cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interdependent Group Contingency to Promote Physical Activity in Children

As the number of children affected by obesity increases in the United States, it is necessary to intervene with preventive and intervention techniques that will enact change. Because children spend a significant amount of their time in school, it is of particular interest to target strategies during the school day. Given the recommendations for the total duration and intensity of physical activity children should participate in, recess period is a means of acquiring a portion of this daily recommendation. Contingent reinforcement is a technique that is consistently used in schools to promote behavior change. One of these techniques, group contingencies, has repeatedly been shown to increase desired behavior and decrease inappropriate behavior in schools. In the present study, a multiple baseline design was utilized to investigate the use of interdependent group contingencies in physical activity performance during recess, as measured by pedometers, with one class from each of the third, fourth, and fifth ...
Study on the Relationship of Quantity and Quality in the Theory of Sports Training

From quantitative change to qualitative change is a continuous development process requiring constant accumulation.In the new century our country sports training theory has experienced the accumulation process of quantitative change. We have established and perfected the system,established the principles of sports training and theoretical achievements in the organization construction,strived for success of the game so as to lay the foundation of the sports training theory basis. Facing a new round of development of sports training theory in China,we need to increase the notion of training,improve the research methods,develop the special advantage of sports training theory,further deepen China sports training theory.
Research on fatigue strentheh of autofrettaged ct pattern

With 2-D finite element method,a normal CT crack pattern was analyzed.First,author calculated the residual stress of the pattern which was overloaded,then calculated the fatigue life of the pattern which was autofrettaged.It’s fatigue life is 4-6 times comparing with unautofrettaged pattern,
Steroid reduction during ovarian stimulation impairs oocyte fertilization, but not folliculogenesis, in rhesus monkeys

Objective To test the hypothesis that steroids locally modulate and may be required for normal follicular function and gametogenesis in primates, the effects of steroid reduction during gonadotropin-stimulated folliculogenesis was studied in rhesus monkeys. Design Animals received human FSH (hFSH; days 1 to 6) and hFSH+human LH (hLH; day 7) to promote multiple follicular growth, and then received hCG (day 8) for ovulatory maturation. Four animals received trilostane (3 β -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase inhibitor) on days 1 to 8 or no inhibitor (controls; n=4). Follicles were aspirated 34hours after hCG. Main Outcome Measures Follicular growth, serum E 2 , P, and pregnenolone, oocyte nuclear maturity, and IVF. Results Trilostane markedly reduced E 2 to levels as low as 7% of controls throughout the follicular phase. Pregnenolone was 66-fold greater during trilostane treatment relative to controls. In both groups, P was at baseline during follicular stimulation but was reduced for 72hours after hCG in trilostane-treated animals. Despite E 2 suppression, follicular growth and oocyte nuclear maturity were unaltered by trilostane. Trilostane hindered the fertilizability of metaphase II oocytes (15%) in three of four animals compared with controls (65%). Metaphase I oocytes that required >8hours to complete meiosis in vitro failed to fertilize in the same three of four receiving trilostane relative to controls (31%). Conclusions Follicular growth and oocyte meiosis did not require high or increasing E 2 levels. Levels of follicular products other than E 2 may be of value in determining the progress of ovarian stimulation protocols. However, the acquisition of oocyte competence for fertilization may require steroids.
The development and characterization of a natural killer cell-resistant human renal cell carcinoma cell line

Natural killer (NK) cells are large granular lymphocytes that are able to recognize and lyse a broad spectrum of transformed cells. We report one approach to identify NK surface recognition molecules on human tumor targets. A cloned renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cell line, 5117GB, sensitive to NK activity, was made NK-resistant (5117GBT) by exposure to peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Both cell lines were found to be sensitive to lymphokine-activated killer cells. Both 5117GB and 5117GBT were positive for laminin (25-33%), CD2 (LFA-3 receptor, 95-98%), CD54 (ICAM-1, 99-100%) and CD58 (LFA-3, 100%). 5117GB was positive for HLA-ABC while 5117GBT lost detectable HLA-ABC. F(ab')2 fragments of HLA-ABC were not able to block NK-mediated cytotoxicity of 5117GB. We identified 6 murine monoclonal antibodies that preferentially bind either to sensitive or resistant RCC cells. The role of each of the antigens recognized by these antibodies in NK-mediated lysis is being explored. The development of NK-sensitive and NK-resistant human solid tumor cell lines may allow further exploration of surface molecules involved with NK binding and lysis.
RNA Granules and Diseases: A Case Study of Stress Granules in ALS and FTLD.

