross sections of 100-nm-thick gold membrane and 400-nm-thick (essentially bulk) gold substrates. We varied the ion beam landing energies and the dose as well.
'Chasing the Unicorn: Anti-Subordination and the ADAAA' Symposium: The Doctrinal Viability and Future of the Disparate Impact Doctrine

At a recent talk, a prominent critic of disparate impact theory denounced what she termed society's “disparate impact mentality” -- the idea that a workforce should mirror the population's diversity. In support of her criticism, she quoted a faculty member at a prestigious medical school who likened the search for a decanal candidate of color to “chasing a unicorn.” This is a provocative view of disparate impact theory, and of antidiscrimination law more generally. It is also a shortsighted one. The antidiscrimination project, best understood, is not about a particular individual, or an individual at all; it is about the achievement of a society that does not subordinate. Highly desirable, and ever elusive, anti-subordination is the unicorn.The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), which turns twenty-five this year, is one of the ways in which society has chosen to give chase to anti-subordination in the disability context. The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), which expanded the ADA's definition of disability to protect far more people, teaches that we are at last running in the right direction -- though we are not out of the woods yet.This Article discusses anti-subordination as the foundation for disability civil rights law, and offers three observations on its relationship to the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA). The first observation considers one of the upsides of anti-subordination under the ADAAA -- the exclusion of reverse discrimination claims. Unlike Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which permits reverse discrimination claims based on race, color, sex, religion, and national origin, people who are treated adversely for not having an impairment have no recourse under the ADA. The second observation considers one of the obvious downsides of anti-subordination under the ADAAA -- the tendency of (a thankfully small minority of) courts to narrowly construe the ADA's definition of disability, particularly with respect to orthopedic and mental impairments. A case in point is the Ninth Circuit's 2014 decision in Weaving v. City of Hillsboro, the first published circuit level case narrowly interpreting the ADA's definition of disability post-ADAAA. The third observation turns from anti-subordination under the ADA to subordination -- specifically, the ADA's subordination of transgender people through its pernicious exclusion of Gender Identity Disorder, and the first-ever lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the exclusion.
Facilitating co-adaptation of technology and education through the creation of an open-source repository of interoperable code

Co-adaptation of technology and education is a daunting challenge because of the limited resources available to individual researchers. Without keeping ITS systems runnable on the latest computing platforms, the educational technology we develop will become obsolete by default. Without keeping ITS systems current with the latest advances in experimentation and educational research, our educational technology will become obsolete by design. To simultaneously address these challenges, we propose the creation of an open-source research consortium focused on educational code-sharing that will speed the co-adaptation of technology and education, allow for more cumulative progress in our discipline, and result in faster progress for individual projects and researchers.
Impact of Pre-analytic Blood Sample Collection Factors on Metabolomics

Background: Many epidemiologic studies are using metabolomics to discover markers of carcinogenesis. However, limited data are available on the influence of pre-analytic blood collection factors on metabolite measurement. Methods: We quantified 166 metabolites in archived plasma from 423 Health Professionals Follow-up Study and Nurses' Health Study participants using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS). We compared multivariable-adjusted geometric mean metabolite LC-MS peak areas across fasting time, season of blood collection, and time of day of blood collection categories. Results: The majority of metabolites (160 of 166 metabolites) had geometric mean peak areas that were within 15% comparing samples donated after fasting 9-12 versus {greater than or equal to}13 hours; greater differences were observed in samples donated after fasting {less than or equal to}4 hours. Metabolite peak areas generally were similar across season of blood collection, although levels of certain metabolites (e.g., bile acids; purines/pyrimidines) tended to be different in the summer versus winter months. After adjusting for fasting status, geometric mean peak areas for bile acids and vitamins, but not other metabolites, differed by time of day of blood collection. Conclusions: Fasting, season of blood collection, and time of day of blood collection were not important sources of variability in measurements of most metabolites in our study. However, considering blood collection variables in the design or analysis of studies may be important for certain specific metabolites, particularly bile acids, purines/pyrimidines, and vitamins. Impact: These results may be useful for investigators formulating analysis plans for epidemiologic metabolomics studies, including determining which metabolites to a priori exclude from analyses.
A Connected, Locally Connected, Countable Hausdorff Space

(1976). A Connected, Locally Connected, Countable Hausdorff Space. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 83, No. 3, pp. 185-186.
Histochemistry XIX. Localization of Alkaline Phosphatase in Normal and Pathological Human Skin.

