cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Developments in implicit leadership theory and cognitive science: Applications to improving measurement and understanding alternatives to hierarchical leadership

Abstract After reviewing key findings regarding leadership categorization theory, we develop new perspectives regarding the design of behavioral measures of leadership and the implications of shared leadership and complex adaptive leadership conceptualizations of leadership. In particular, by applying recent developments in cognitive science, we explain how an understanding of symbolic, connectionist, and embodied representations of knowledge can benefit behavioral measures of leadership. Additionally, we address some practical issues associated with the measurement of leadership and argue that ratings which tap episodic memory at the event level may be more meaningful than ratings based on semantic memory. Finally, we discuss how notions of shared leadership and of leaders as catalysts for complexity can create unique complications for leadership perceptions, coordinated behavior within a group, and the measurement of leadership.
Comparative Identification of Oil Spills by Fluorescence Spectroscopy Fingerprinting

ABSTRACT A simple and rapid method for the comparative identification of oil spills with suspect source oils is described using fluorescence spectroscopy. The method involves the excitation of an oil, diluted in cyclohexane, at a distinct wavelength and obtaining a “fingerprint” in the form of an emission spectrum. Contamination and weathering of the environmental oil is considered. The method is applied to two different oil spills occurring near the same area at about the same time. Results are confirmed by gas chromatography.
Protecting Minorities in Binary Elections: A Test of Storable Votes Using Field Data

Democratic systems are built, with good reason, on majoritarian principles, but their legitimacy requires the protection of strongly held minority preferences. The challenge is to do so while treating every voter equally and preserving aggregate welfare. One possible solution is storable votes: granting each voter a budget of votes to cast as desired over multiple decisions. During the 2006 student elections at Columbia University, we tested a simple version of this idea: voters were asked to rank the importance of the different contests and to choose where to cast a single extra bonus vote, had one been available. We used these responses to construct distributions of intensities and electoral outcomes, both without and with the bonus vote. Bootstrapping techniques provided estimates of the probable impact of the bonus vote. The bonus vote performs well: when minority preferences are particularly intense, the minority wins at least one of the contests with 15-30 percent probability; and, when the minority wins, aggregate welfare increases with 85-95 percent probability. When majority and minority preferences are equally intense, the effect of the bonus vote is smaller and more variable but on balance still positive.
MALS: multiple access scheduling based on Latin squares

A Latin square of order n is an n /spl times/ n square matrix that consists of n distinct symbols, where the symbols of each row and column are distinct. The number of different Latin squares beyond a very small order, such as 10 grows almost to infinity for practical applications. The distinctiveness and orderliness of each symbol in the Latin square present very attractive features in applying Latin squares to the scheduling problems. We propose a medium access scheme based on Latin squares, called MALS (medium access based on Latin squares), from which deterministic time-division channel access schedules are generated for nodes in ad hoc networks. In MALS, each node is assigned with an index of a row in a dynamic Latin square, and the columns of the Latin square corresponds to the time-slotted channel. The value of the symbol in the Latin square for each time slot determines the priority of the node to access the channel. Because of the distinctiveness of the symbol value in each column, a unique priority is assigned to each node in each time slot, and the channel access at any moment is guaranteed collision-free. We apply MALS in both macro-time division channel access scheduling, where each time slot is long enough to contain a packet, and micro-time division channel access scheduling, where the time slot is comparable to the duration of the round trip time in point-to-point wireless communication. Simulations for both scenarios show the near-optimum performance of MALS for channel access scheduling in comparison with UxDMA and IEEE 802.11 DCF, respectively.
That Was Then, This Is Now: Replacing the Mobile-Optimized Site with Responsive Design

As mobile technologies continue to evolve, libraries seek sustainable ways to keep up with these changes and to best serve our users. Previous library mobile usability research has examined tasks users predict they might be likely to perform, but little is known about what users actually do on a mobile-optimized library site. This research used a combination of survey method and web analytics to examine what tasks users actually carry out on a library mobile site. The results indicate that users perform an array of passive and active tasks and do not want content choices to be limited on mobile devices. Responsive design is described as a long-term solution for addressing both designers’ and users’ needs.
Shared word line DRAM cell