RNA granules are microscopically visible cellular structures that aggregate by protein–protein and protein–RNA interactions. Using stress granules as an example, we discuss the principles of RNA granule formation, which rely on the multivalency of RNA and multi-domain proteins as well as low-affinity interactions between proteins with prion-like/low-complexity domains (e.g. FUS and TDP-43). We then explore how dysregulation of RNA granule formation is linked to neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), and discuss possible strategies for therapeutic intervention.
Personalized Medicine in Cerebrovascular Neurosurgery: Precision Neurosurgical Management of Cerebral Aneurysms and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Cerebral aneurysms are common vascular lesions. Little is known about the pathogenesis of these lesions and the process by which they destabilize and progress to rupture. Treatment decisions are motivated by a desire to prevent rupture and the devastating morbidity and mortality associated with resulting subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). For patients presenting with SAH, urgent intervention is required to stabilize the lesion and prevent re-rupture. Those patients fortunate enough to survive a presenting SAH and subsequent securing of their aneurysm, must still face a spectrum of secondary sequelae, which can include cerebral vasospasm, delayed ischemia, seizures, cerebral edema, hydrocephalus, and endocrinologic and catecholamine-induced systemic dysfunction in cardiac, pulmonary, and renal systems. Increased focus on understanding the pathophysiology and molecular characteristics of these secondary processes will enable the development of targeted therapeutics and novel diagnostics for improved patient selection in personalized medicine trials for SAH. In unruptured cerebral aneurysms, treatment decisions are less clear and currently based solely on treating larger lesions, using rigid aneurysm size cutoffs generalized from recent studies that are the subject of ongoing controversy. Further compounding this controversy is the fact that the vast majority of aneurysms that come to clinical attention at the time of a hemorrhagic presentation are of smaller size, suggesting small aneurysms are indeed not benign lesions. As such, patient-specific biomarkers that better predict which aneurysms represent high-risk lesions that warrant clinical intervention are of vital importance. Recent advancements in genomic and proteomic technologies have enabled the identification of molecular characteristics that may prove useful in tracking aneurysm growth and progression, and identifying targets for prophylactic therapeutic interventions. Novel quantitative neuroimaging technologies have also recently emerged, capable of noninvasive characterization of hemodynamic factors, inflammation, and structural changes in aneurysmal walls. The combined use of these quantitative neuroimaging and molecular-based approaches, called Radiogenomics, is a technique that holds great promise in better characterizing individual aneurysms. In the near future, these Radiogenomic techniques may help improve quality of life and patient outcomes via patient-specific approaches to the treatment of unruptured cerebral aneurysms, and personalized medical management of secondary processes following aneurysmal SAH.
ENCOUNTERS WITH PSYCHOSIS.

This essay offers a personal account of one physician’s attempt to engage with psychotic patients in an inner-city hospital. It considers some of the obstacles to psychoanalytic work with psychotic...
A step ahead--evaluating the clinical judgment skills of incoming interns.

BACKGROUND Assessing the baseline competency of incoming interns is a challenge to faculty of all residency programs. This article describes and evaluates the Intern Clinical Judgment Evaluation, a tool developed to test the clinical judgment and communication skills of incoming interns. METHODS During orientation week, each intern is evaluated using structured clinical scenarios modeled after "on call" situations. Interns are given feedback on information collection, medical decision making, judgment, understanding of the medical system, and written and verbal communication skills. Data from 4 years is presented, comparing predictions of performance from faculty and from the Intern Clinical Judgment Evaluation to actual year-end intern performance data. RESULTS There was excellent agreement between the Intern Clinical Judgment Evaluation and the summary of interns' performance (kappa value=0.8). Faculty predictions were a less accurate predictor of intern performance (kappa value=0.6). The Intern Clinical Judgment Evaluation had a sensitivity of 93% (13/14), specificity of 88% (15/17), positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 7.9, and negative likelihood ratio (LR-) of 0.08. Comparatively, faculty predictions of resident performance had a sensitivity of 57% (8/14), specificity of 94% (17/18), LR+ of 10.3, and LR- of 0.40. Surveyed interns felt the evaluation process was a positive experience. CONCLUSIONS The Intern Clinical Judgment Evaluation was a valid tool to predict which interns would require more faculty supervision during intern year. Based on solicited feedback from tested interns, it also was a positive testing experience.
Attempts to Apply Affinity Labeling Techniques to Ribulose Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase

Although its results are subject to uncertainties in interpretation, chemical modification is a proven method for defining structure-function relationships in enzymes. Innumerable times, tentative conclusions based on chemical modification studies regarding identities of active-site residues, or even their precise catalytic function, have been substantiated by x-ray crystallography.
Global model fitting to compare survival curves for faecal indicator bacteria and ruminant-associated genetic markers.