SummaryIn normal skin, alkaline phosphatase activity was observed in the stratum granulosum, endothelial lining of the capillaries, in hairs, hair follicles, and sweat glands. In the hair follicles, the greatest activity was in the papillae. In the endothelial cells and cells of the sweat glands, the enzyme appears to be concentrated at the cell walls and in the nuclei, the nucleoli showing even greater activity than other parts of the nuclei.Pathologic tissue from cases of lupus erythematosus, psoriasis and papular urticaria showed no significant changes in the enzyme activity.Alkaline phasphatase activity was found in proliferatinq fibroblasts in scar tissue, especially in the newly formtd scar, and also in the fibroblasts and infiltrate of pyogenic granuloma. The nuclei gave a more intense reaction than the cytoplasm of the cells.In chronic eczema of long standing, the cellular perivascular infiltrate of lymphocytes, monocytes and plasma cells, as well as the fibroblasts, showed significant alkaline ph...
Evaluation of the Performance of Newly Developed Demulsifiers on Dilbit Dehydration, Demineralization, and Hydrocarbon Losses to Tailings

The oil sands industry is continuously looking for demulsifiers that effectively dehydrate and demineralize diluted bitumen, minimize rag layer formation by controlling oil/water interface, and reduce naphtha and bitumen losses to tailings. In this paper, the performance of two newly developed demulsifiers, “X” and “Y”, were evaluated on the basis of diluted bitumen (dilbit) dehydration, demineralization, and naphtha and bitumen losses to tailings. The results demonstrate that the water removal efficiency of demulsifier Y is 14.15% higher than that of demulsifier X at 50 ppm dosage after 15 min of settling time. The solids removal efficiencies of demulsifiers X and Y at 50 ppm dosage after 15 min settling time, for the top dilbit fraction, were 13.9 and 21.5%, respectively. Demulsifier Y reduced the diluent and bitumen losses to the underflow by 16.7 and 13.8%, respectively, at 50 ppm dosage after 15 min of residence time as compared to demulsifier X. Therefore, demulsifier Y performed superior on all the...
Hydroxyl orientation in kaolinite, dickite, and nacrite

The orientations of the hydoxyl groups in the minerals kaolinite, dickite and nacrite have been determined by an iterative process based on the minimization of the total electrostatic energy of the respective crystal structures. The hydroxyl shared by the tetrahedral and octahedral sheets is directed toward the empty octahedral sites in all three structures. The remaining three hydroxyls which form the surface of the octahedral sheet are nearly normal to the layer in dickite, two are nearly normal, and one is inclined at an angle of 38" to the kaolin layer in nacrite, and in kaolinite two are nearly normal and the third is inclined at an angle of 14" to the layer. In each mineral, the hydroxyls forming the surface of the octahedral sheet are directed away from the kaolin layer.
Abstract A42: Racial differences in cultural values for cancer prevention and control