A novel memory cell which has a 2-to-1 cell packaging density advantage relative to a conventional one-device (1D) dynamic RAM cell is described. In the shared word line (SWL) DRAM cell, a pair of cells is connected to the same bit sense line and word line. Unique read and write operations are accomplished by controlling the plate of the storage capacitor. The arrangement of cell pairs also provides a sense amplifier pitch of about six times the average feature size; this greatly relaxes the bit line pitch limitation on sense amplifier layout. The cell layout is fully self-aligned using a process very similar and not significantly more complex than conventional double-polysilicon processes. The cell requires neither contact holes nor metal lines. While the access time of the SWL cell is similar to a 1D cell, the cycle time is somewhat longer due to a more complex write operation.
HISTONE STRUCTURE AND THE ORGANIZATION OF THE NUCLEOSOME

Chromatin structure is now believed to be dynamic and intimately related with cellular processes such as transcription. Over the past few years, high-resolution structures for the histones have become available. These structures and their implications for nucleosome organization are reviewed here.
Design of Solar Sail Trajectories with Applications to Lunar South Pole Coverage

Potential orbits for continuous surveillance of the lunar south pole with just one spacecraft and a solar sail are investigated. Displaced periodic orbits are first computed in the Earth–moon restricted three-body problem, using Hermite–Simpson and seventh-degree Gauss–Lobatto collocation schemes. The schemes are easily adapted to include path constraints favorable for lunar south pole coverage. The methods are robust, generating a control history and a nearby solution with little information required for an initial guess. Five solutions of interest are identifiedand,usingcollocation,transitionedtothefullephemerismodel(includingtheactualsun-to-spacecraft line andlunarlibrations).Oftheoptionsinvestigated,orbitsneartheEarth–moonL2 pointyieldthebestcoverageresults. Propellant-free transfers from a geosynchronous transfer orbit to the coverage orbits are also computed. A steering law is discussed and refined by the collocation methods. The study indicates that solar sails remain an option for constant lunar south pole coverage. Nomenclature a = altitude from the lunar south pole a = sail acceleration vector DF = Jacobian matrix E = two-body energy with respect to Earth F = full constraint vector gi = path constraint vector H = two-body angular momentum with respect to Earth hk = general node states and/or control constraint � = characteristic acceleration l = sun-to-spacecraft unit vector n = number of nodes R, V = position and velocity vectors, Earth mean equator of J2000 inertial frame r, v = position and velocity vectors, Earth–moon rotating frame Ti = segment time t = time U = potential function u = control variable vector X = total design variable vector x = state variable vector � = sail pitch angle � i = defect vector � = sail clock angle � = elevation angle from the lunar south pole i = control-magnitude constraint !s = angular rate of sun, Earth–moon rotating frame
A microsensor for direct measurement of O2 partial pressure within plant tissues3

Widespread use of 02 microsensors to measure 02 partial pressure (pOJ in plant tissues has been limited in part because of difficulty of construction and other technical obstacles. By modifying published techniques, an O2 microsensor was constructed that combined the advantages of Clark-type microsensors with less complicated construction techniques. The specifications and some performance characteristics of the microsensor are: tip diameter 1-5 //m; sensitivity 7.5-25 pAkPa"1; negligible stir-induced current; response time 540 ms. The microsensor can be used in air or solution, and each sensor can be used for several experiments. The sensitivity of the microsensor was unchanged during measurements over the physiological range of pO2 in intact, growing maize (Zea mays L.) primary roots, and was thus unaffected by cellular fluids and turgor pressure. Use of the microsensor to compare pO2 profiles in vermiculite- and solution-grown roots is described. The O2 microsensor could find application in studies in which information on tissue pO2 is needed, but for which conventional O2 probes are too large.
A Morphological Cladistic Analysis of Terpsichore (Polypodiaceae)

Terpsichore, a Neotropical genus of about 70 species, was shown in previous molecular phylogenetic studies to be polyphyletic. The present study assesses this conclusion using morphology and also examines the phylogenetic relationships of five informal species groups originally described within Terpsichore. A morphological matrix was constructed for 109 qualitative characters and 129 terminals. Maximum parsimony was used to analyze the complete data set and three different partitions of that data set which excluded characters of either leaf shape or indumentum position or both. Terpsichore is polyphyletic in all analyses, and the characters originally used to define the genus are either plesiomorphic or homoplastic. Whereas the analysis of the complete matrix recovered a clade similar to the original circumscription, analyses of the partitioned data sets yielded results similar to those of molecular phylogenetic studies. In all analyses, two of the five infrageneric groups of Terpsichore are resolved as monophyletic, whereas the others are either paraphyletic or polyphyletic. In all analyses, species from the Terpsichore taxifolia Group are recovered as diphyletic, a result corresponding to that found in the previous molecular phylogenetic studies. By scoring morphological characters for this study, it was found that two vascular bundles are present in many grammitid petioles and are not unique to Luisma, mesophyll composed of long-armed stellate parenchyma evolves at least three times and is not unique to Enterosora, and perforated dictyosteles are common in grammitids and not restricted to Zygophlebia.
Calculation of motional activation energies for interstitial ions in the rutile structure using a minimum energy path model