Aims To compare decay profiles of ruminant- and cattle-associated molecular markers for faecal contamination and Escherichia coli, facilitating their correct application in water quality studies. Methods and Results We generated decay profiles for cultivable E. coli, a general Bacteroidales genetic marker (GenBac3), ruminant markers (CF128, Rum2Bac) and cattle markers (CowM2, CowM3) using faeces-seeded mesocosms, and selected best fitting models for each decay profile. Global model fitting tested for differences between decay profiles. After normalizing for initial concentration, decay curves differed significantly between E. coli and all genetic markers except CowM3. Decay curves for CF128 differed from GenBac3 and Rum2Bac, but Rum2Bac and GenBac3 decay profiles did not differ. Despite similar survival profiles for some markers, highly varied initial concentrations affected time to nondetection. Conclusions Decay curves and time until nondetection differed among markers from the same host. However, the Rum2Bac and GenBac3 markers had similar decay profiles and could potentially be investigated further for source allocation using the ratio method. Significance and Impact of the Study As the use of genetic markers for microbial source tracking becomes increasingly common, caution is necessary. Both the shape of decay curves and time to nondetect may differ depending on the marker selected, resulting in possible misinterpretation of results and precluding application of a ‘ratio method’ of source allocation.
Deconstructing the Punjab crisis of 1984: Deer, hawks, and siqdārs (‘officials’) as agents of state-sponsored violence

Acts of violence or non-violence are social phenomena that take place at particular historical junctures. They cannot be described as essential features of any community. The Punjab crisis of yesteryear reflected the multidimensionality of violence. On the one hand, involvement of the agents of ‘Third Agency’ in the garb of Sikh militants in random acts of violence and guerrilla warfare was totally unwarranted and counterproductive; on the other, one cannot overlook the sheer egregious and unjust acts of state, killing in the name of order, security, and sheer power. This paper looks at this dark period in recent Sikh history through the lens of Gurū Nānak’s Malār hymn. This is an insightful composition in which the Guru employs the metaphors of deer (haraṇ), hawks (bāj) and state officials (siqdār) who act as trained agents provocateurs to push a community in a particular direction – especially on the path of self-destruction – to justify state violence.
Nonlinear Dynamic Model-Based Multi-Objective Sensor Network Design Algorithm for a Plant with an Estimator-Based Control System

A novel sensor network design (SND) algorithm is developed for maximizing process efficiency while minimizing sensor network cost for a nonlinear dynamic process with an estimator-based control system. The multiobjective optimization problem is solved following a lexicographic approach where the process efficiency is maximized first followed by minimization of the sensor network cost. The partial net present value, which combines the capital cost due to the sensor network and the operating cost due to deviation from the optimal efficiency, is proposed as an alternative objective. The unscented Kalman filter is considered as the nonlinear estimator. The large-scale combinatorial optimization problem is solved using a genetic algorithm. The developed SND algorithm is applied to an acid gas removal (AGR) unit as part of an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plant with CO2 capture. Due to the computational expense, a reduced order nonlinear model of the AGR process is identified and parallel ...
Discourses of volunteer/service work and their discontents: Border crossing, construction of hierarchy, and paying dues:

This article examines four discourses of volunteer/service work—charity, leisure, citizenship, and border crossing—in terms of how they construct relationships between those who serve and those who...
A Comprehensive Comparison of the Analytical and Numerical Prediction of the Thermal History and Solidification Microstructure of Inconel 718 Products Made by Laser Powder-Bed Fusion

Abstract The finite-element (FE) model and the Rosenthal equation are used to study the thermal and microstructural phenomena in the laser powder-bed fusion of Inconel 718. A primary aim is to comprehend the advantages and disadvantages of the Rosenthal equation (which provides an analytical alternative to FE analysis), and to investigate the influence of underlying assumptions on estimated results. Various physical characteristics are compared among the FE model, Rosenthal equation, and experiments. The predicted melt pool shapes compared with reported experimental results from the literature show that both the FE model and the analytical (Rosenthal) equation provide a reasonably accurate estimation. At high heat input, under conditions leading to keyholing, the reported melt width is narrower than predicted by the analytical equation. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis based on choices of the absorptivity is performed, which shows that the Rosenthal approach is more sensitive to absorptivity, compared with the FE approach. The primary reason could be the effect of radiative and convective losses, which are assumed to be negligible in the Rosenthal equation. In addition, both methods predict a columnar solidification microstructure, which agrees well with experimental reports, and the primary dendrite arm spacing (PDAS) predicted with the two approaches is comparable with measurements.
Enhancing future K-8 teachers’ computational thinking skills through modeling and simulations

It is now required for teachers to incorporate computational thinking (CT) into their science classes. Our research modifies the existing structure of a science methods course for preservice teachers to include CT via modeling and simulations. In the first study, preservice teachers were introduced to the basics of coding through an Hour of Code tutorial, followed by an exercise where they programmed an animated model of the solar system using Scratch. In the second study, we created a web-based simulation to visualize Newton’s second law of motion (F = ma) with a dynamic graph feature. The simulation is a race between two cars with interactive settings that the user can change, such as changing the mass and force of each car. Results from both studies reveal that after completing the exercises, preservice teachers learned the material effectively, felt that CT exercises would be beneficial in K-8 education, and plan to incorporate CT into their future classrooms.
Distributed force feedback in the spinal cord and the regulation of limb mechanics