Increasingly, cultural beliefs and values are being recognized as important to decision-making about cancer prevention and control. While empirical data are emerging on the relationship between cultural factors and prevention and control behaviors, this research has been conducted in only racial group using general instruments that were developed and validated in this population. To address this limitation, we conducted a multi-phased psychometric study to identify cultural values for cancer prevention and control in a racially and ethnically diverse sample and evaluate the properties of a multi-dimensional cultural values assessment tool (MCVAT). Subjects were 315 African American, 233 white, and 97 Hispanic adult men and women who participated in qualitative research to identify cultural values for cancer prevention and control (n=212) and a quantitative survey (n=430) to evaluate the psychometric properties of the MCVAT. In Phase I, values related to religion and spirituality (e.g., important to rely on God to prevent cancer), temporal orientation (e.g., use past health care experiences to make decisions about cancer screening), individualism (e.g., I should decide for myself when to have cancer screening), and collectivism (e.g., important to consider the impact on family members when making decisions about cancer screening) were identified through focus groups with study participants; items were generated to assess these values using an iterative process. In Phase II, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the MCVAT. Consistent with the results in Phase I, three reliable factors for religion (Cronbach9s alpha=0.95), collectivism (Cronbach9s alpha=0.80), and individualism (Cronbach9s alpha=0.75) were identified using exploratory factor analysis. Analysis of variance was used to evaluate the discriminate validity of cultural factors; religious values for cancer prevention and control were significantly different between African Americans, whites, and Hispanics (F=89.99, p=0.0001). Further, compared to whites, African Americans and Hispanics reported significantly greater levels of familial values for cancer prevention and control (F=3.09, p=0.05). Our findings demonstrate that specific cultural values for may be important for cancer prevention and control among African Americans, whites, and Hispanics.
Spreading activation in nonverbal memory networks

Theories of spreading activation primarily involve semantic memory networks. However, the existence of separate verbal and visuospatial memory networks suggests that spreading activation may also occur in visuospatial memory networks. The purpose of the present investigation was to explore this possibility. Specifically, this study sought to create and describe the design frequency corpus and to determine whether this measure of visuospatial spreading activation was related to right hemisphere functioning and spreading activation in verbal memory networks. We used word frequencies taken from the Controlled Oral Word Association Test and design frequencies taken from the Ruff Figural Fluency Test as measures of verbal and visuospatial spreading activation, respectively. Average word and design frequencies were then correlated with measures of left and right cerebral functioning. The results indicated that a significant relationship exists between performance on a test of right posterior functioning (Block Design) and design frequency. A significant negative relationship also exists between spreading activation in semantic memory networks and design frequency. Based on our findings, the hypotheses were supported. Further research will need to be conducted to examine whether spreading activation exists in visuospatial memory networks as well as the parameters that might modulate this spreading activation, such as the influence of neurotransmitters.
Trends in survival of patients with primary plasma cell leukemia: A population-based analysis from 1973 to 2010.

8608 Background: Primary plasma cell leukemia (pPCL) is a rare plasma cell malignancy with a very aggressive course and poor outcome compared to multiple myeloma (MM). There has been significant im...
Assessing the spectrum of germline variation in Fanconi anemia genes among patients with head and neck carcinoma before age 50.

BACKGROUND Patients with Fanconi anemia (FA) have an increased risk for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The authors sought to determine the prevalence of undiagnosed FA and FA carriers among patients with HNSCC as well as an age cutoff for FA genetic screening. METHODS Germline DNA samples from 417 patients with HNSCC aged <50 years were screened for sequence variants by targeted next-generation sequencing of the entire length of 16 FA genes. RESULTS The sequence revealed 194 FA gene variants in 185 patients (44%). The variant spectrum was comprised of 183 nonsynonymous point mutations, 9 indels, 1 large deletion, and 1 synonymous variant that was predicted to effect splicing. One hundred eight patients (26%) had at least 1 rare variant that was predicted to be damaging, and 57 (14%) had at least 1 rare variant that was predicted to be damaging and had been previously reported. Fifteen patients carried 2 rare variants or an X-linked variant in an FA gene. Overall, an age cutoff for FA screening was not identified among young patients with HNSCC, because there were no significant differences in mutation rates when patients were stratified by age, tumor site, ethnicity, smoking status, or human papillomavirus status. However, an increased burden, or mutation load, of FA gene variants was observed in carriers of the genes FA complementation group D2 (FANCD2), FANCE, and FANCL in the HNSCC patient cohort relative to the 1000 Genomes population. CONCLUSIONS FA germline functional variants offer a novel area of study in HNSCC tumorigenesis. FANCE and FANCL, which are components of the core complex, are known to be responsible for the recruitment and ubiquitination, respectively, of FANCD2, a critical step in the FA DNA repair pathway. In the current cohort, the increased mutation load of FANCD2, FANCE, and FANCL variants among younger patients with HNSCC indicates the importance of the FA pathway in HNSCC. Cancer 2017. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Organizational Ecology, Institutionalism, and Nonprofit Advocacy Engagement