Abstract Motional activation enthalpies have been calculated for interstitial cations in the rutile structure, using a minimum energy path approach. Coulombic, overlap repulsion and polarization energy terms were included in the potential energy expression. Preexponential factors in the overlap repulsion terms were evaluated by minimizing of the total electrostatic energy, and permanent dipole moments of the anion by an iterative method. The most favorable diffusion path was found to be parallel to the c -axis in the 1 2 , 0, z direction in both TiO 2 and MgF 2 . Motional activation enthalpies increased with increasing interstitial cation radius and were larger in TiO 2 than in MgF 2 . The path was independent of radius and material. Strongly anisotropic conductivity was predicted for both compounds.
Facilitation versus depression in cultured hippocampal neurons determined by targeting of Ca2+ channel Cavβ4 versus Cavβ2 subunits to synaptic terminals

Ca2+ channel β subunits determine the transport and physiological properties of high voltage–activated Ca2+ channel complexes. Our analysis of the distribution of the Cavβ subunit family members in hippocampal neurons correlates their synaptic distribution with their involvement in transmitter release. We find that exogenously expressed Cavβ4b and Cavβ2a subunits distribute in clusters and localize to synapses, whereas Cavβ1b and Cavβ3 are homogenously distributed. According to their localization, Cavβ2a and Cavβ4b subunits modulate the synaptic plasticity of autaptic hippocampal neurons (i.e., Cavβ2a induces depression, whereas Cavβ4b induces paired-pulse facilitation [PPF] followed by synaptic depression during longer stimuli trains). The induction of PPF by Cavβ4b correlates with a reduction in the release probability and cooperativity of the transmitter release. These results suggest that Cavβ subunits determine the gating properties of the presynaptic Ca2+ channels within the presynaptic terminal in a subunit-specific manner and may be involved in organization of the Ca2+ channel relative to the release machinery.
Small is beautiful: specialty imaging devices and the growth of nuclear cardiology.

The convergence of radionuclide imaging and genetics requires the development of high-resolution imaging devices to provide detailed information about the distribution of receptors and the synthesis of proteins in very small objects. A recent review article by Weber and Ivanovic 1 suggested that positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) devices that will have spatial resolution of 1 to 2 mm are being developed to provide this information in small animals. In this issue of the Journal, Hirai et al 2 describe the validation of a 4-pinhole SPECT camera designed to image small animals. The investigators tested the instrument by correlating the size of myocardial infarction determined from analysis of thallium SPECT images to the results of histologic evaluation in rats with a 24-day-old coronary occlusion. The pinhole imaging device used four 1-mm tungsten pinhole collimators, each mounted on a separate detector, to provide a system spatial resolution of 1.65 mm at full width half maximum at a sensitivity of 22.2 kilocycles/sec/kBq per milliliter. With an aperture to detector distance of 140 mm with a 40-mm radius of rotation, each detector magnified the object by approximately 3.5-fold. The correlation between SPECT-calculated infarct size and histologic infarct size was an impressive r 2 = 0.94. Although this study establishes the quantitative ability of pinhole SPECT imaging in rats, significant challenges remain before useful data can be obtained in
Improved finite element forms for the shallow-water wave equations

SUMMARY This paper presents new finite element formulations of the shallow-water wave equations which use different basis functions for the velocity and height fields. These arrangements are analysed with the Fourier transform technique which was developed by Schoenstadt,' and they are also compared with other finite difference and finite element schemes. The new schemes are integrated in time for two initial states and compared with analytic solutions and numerical solutions from other schemes. The behaviour of the new forms is excellent and they are also convenient to apply in two dimensions with triangular elements.
Human nucleotide excision repair in vitro: repair of pyrimidine dimers, psoralen and cisplatin adducts by HeLa cell-free extract