This review is an update on the role of force feedback from Golgi tendon organs in the regulation of limb mechanics during voluntary movement. Current ideas about the role of force feedback are bas...
Abstract 18360: ACTN2 Mutations Are Associated With Cardiomyopathy and Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy

Introduction: Alpha actinins belong to the spectrin gene superfamily, a diverse group of cytoskeletal proteins. In cardiac and skeletal muscle cells, they act as actin- and titin-binding proteins l...
Case 37: A -Over Vaporizer with a Non-rebreathing Circuit

You are the only anesthesiologist who is part of a medical team to visit an outlying village in Colombia, South America. Unfortunately, all your anesthetic equipment has not arrived, and today is the day for operations on 12 orthopedic patients. You are presented with an Ohmeda Cyprane PAC (portable anesthesia complete) isoflurane draw-over circuit. This is the only available anesthesia delivery system (Fig. 1). The anesthesia nurse, who is a Colombian and works in the hospital, says she had been recommended this equipment by an overseas anesthesiologist some years ago. She has used it with great success both for spontaneously breathing patients and those she had to paralyze. In the latter case, she used an Ambu bag attached to the draw-over circuit. She tells you that she was recommended to use the Penlon Oxford ventilator (POV) when she needs to ventilate the patient instead of the Ambu bag. However, she has not used the above ventilator yet as she not familiar with it. She never saw it in use and is very keen for you to show her how to use the Penlon ventilator. You have never seen this equipment before but ask for any information she may have on this equipment. She hands you a paper [1] describing the use of the draw-over vaporizer and the Penlon Oxford ventilator (the latter is to be placed at F in Fig. 1). You read the text and study the diagram below. The vaporizer D is fitted with a 900 ml corrugated anesthetic tubing (B) with a dust filter at the inlet (A). Oxygen can be given through inlet C. Air is drawn in and through the vaporizer by the patient during inspiration. B acts as a reservoir of oxygen between inspirations if oxygen is used. However, in a healthy patient, you may elect not to use oxygen. The outlet E of the PACU vaporizer incorporates a one-way valve that is connected via a second anesthetic tube to a T-connector F. This T-connector is the ventilation port to which an Ambu bag or a ventilator can be attached. From the T-connector right exit, another anesthetic tube leads to a one-way Ruben’s valve (G) and the patient’s mask (H) or to an endotracheal tube. An exhaust tube (I) carries expired gases from the patient to a scavenging system or into the air. A sidestream adaptor (J) is used for end-tidal CO2 and/or gas analyzer. Unidirectional flow during ventilation is maintained in the PAC draw-over circuit by the one-way valves at E and G, such that negative pressure at F draws only carrier gas through the vaporizer and into the circuit. Positive pressure applied at F directs the flow only to the patient, as reverse flow is blocked at the E. Back flow of exhaust gas into the circuit is also blocked during all phases of respiration by the Ruben’s valve. You also discover that the Penlon Oxford ventilator is fed by a compressed gas source and thus provides only a positive pressure cycle.
Global and Local Resistance; Memories of the Motherland-Africa, Unshackled

In the previous chapter, we discussed the early formations of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the enslavement of native populations, and the subsequent development of the Underground Railroad as a vehicle of physical liberation. In this chapter, we explore the conditions that ultimately led to the abolition of slavery. We argue that during the period of emancipation, in North America, most African Americans were illiterate, so education was the key to helping them attain true freedom in a racist society and a racialized world.
The relative pronoun strategy: New data from southern New Guinea

Abstract The Relative Pronoun strategy is commonly used for relativization in European languages such as English – for example: The woman [ who won the lottery ] is my neighbour. In this strategy the head nominal (here the woman) is indicated inside the relative clause by a clause-initial pronominal element (the relative pronoun, here who). The Relative Pronoun strategy has been characterized as an exclusively European areal feature (e.g. Comrie 1998). This article describes this strategy in more detail, as well as previous accounts of its distribution, and goes on to demonstrate that the same strategy is also found in Nama, a Papuan language of southern New Guinea.
Effective Federated Adaptive Gradient Methods with Non-IID Decentralized Data

Federated learning allows loads of edge computing devices to collaboratively learn a global model without data sharing. The analysis with partial device participation under non-IID and unbalanced data reflects more reality. In this work, we propose federated learning versions of adaptive gradient methods - Federated AGMs - which employ both the first-order and second-order momenta, to alleviate generalization performance deterioration caused by dissimilarity of data population among devices. To further improve the test performance, we compare several schemes of calibration for the adaptive learning rate, including the standard Adam calibrated by $\epsilon$, $p$-Adam, and one calibrated by an activation function. Our analysis provides the first set of theoretical results that the proposed (calibrated) Federated AGMs converge to a first-order stationary point under non-IID and unbalanced data settings for nonconvex optimization. We perform extensive experiments to compare these federated learning methods with the state-of-the-art FedAvg, FedMomentum and SCAFFOLD and to assess the different calibration schemes and the advantages of AGMs over the current federated learning methods.
The Early Intervention Referral Process for Rural Infants and Toddlers with Delays or Disabilities: A Family Perspective.