Nonprofit organizations protect the civic foundation of a society by conveying social ailments and injustice to institutional elites. Based on a random sample of 129 human service nonprofits in Maryland, this study examines the organizational factors that influence advocacy participation. Viewing nonprofit advocacy as a legitimacy-building endeavor, this study derives an analytical framework from two theoretical lenses: organizational ecology and organizational institutionalism. The survey indicates that human service nonprofits engage in a variety of advocacy activities, but devote only limited resources to mobilize these efforts. Furthermore, resource competition, government funding, and constituency commitment help explain the variation of advocacy participation by human service nonprofits. The findings have implications for nonprofit education and leadership. Subscribe to JNEL
Table 1: [Conversation] New to teaching online

*No special preparation required*Welcome to ITL and this table! Join your fellow Mason instructors to informally discuss this table's topic. At the table, you will find desk copies of related resources (digital versions are available below), and an experienced Mason colleague who has experience and strategies related to this topic.Â Not sure what to talk about?Â Â Here are some conversation starters:Share a little about yourselves: DepartmentYears at MasonCourses you are teachingWhat excites you about teaching?What brought you to this table?What role(s) do teachers play in the face-to-face classroom (coach, encourager, police officer)? How might those roles change or stay the same in an online class?Think of some learning that students need to do for your class that is fundamental skills (remembering, identifying, defining): what are ways to assess that learning? How might you assess that learning online?Think of some learning that students need to do for your class that is higher-order learning (evaluation, application, analysis, creation): what are ways to assess that learning? How might you assess that learning online?Students in an online class need to be self-regulated learners, predicting their challenges, managing their time, creating their motivation. What can you plan to help them strengthen these monitoring and goal-setting skills?Have an example or resource to share? Â Submit through this link and we'll upload it after the conference:Â http://library.gmu.edu/publishing/submitStill have questions?Â Â Leave a post it note on the table sign at the end of the Share-a-thon or email your questions toÂ stearns@gmu.edu
Technocracy, democracy, and public policy: An evaluation of public participation in retrospective regulatory review

Retrospective review of existing regulations is an increasingly common aspect of the regulatory policy cycle. As with prospective regulatory policymaking, public participation is a central feature of many retrospective review initiatives. Despite its theoretical and practical significance, participation in retrospective review has received little scholarly attention. This paper presents the first systematic assessment of participation in United States retrospective regulatory review. Utilizing content analysis of an original dataset of government documents and public input produced pursuant to Executive Orders 13563, 13579, and 13610, the paper analyzes participatory institutional design, the level and composition of participants, and participation processes. The results suggest that retrospective review participation processes largely reflected the modes of stakeholder outreach and engagement employed in prospective regulatory policymaking, but resulted in comparatively low levels of participation. Consistent with the purposes enumerated in the executive orders, participation processes facilitated information exchange and were relatively representative of and responsive to stakeholders.
The Role of Cyclic Nucleotides in Compensatory Hepatocyte Proliferation.

BACKGROUND The study of the mechanisms of liver regeneration is quite an intriguing field that has been extensively modeled. Through the process of compensatory proliferation of the hepatocytes, the liver mass is restored after loss of up to two-thirds of the entire mass. Cyclic nucleotides are intracellular second messengers which are involved in the transduction of a diverse array of stimuli, mediating metabolic and growth regulation. The relationship between cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling and liver regeneration has somehow been elusive to pioneer researchers in the field of liver regeneration. In this review, we will highlight the mechanistic approach involving cyclic nucleotide signaling and its regulation of cell cycle progression in proliferating hepatocytes, highlighting its usefulness to devising therapeutic tools for managing liver diseases. METHOD A structured search and review of relevant papers was conducted by the authors. RESULTS Authors included forty-two peer-reviewed literature in the review which identified possible roles of cyclic nucleotides in hepatocyte proliferation. CONCLUSION This review article confirms the biological importance of cyclic nucleotides and the mediatory growth signaling events that could bring about compensatory proliferation of the liver tissues.