We searched for nucleotide excision repair in human cell-free extracts using two assays: damage-specific incision of DNA (the nicking assay) and damage-stimulated DNA synthesis (the repair synthesis assay). HeLa cell-free extract prepared by the method of Manley et al. (1980) has a weak nicking activity on UV irradiated DNA and the nicking is only slightly reduced when pyrimidine dimers are eliminated from the substrate by DNA photolyase. In contrast to the nicking assay, the extract gives a strong signal with UV irradiated substrate in the repair synthesis assay. The repair synthesis activity is ATP dependent and is reduced by about 50% by prior treatment of the substrate with DNA photolyase indicating that this fraction of repair synthesis is due to removal of pyrimidine dimers by nucleotide excision. Psoralen and cisplatin adducts which are known to be removed by nucleotide excision repair also elicited repair synthesis activity 5-10 fold above the background synthesis. When M13RF DNA containing a uniquely placed psoralen adduct was used in the reaction, complete repair was achieved in a fraction of molecules as evidenced by the restoration of psoralen inactivated KpnI restriction site. This activity is absent in xeroderma pigmentosum group A cells. We conclude that our cell-free extract contains the human nucleotide excision repair enzyme activity.
Effects of Simulated Particle Deposition on Film Cooling

Diminishing natural gas resources has increased incentive to develop cleaner, more efficient combined cycle power plants capable of burning alternative fuels such as coal-derived synthesis gas (syngas). Although syngas is typically filtered, particulate matter still exists in the hot gas path that has proven to be detrimental to the life of turbine components. Solid and molten particles deposit on film cooled surfaces that can alter cooling dynamics and block cooling holes. To gain an understanding of the effects that particle deposits have on film cooling, a methodology was developed to simulate deposition in a low speed wind tunnel using a low melt wax, which can simulate solid and molten phases. A facility was constructed to simulate particle deposition on a flat plate with a row of film cooling holes. Infrared thermography was used to measure wall temperatures for quantifying spatially resolved adiabatic effectiveness values in the vicinity of the film cooling holes as deposition occurred. Results showed that deposition reduced cooling effectiveness by approximately 20% at momentum flux ratios of 0.23 and 0.5 and only 6% at a momentum flux ratio of 0.95.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
GENERALIZED TRANSFORMATIONS AND THE THEORY OF GRAMMAR

. The compositional approach to phrase structure proposed in Chomsky's ‘Minimalist Program’ paper (1992) can be implemented in various ways. This paper explores the use of Tree Adjoining Grammar (Kroch & Joshi 1985, 1986; Frank 1992, inter alia) as a formal mechanism for syntactic composition and compares it to the operations proposed in Chomsky (1992). The TAG approach avoids the need for distinguishing two modes of phrase structure composition, ‘GT’ and ‘adjunction’, and allows the elimination of the requirement ‘extension requirement’. Further, it permits a purely local interpretation of transformational movement and a simplification of the conception of derivational economy. It also has important consequences for the proper treatment of the binding and scope effects of successive cyclic movement.
A Treatment Program for Adolescents With Phenylketonuria

A treatment program for adolescents with phenylketonuria (PKU), incorporating education, goal-setting, self-monitoring, contracts, and rewards, was evaluated by measuring knowledge of PKU, blood phenylalanine concentrations, and health locus of control (LOC) before and after participation in the program. Of the 16 subjects, seven subjects successfully completed the program by achieving behavioral goals. These subjects increased their knowledge of PKU and decreased their blood phenylalanine concentrations, but the nine nonsuccessful subjects did not. There was no significant change in LOC scores for either group. There was a significant relationship between baseline blood phenylalanine levels and success with the program. Therefore, this pilot study demonstrates that adolescents who have already achieved some measure of metabolic control can be expected to be most successful with this program and realize the greatest benefits from it in the form of increased knowledge of PKU and even better metabolic control.
Intermediate Range Order in Sodium Tellurite Glasses

Information about the spatial distribution of sodium cations in sodium tellurite glasses is obtained from the decay rate of sodium spin echoes. The spin echoes decay due to the magnetic dipole coupling between sodium nuclei, with each pair contributing to the rate in proportion to 1/r6, where r is the distance between the pair. The experiment is used to probe the sodium distributions in sodium tellurite glasses as a function of sodium oxide content, and the resulting distance distributions are interpreted by comparison with model distributions. At low sodium contents the distribution is similar to that of a random model in which the sodium ions are constrained to be no closer than a minimum cut-off distance. At higher contents the distributions deviate significantly from the random model, suggesting the onset of medium range order in the distribution of sodium ions. This order is most pronounced at 20% sodium oxide content, the composition at which this glass has been claimed to have maximum stability against devitrification.
Brief report: preferential looking in intermodal perception by children with autism.