Early intervention (EI) services provide essential support to families of children with delays or disabilities. Children can enter EI via a variety of routes, though all begin with a referral, and for children who require additional services, subsequent referrals are generally warranted. The referral process may be complicated by rurality, but little is known about families’ experiences with EI referrals in rural areas. This study focuses on better understanding rural families’ perspectives of the EI referral process. Families with children in Part C services throughout Montana (N = 30) were interviewed regarding their referral experiences. A layered analysis was used to analyze initial and subsequent referrals, and investigate families’ experiences regarding the referral process. Families’ reports regarding which professionals provided referrals and who they provided referrals to were diverse. As part of qualitative content analysis three themes emerged: 1) the referral process is both challenging and complex; 2) professionals facilitate connections; and, 3) some professionals may have misconceptions or misunderstandings. Some families discussed how aspects of rurality may have exacerbated the complexities and challenges of the EI referral process. Based on families’ experiences, professional development related to when, how, and who to refer to EI services, and subsequent support of families during the referral process, may be of utmost importance. Furthermore, families discussed rurality in relationship to turnover rates, limited access to services or specialized knowledge, and travel distance required to receive services, demonstrating the importance of training and retaining rural EI professionals.
“MY MINIMALIST JOURNEY:” NARRATIVE ANALYSIS OF YOUTUBE MINIMALISM STORIES

The recent minimalist lifestyle is often claimed to be a way to change your life by minimizing your spending, possessions, tasks, relationships, etc. YouTube is an important venue where minimalist content is published and shared (Meissner, 2019). The current study focuses on “minimalist journey" narratives, where people tell their stories of "encountering" the minimalist lifestyle. I collected “minimalist journey" stories from 40 YouTube videos with their comments and analyzed them using narrative analysis methods, both thematic and structural (Labov & Waletzky, 1997; Riessman, 2005). By closely examining these narratives, this study sheds light on how people experience and make sense of the minimalist lifestyle within the context of anti-consumerism and neoliberalism in digital space. This study also contributes to digital culture studies by showcasing how personal life narratives are constructed on video-sharing platforms like YouTube. Two themes emerged in the analysis. In the “Hoarder to Minimalist” narrative, narrators were once over-consuming hoarders and now minimalists. Minimalism facilitates discursive rejections and behavior disruptions of consumerism. The "transformational" stories, however, reinforcing the neoliberal sense of self that needs constant improvement. In the “Always been a Minimalist” narrative, narrators have always been frugal due to underprivileged social status. Minimalism empowers them by providing a set of vocabulary for recreating meanings. It, however, downplays the class divisions in capitalist society as merely an issue of “framing”; the struggles of lower social class people just need to be beautified as “minimalism.”
Protecting Human Participants in the Procurement of Materials in Regenerative Medicine Research

Human participants provide a variety of materials that are essential for research in regenerative medicine, including adult stem cells, embryos, sperm, ova, blood, and urine. Because regenerative medicine depends so heavily on the cooperation of human participants, researchers must take appropriate measures to protect their rights and welfare and secure their trust. This chapter focuses on some emerging issues in the procurement of materials in regenerative medicine research that merit special attention, including informed consent and confidentiality. Though these issues also arise in other types of biomedical research, regenerative medicine investigators face some unique challenges, due to the nature of their subject matter. Since the ethical questions and problems related to procurement of human biological materials are likely to change in response to advances in science and technology, it is important for regenerative medicine researchers to stay abreast of current policies and ethical guidance and to think critically about the dilemmas they face.
PASSENGER CAR FUEL ECONOMY DURING NON-URBAN DRIVING

Since the FTP does not represent the type of driving done in rural areas, especially on highways, a driving cycle to assess highway fuel economy was a desirable supplement. The new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) "highway" cycle was constructed from actual speed-versus-time traces generated by an instrumented test car driven over a variety of nonurban roads and highways. This cycle reflects the correct proportion of operation on each of the four major types of nonurban roads and preserves the non-steady-state characteristics of real-world driving. /GMR
Selectivity of Ceramide-mediated Biology. Lack of activity of erythro-DIHYDROCERAMIDE.