Recent reviews of autism have debated whether autism should beconsidered primarily as a disorder of affective and social relations asKanner proposed (see Hobson, 1989) or as a cognitive deficit, specificallyin the ability to construct a "theory of mind" (Baron-Cohen, Leslie, F Leslie, 1987). As Ozonoff, Pennington, and Rogers (1990)have noted, to answer basic questions about autism we must determinewhich features of autism are universal and primary. Consequently, we mustdevelop tasks that can be used irrespective of age or verbal abilities. Thestudy reported here is a first step towards extending methods used withnormal infants to examine the functioning of children with autism. Suchprocedures should be particularly well suited for use with children withautism because the tasks do not require sophisticated responses and aretypically less intrusive.An intermodal preference task was selected for the present study be-cause of its utility in the study of infants' cross-modal abilities and emotionperception, both of which have been implicated in the syndrome of autism(Bryson, 1972; Hobson, Ouston, & Lee, 1988). The intermodal preferencemethod combines the potential for presenting dynamic, multimodal events
“Not Gay”: Another Way of (Not) Being Bi?

Imagine my delight when, not long ago, I came across a video clip of a HuffPost Live interview with Jack Black, there to promote his new movie, The D Train (Gabreyes, 2015). In it, the married-with...
Magnetic nanoparticles and thermally responsive polymer for targeted hyperthermia and sustained anti-cancer drug delivery.

A novel cancer treatment method is being designed using a combination of iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (IONPs) and Pluronic F-127 (PF127). IONPs have been used for heating tumors via an alternating electromagnetic (AEM) field. PF127 is a polymer possessing thermo-reversible and concentration-dependent gelation properties in aqueous solutions. PF127, as a gel, is an attractive drug delivery vehicle due to its zero-order drug release property. The combination of IONPs and PF127 would allow both short-term, tumor-specific, hyperthermic treatment, and long-term sustained drug delivery. As a preliminary study, the gelling and heating properties of IONPs/PF127 mixtures were investigated: 18% (w/w) PF127 was found to be ideal for our purpose because it gels at 28.0°C, i.e., it would be injectable at room temperature (20–25°C) and forms gel upon injection into the body (37°C). IONPs in PF127 showed little effect on gelation temperatures. The heating performance of IONPs in PF127 slightly, but linearly decreased with PF127. In the IONP concentration range of 0.01–0.05% (w/v) mixed with PF127 at 18% (w/w), the heating performance increased linearly with the increase in IONP concentration.
'Manxness': The Uses of Heritage on the Isle of Man

This article examines how the Isle of Man, a self-governing crown dependency located in the center of the British Isles, uses heritage to create social stability among a diverse and rapidly changing population. The result of this process has been a powerful model of heritage branding through which all definitions of national identity must flow. After tracing the development of ‘Manx’ national identity from the Victorian era to the present, this article explores the benefits and limitations of the Isle of Man’s political uses of its history and shares insight from the practice of public history on the Isle of Man.
Model of the Product Development Lifecycle.

While the increased use of Commercial Off-The-Shelf information technology equipment has presented opportunities for improved cost effectiveness and flexibility, the corresponding loss of control over the product's development creates unique vulnerabilities and security concerns. Of particular interest is the possibility of a supply chain attack. A comprehensive model for the lifecycle of hardware and software products is proposed based on a survey of existing literature from academic, government, and industry sources. Seven major lifecycle stages are identified and defined: (1) Requirements, (2) Design, (3) Manufacturing for hardware and Development for software, (4) Testing, (5) Distribution, (6) Use and Maintenance, and (7) Disposal. The model is then applied to examine the risk of attacks at various stages of the lifecycle.
ASSESSMENT OF SERIAL HEART RATE AND BETA BLOCKER USE IN A CONTEMPORARY CHRONIC SYSTOLIC HEART FAILURE PATIENTS: RESULTS FROM THE PROBNP OUTPATIENT TAILORED CHRONIC HEART FAILURE (PROTECT) STUDY

Heart rate (HR) predicts prognosis in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Ivabradine is a new therapy for HF that reduces HR, but it remains unclear how many patients would be eligible for ivabradine given widespread use of beta blockers (BB). 129 chronic HFrEF patients
When the Lord Seeks to Kill Moses: Reading Exodus 4.24–26 in its Literary Context

Exodus 4.24–26 is laconic, ambiguous, and saturated with interpretive challenges. Scholars have typically focused on issues such as what practices or rituals might be behind the text in order to explain Zipporah's actions, as well as on the presumed guilt that elicits the attack, and on explaining how her actions avert the attack. This article focuses instead on its literary place and role by attending to the literary connections both in the immediate context, in the larger context of Exodus 1–14, and in the wider canonical context. This study shows that this passage, with and through its ambiguities, serves the larger rhetorical aim of Exodus 1–14 as God is in a contest with Pharaoh for sovereignty over Israel and over Moses, and as Moses’ identity is being defined as God's chosen deliverer. This literary reading is confirmed through the close connections observed with Genesis 22 and 32 and Numbers 22.
9/11, Intelligence, and the Senior Executive

In a series filled with numerous and significant effects of the events of 9/11 on business, government, and society at large, this piece will stand out as an anomaly. Reading a piece about how 9/11 did not have any effect on business leadership and the use of intelligence in business decision making is not what one expects in a book like this one.
A Quantitative Analysis of Node Sharing on HPC Clusters Using XDMoD Application Kernels

In this investigation, we study how application performance is affected when jobs are permitted to share compute nodes. A series of application kernels consisting of a diverse set of benchmark calculations were run in both exclusive and node-sharing modes on the Center for Computational Research's high-performance computing (HPC) cluster. Very little increase in runtime was observed due to job contention among application kernel jobs run on shared nodes. The small differences in runtime were quantitatively modeled in order to characterize the resource contention and attempt to determine the circumstances under which it would or would not be important. A machine learning regression model applied to the runtime data successfully fitted the small differences between the exclusive and shared node runtime data; it also provided insight into the contention for node resources that occurs when jobs are allowed to share nodes. Analysis of a representative job mix shows that runtime of shared jobs is affected primarily by the memory subsystem, in particular by the reduction in the effective cache size due to sharing; this leads to higher utilization of DRAM. Insights such as these are crucial when formulating policies proposing node sharing as a mechanism for improving HPC utilization.
IL-7 and Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP) Stimulate Proliferation of All Cells and Reverse mTOR Inhibitor-Induced Growth Inhibition, Suggesting a Role for IL-7Rα Signaling in All.

Abstract Signal transduction inhibitors have shown promise and proof of principle as effective biologic agents to treat leukemia. We have shown activity of mTOR inhibitors (MTI) in models of both human and murine precursor B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (pre-B ALL). MTI control disease in transgenic and xenograft models of pre-B ALL in part by inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, we have shown that IL-7, a cytokine that is an important regulator of progenitor B cell development and proliferation, acts to reverse the inhibitory effects of MTI on human and murine pre-B ALL cells. These observations have led us to examine the effect of TSLP, another cytokine active in B cell development, on ALL cells and their response to MTI treatment. An effect of TSLP on ALL cells has not been previously described. TSLP is closely related to IL-7 and provides important survival signals to developing B cells. The receptor for TSLP consists of a TSLPR chain and an IL-7Rα chain, while the IL-7 receptor contains an IL-7Rα chain and a γc chain. Thus, signaling via IL-7Rα chain, but not the γc chain, is shared by TSLP and IL-7 mediated signaling. Here, we show that TSLP, like IL-7, modulated growth of pre-B ALL cell lines in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. Co-treatment with TSLP rescued the growth inhibitory effect induced by MTI, but to a lesser extent as compared to IL-7. At concentrations of 3-30 ng/ml, TSLP almost completely reversed the inhibitory effects of low dose MTI (1 ng/ml) from 85% of the baseline. In the presence of high does MTI (100 ng/ml), TSLP only partially rescued ALL cell lines from
A Follow-Up Study on the Second Decade of Education Reform in Thailand (2009-Present) Focusing on Teacher Reform and Learning Reform