Ceramide is emerging as a putative second messenger mediating effects of extracellular agents on cell growth and differentiation (Okazaki, T., Bielawska, A., Bell, R. M., and Hannun, Y. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 15822-15831) and programed cell death (Obeid, L. M., Linardic, C. M., Karolak, L. A., and Hannun, Y. A. (1993) Science 259, 1769-1771). In this study, the eight stereoisomers of C2-ceramide and dihydroceramide were synthesized, and their cellular activity was investigated. The four stereoisomers of C2-ceramide were active in inhibition of cell growth and induction of apoptosis with modest differences in potency. On the other hand, with C2-dihydroceramide only the threo compounds were active in these assays whereas the erythro compounds were totally inactive. Thus, of the two naturally occurring molecules, the analog of D-erythro-ceramide (with the 4-5 trans double bond) was active, whereas the analog of D-erythro-dihydroceramide was inactive. These results demonstrate the specificity of ceramide action and suggest that the introduction of the double bond is critical for imparting the biochemical and biological activity of ceramide.
Maternal or zygotic sphingosine kinase is required to regulate zebrafish cardiogenesis.

Background: The sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) signaling pathway regulates zebrafish cardiogenesis, and provides a paradigm for how signaling gradients coordinate collective cell migration across tissue layers. It is known that the S1P transporter (Spns2) functions in extra-embryonic YSL to activate G protein–coupled receptor (S1pr2) signaling in endoderm for deposition of positional cues (integrin, fibronectin, etc.). Such cues are recognized by overlying lateral precardiac mesoderm that migrates to the midline and fuses to form the primordial heart tube. However, the source of bio-active S1P is not known. There are multiple receptors and it is not known if there are earlier or even receptor-independent functions for S1P. Results: Because S1P can only be generated by sphingosine kinases, we targeted a mutation to the single kinase gene expressed during early embryogenesis (sphk2). Zygotic mutants survive to adulthood and appear normal, but maternal-zygotic mutant embryos phenocopy null zygotic mutants of spns2 or s1pr2. Conclusions: The data show that maternally derived sphk2 RNA is fully sufficient to generate an S1P signaling gradient in the YSL that ultimately controls precardiac mesoderm migration during embryogenesis. Furthermore, despite maternal expression of sphk2, there are no obvious developmental functions requiring its activity prior to stimulation of S1pr2 in endoderm. Developmental Dynamics 244:948–954, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A NOT SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY: THE FOSTER YOUTH TRANSITION FROM ADOLESCENCE INTO ADULTHOOD

Every year close to 25,000 youth age out of our foster care system; without the anchor of a family, former foster youth disproportionately join the ranks of the homeless, incarcerated, and unemployed. While the average age of financial independence in America is twenty-six years of age, we presume that foster youth can somehow attain financial and emotional independence by age eighteen. Instead, these adolescents are woefully unprepared for independent adult life, and when they falter, too often no one is there to provide support or guidance. As a result, former foster youth are ten times more likely to be arrested than youth of the same age, race, and sex and one in four youth who age out of foster care will end up in jail within the first two years after leaving care. This article will discuss strategies for changing these disheartening outcomes for transitioning foster youth, including breaking down our silos and collectively taking charge of the lives of children in our care; keeping a watchful eye on data and outcomes and using that information to guide our actions; ensuring that the voices of youth are an ever-present part of decisions and processes that will chart their future; and educating ourselves about best practices and new approaches. This article also discusses new opportunities that now exist to support foster youth as they move into adulthood, including new federal legislation that—for the first time—will allow states to support foster youth beyond age eighteen. Finally, this article provides a backdrop for this Special Issue and summarizes the insightful articles and innovative thinking contained herein.
A parallel min-cut technique for standard cell placement using a modified Hopfield neural network

The authors present a new min-cut technique for standard cell placement using a modified Hopfield neural network. The neural network has the advantage of a massively parallel architecture, which can drastically reduce computation time in a hardware implementation. It also allows all partitions at a given level of the hierarchical procedure to be performed in parallel, thus overcoming a common drawback of sequential min-cut procedures. The approach has produced very good results on a number of practical standard cell circuits. >
The Value of Information Sharing in a Two-Level Supply Chain

Many companies have embarked on initiatives that enable more demand information sharing between retailers and their upstream suppliers. While the literature on such initiatives in the business press is proliferating, it is not clear how one can quantify the benefits of these initiatives and how one can identify the drivers of the magnitudes of these benefits. Using analytical models, this paper aims at addressing these questions for a simple two-level supply chain with nonstationary end demands. Our analysis suggests that the value of demand information sharing can be quite high, especially when demands are significantly correlated over time.
Monoclonal antibodies against cell-surface antigens of developing cells of Myxococcus xanhus

Summary Monoclonal antibodies (MCA) have been develped against cell surface antigens (CSA) of Myxococcus xanthus undergoing fruiting body formation. Three of these antibodies are directed against CSA which increase during development, six against CSA which decrease and three against CSA which show no change during development. Western-type immunoblots have been done to determine the molecular weights of the CSA to which the various MCA bind. Various applications of these MCA to the study of myxobacterial cell interactions are discussed.
A Sequential Stopping Rule for Fixed-Sample Acceptance Tests

The occurrence of early failures in a fixed-sample acceptance test, where the sample observations are obtained sequentially, presents an interesting decision problem. It may be desirable to abandon the test at an early stage if the conditional probability of passing is small and the testing cost is high. This paper presents a stopping rule based on the maximum-likelihood estimate of total costs involved in the decision to continue beyond an early failure. A Bernoulli model, an exponential model, and a Weibull model are examined.
Monitoring and timing prediction in early analyzing and checking performance of interconnection networks at ESL

When an advanced interconnection architecture with many routers (or switches) is designed to integrate a large number of system components into a single chip, its performance has to be analyzed or verified. This will take considerable time if no cost-effective technique is developed to deal with the complex task. In the paper, we present an early timing checking technique to verify interconnection performance at electronic system level. Experimental results show that the proposed technique has better violation detection efficiency than other ones.
Wave-scattering approaches to conservation and causality

Abstract System description requires specification of two things: the elements and their interconnections. In the customary circuit approach these attributes are treated distinctly, but in the wave-scatter approach they are treated uniformly. This permits direct representation of elements such as transformers and gyrators. All physical system interaction occurs through power interchange, represented here using a signal duplex over the connecting bonds and through the element ports. Causality is thus intrinsic and conservation is imposed via unitarity and orthogonality of the element scattering matrices. This representation is suitable for linear and nonlinear systems.
Solving discrete resource allocation problems using the Simultaneous Perturbation Stochastic Approximation (SPSA) algorithm

We investigate optimization techniques for solving a class of discrete resource allocation problems, including several discrete forms of Simultaneous Perturbation Stochastic Optimization (SPSA). We explore the rate-of-convergence for discrete SPSA in a stochastic setting. Finally, we consider some of the difficulties that can arise when discrete resource allocation problems include a stochastic component.
Relationships between the Transit Time of Water and the Fluxes of Weathered Elements through the Critical Zone

Abstract The movement of water is a widely recognized control on chemical weathering rates. However, the extent to which chemical weathering rates are controlled by subsurface structure and heterogeneity remains poorly quantified. As a result, most geochemical models of solute fluxes from catchments cannot uniquely predict commonly observed relationships between concentrations of reactive solutes and stream discharge. The reactive solute composition of waters in the stream is the flux-weighted average of the ensemble of flow paths and is thus strongly linked to the transit time distribution, which is in turn a complex measure of physical heterogeneity. To quantify the effect of physical heterogeneity on chemical weathering rates and fluxes, we present simplified two-dimensional reactive transport simulations of chemical weathering reactions in heterogeneous domains and link the extent of reaction progress to the transit time distribution. We show that the importance of heterogeneity, measured by dilution of solute relative to homogeneous models, is a function of the Damkohler number (Da). At low flow rates or for rapid reaction rates (high Da), physical heterogeneity is less important because solute gradients are minimal. Similarly, at high flow rates or slow reaction rates (low Da), physical heterogeneity has little effect on the solute fluxes or weathering rates. At moderate Da, the effect of heterogeneity is most pronounced based on the maximum dilution from the homogenous case. Here, the effective reaction rates are also at a minimum relative to homogeneous case because of variable departures from equilibrium throughout the domain, resulting in a scale dependence of the effective reaction rates. Most weathering in the critical zone probably occurs within the range associated with high to moderate Da, suggesting that transit time distributions will have a moderate to substantial influence on the observed chemical fluxes and effective reaction rates. Despite the inherent challenges, coupling measures of water age to reactive geochemical tracers in models and in applied settings presents many new opportunities to evaluate the factors that control the water, solute and energy fluxes into and out of catchments.
Application of High-Power Ultrasound to Improve Adhesion of Honey on Roasted Peanuts to Improve Oxidative Stability

The extent of honey-coating retention on the surface of sonicated peanuts was studied to evaluate the efficacy of sonication to improve adhesion of honey on peanuts. Samples (150 g each) were sonicated in 450 ml petroleum ether for 5, 10, and 15 min. Following sonication, 25 ml of honey was poured and stirred over the peanuts then roasted in an oven at 177 °C for 10 min. Honey adhesion was determined by measuring the weight of 50 g peanuts before and after coating. The effect of honey and sonication on oxidative stability was measured every 7 days by oxidative stability instrument. The results showed that the weight of honey coating was 7, 16, 19, 21, and 21 g on the control, dipped, 5-, 10-, and 15-min sonicated sample, respectively. Sonication improved adhesion of honey on peanuts by 64%, 68%, and 67% after 5, 10, and 15 min of sonication, respectively, relative to the control. Oxidative stability of dipped, 5-, 10-, and 15-min sonicated samples was improved by 22%, 36%, 46%, and 32%, respectively, in relative to the control. Therefore, removing lipids from peanut surface by high-power ultrasound improved adhesion of honey coating and the oxidative stability.
Validation of the AIRDOS-EPA computer code by simulating intermediate range transport of 85Kr from the Savannah River Plant