The objectives of this study were: 1) to determine the extent of implementation of Education Reform in Thailand on the Second Decade (2009-Present) focusing on TEACHER REFORM and LEARNING REFORM;2) to determine the extent of implementation of Teacher Reform in terms of: Production of Teachers, Development of Teachers and Utilization of Teachers;3) to determine the extent of implementation of Learning Reform in terms of: Quality Development of Education and Learning and Manpower’s Quality Development;4) to investigate the significant differences in the extent of implementation of Teacher Reform and Learning Reform as perceived by Teachers, School Administrators, and Students in Bangkok and Pathum Thani schools.The research instrument was an Opinionnaire of two parts; Teacher Reform and Learning Reform with 20 Likert-style questions for each part. The statistics used for data analysis were mean, standard deviation (s.d.), standard error of mean (s.e. mean), coefficient of variation (C.V.), rank, t-test, F-test from One way ANOVA and Multiple comparison by Scheffe Technique.The results showed that in general, the implementation level of Education Reform on the Second Decade (2009-Present) varied from high to very high. However, the variation decreased from the First Decade to the Second Decade. Specifically, for Teacher Reform, the implementation level was high while for Learning Reform, it varied from high to very high. Also, the implementation of Learning Reform was more emphasized and given importance compared with Teacher Reform. There were significant differences between the Teachers and Students in their perceptions of the level of implementation of Learning Reform but no significant differences in the perceptions among School Administrators. In Teacher Reform, no significant differences were found in the level of implementation as perceived by Teachers, School Administrators and Students. Neither were there significant differences in perceptions on schools’ locations e.g. Bangkok and Pathum Thani.
333. Simultaneous Disruption of Five SerpinA1 Genes in Mice Using CRISPR/Cas9 to Generate the First Animal Model of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency

Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is a common autosomal co-dominant genetic disorder. This condition affects up to 1:2500 individuals of European ancestry, leading to the development of lung and in certain cases liver disease. AAT, as a member of the serpin family, is a protease inhibitor predominantly synthesized in the liver. Upon secretion into the blood stream, AAT's principle physiological role occurs in the lungs where it inactivates excess neutrophil elastase, thereby preventing potential damage to the alveoli. In humans, a glutamate to lysine change at position 342 of the protein, known as a PiZ mutation, accounts for over 90% of cases. This and other mutations lead to reduced serum levels of AAT in addition to reduced protein function. With time, the decreased levels of AAT allows for unopposed neutrophil elastase activity, causing the eventual breakdown of alveolar elastin thus resulting in emphysema. Currently, a serum deficient genetic animal model simulating the lung condition does not exist, which severely limits the development of innovative therapeutics.Our goal is to use CRISPR/Cas9 technology to generate an AAT knock-out mouse to study the pulmonary disease. Unlike humans, mice have five highly conserved tandem copies of the serpinA1 gene. This phenomenon has made it difficult to create knockout mice using traditional approaches. With the advent of novel genome editing techniques, this problem has reached a feasible threshold. To this end, we designed four guide RNA (gRNA) constructs to target conserved regions within all 5 copies of the serpinA genes. The gRNA constructs were initially evaluated using a single strand annealing assay. By co-transfecting a gRNA/Cas9 complex with appropriate reporters, the intensity of resulting GFP measured target efficiency. Afterwards, embryonic stem cell transfection and zygote microinjection were used to deliver the genome editing complex for in vitro and in vivo studies.During the screening process, 200 embryonic stem cell samples and 40 transgenic mice were evaluated by quantifying AAT serum levels and sequencing specific target regions within the genome. Upon completion, several knock-outs were identified and founder lines were established.Ongoing studies aim to determine the susceptibility of developing emphysema after challenging the knockout mice with porcine pancreatic elastase. We expect the mice will display a distinguishable pulmonary phenotype, aside from decreased levels of AAT as determined by ELISA, which will allow for the characterization of airway pathophysiology. This mouse model is of particular clinical significance as it presents the first opportunity to test current and novel therapeutics aimed at augmenting serum levels of AAT.
3.3 – Nucleophiles with Allyl–Metal Complexes

Interest in π-allylpalladium chemistry has undergone incredible growth, particularly over the last decade. This growth is exemplified by the significant number of reviews on this subject that have now appeared, including several within the last few years.1–16 In light of this substantial coverage, this chapter is not intended to serve as a comprehensive review of this area of chemistry. Rather, the focus of this chapter will be on the selectivities, namely chemo-, diastereo-, regio- and enantio-selectivity, that are exhibited by π-allylpalladium chemistry. As possible, the mechanistic basis of these selectivities will be elucidated. In addition, the selection of examples provided to illustrate the nature of reactions involving π-allylpalladium complexes will be largely made from contributions that have appeared in the last decade.
On the Next Decade of Research in Voluntary Employee Turnover