Abstract The AIRDOS-EPA computer code is used to estimate the annual doses to the general public resulting from releases of radionuclides to the atmosphere. It has been chosen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of the process for setting radionuclide emission standards for U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed facilities and U.S. Department of Energy facilities. This code uses a modified Gaussian plume equation to estimate air concentrations resulting from the release of a maximum of 36 radionuclides. Radionuclide concentrations in food products are estimated from the output of the atmospheric transport model using the terrestrial transport model described in U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulatory Guide 1.109. Doses to man at each distance and direction specified are estimated for up to eleven organs and five exposure modes. One year of weekly average 85 Kr concentrations observed at 13 stations located 30–150 km distant from a point source at the Savannah River Plant, Aiken, South Carolina, have been used in a validation study of the atmospheric transport portion of AIRDOS-EPA. The predicted annual average concentration at each station exceeded the observed value in every case. The overprediction factor ranged from 1.4 to 3.4 with an average value of 2.4. Pearson's correlation between pairs of logarithms of observed and predicted values was r = 0.93. As the averaging time of the prediction decreases, however, the uncertainty in the prediction increases. For example, monthly values show more scatter than do annual or seasonal values. When observed and predicted values or the seasonal average concentrations for each station were compared, we found increasing agreement as we compared spring, summer, fall and winter values.
Facilitating Teachers' Use of Natural Areas: Perceptions of Environmental Education Opportunities.

Abstract Classroom teachers' perceptions of nature and the importance of providing environmental education often determine whether students are given the chance to experience natural areas. In personal interviews conducted with 39 urban teachers, the factors relating to teachers' preferences for types of environmental education settings were examined. Results suggest that teachers perceive distinct differences in nature settings and that these settings communicate clear educational opportunities and resource needs.
Simulation of flow and growth phenomena in a close-spaced reactor

Effects of operating conditions and reactor geometry on flow patterns, growth rate and growth rate uniformity in vertical, close-spaced reactors for metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) are described. Finite element solutions of three-dimensional models of transport phenomena in a close-spaced reactor establish that the individual jets that comprise the gas injector do not penetrate close to the substrate despite its proximity. There is complete mixing of group III and group V reactants in the gas phase prior to any surface reactions. Analysis of growth rate dependence on flow rate, pressure and disk rotation rate shows that ideal stagnation flow can be achieved in a close-spaced reactor. At low rotation rates, growth rate and growth rate uniformity are independent of pressure, even at 1 atm. At higher rotation rates and a reactor height of 16 mm, calculations predict increasing growth uniformity with increasing pressure. The transition from the stagnation flow regime to a classical rotating-disk-reactor regime with increasing reactor height is delineated for various operating conditions. Experiments on the growth of GaAs/AlAs epilayers are consistent with numerical predictions. The applicability of dimensionless number based analysis of close-spaced reactors is also discussed.
Automatic polyp region segmentation for colonoscopy images using watershed algorithm and ellipse segmentation

In the US, colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of all cancer deaths behind lung cancer. Colorectal polyps are the precursor lesions of colorectal cancer. Therefore, early detection of polyps and at the same time removal of these precancerous lesions is one of the most important goals of colonoscopy. To objectively document detection and removal of colorectal polyps for quality purposes, and to facilitate real-time detection of polyps in the future, we have initiated a computer-based research program that analyzes video files created during colonoscopy. For computer-based detection of polyps, texture based techniques have been proposed. A major limitation of the existing texture-based analytical methods is that they depend on a fixed-size analytical window. Such a fixed-sized window may work for still images, but is not efficient for analysis of colonoscopy video files, where a single polyp can have different relative sizes and color features, depending on the viewing position and distance of the camera. In addition, the existing methods do not consider shape features. To overcome these problems, we here propose a novel polyp region segmentation method primarily based on the elliptical shape that nearly all small polyps and many larger polyps possess. Experimental results indicate that our proposed polyp detection method achieves a sensitivity and specificity of 93% and 98%, respectively.
An organizational study approach to planning problems in an Industrial–Military activity*

The problems of planning and management in an Industrial-Military activity present particular problems. This article outlines a study into the operation of such a unit and highlights the absence of profit type criteria or any other form of quantative measure of performance. It also illustrates the limitations of the formalized planning systems which exist in the environment described. The study findings suggest the serious need for review of the mechanisms of planning between the operating organizations and higher level organizations.