At least 2,000 articles on voluntary employee turnover have been published in the past 100 years. In turn, numerous authors have reviewed the theory and research on employee turnover. Our intent wi...
Polynomial-Time approximation schemes for shortest path with alternatives

Consider the generic situation that we have to select k alternatives from a given ground set, where each element in the ground set has a random arrival time and cost. Once we have done our selection, we will greedily select the first arriving alternative, and the total cost is the time we had to wait for this alternative plus its random cost. Our motivation to study this problem comes from public transportation, where each element in the ground set might correspond to a bus or train, and the usual user behavior is to greedily select the first option from a given set of alternatives at each stop. We consider the arguably most natural arrival time distributions for such a scenario: exponential distributions, uniform distributions, and distributions with mon. decreasing linear density functions. For exponential distributions, we show how to compute an optimal policy for a complete network, called a shortest path with alternatives, in $ {\mathcal O}( n ( \log n + \delta^3 ) ) $ time, where n is the number of nodes and δ is the maximal outdegree of any node, making this approach practicable for large networks if δ is relatively small. Moreover, for the latter two distributions, we give PTASs for the case that the distribution supports differ by at most a constant factor and only a constant number of hops are allowed in the network, both reasonable assumptions in practice. These results are obtained by combining methods from low-rank quasi-concave optimization with fractional programming. We finally complement them by showing that general distributions are NP-hard.
Effect of Seismogenic Depth and Background Stress on Physical Limits of Earthquake Rupture Across Fault Step Overs

Earthquakes can rupture geometrically complex fault systems by breaching fault step overs. Quantifying the likelihood of rupture jump across step overs is important to evaluate earthquake hazard and to understand the interactions between dynamic rupture and fault growth processes. Here we investigate the role of seismogenic depth and background stress on physical limits of earthquake rupture across fault step overs. Our computational and theoretical study is focused on the canonical case of two parallel strike-slip faults with large aspect ratio, uniform prestress and friction properties. We conduct a systematic set of 3-D dynamic rupture simulations with different seismogenic depth, step over distance, and initial stresses. We find that the maximum step over distance H_c that a rupture can jump depends on seismogenic depth W and strength excess to stress drop ratio S, commonly used to evaluate probable rupture velocity, as H_c ∝ W/S^n, where n = 2 when H_c/W 1.5) and n = 1 otherwise. The critical nucleation size, largely controlled by frictional properties, has a second-order effect on H_c. Rupture on the secondary fault is mainly triggered by the stopping phase emanated from the rupture end on the primary fault. Asymptotic analysis of the peak amplitude of stopping phases sheds light on the mechanical origin of the relations between H_c, W, and S, and leads to the scaling regime with n = 1 in far field and n = 2 in near field. The results suggest that strike-slip earthquakes on faults with large seismogenic depth or operating at high shear stresses can jump wider step overs than observed so far in continental interplate earthquakes.
Hybrid Structured Illumination Expansion Microscopy Reveals Microbial Cytoskeleton Organization

Recently developed tissue-hydrogel methods for specimen expansion now enable researchers to perform super-resolution microscopy with ∼65 nm lateral resolution using ordinary microscopes, standard fluorescent probes, and inexpensive reagents. Here we use the combination of specimen expansion and the optical super-resolution microscopy technique structured illumination microscopy (SIM) to extend the spatial resolution to ∼30 nm. We apply this hybrid method, which we call ExSIM, to study the cytoskeleton of the important human pathogen Giardia lamblia including the adhesive disc and flagellar axonemes. We determined the localization of two recently identified disc-associated proteins, including DAP86676 , which localizes to disc microribbons, and the functionally unknown DAP16263 , which primarily localizes to dorsal microtubules of the disc overlap zone and the paraflagellar rod of ventral axonemes. Based on its strong performance in revealing known and unknown details of the ultrastructure of Giardia, we find that ExSIM is a simple, rapid, and powerful super-resolution method for the study of fixed specimens, and it should be broadly applicable to other biological systems of interest.
Comparative values of medical school assessments in the prediction of internship performance

Background: Multiple undergraduate achievements have been used for graduate admission consideration. Their relative values in the prediction of residency performance are not clear. This study compa...
Universal coding of the reals: alternatives to IEEE floating point

We propose a modular framework for representing the real numbers that generalizes ieee, posits, and related floating-point number systems, and which has its roots in universal codes for the positive integers such as the Elias codes. This framework unifies several known but seemingly unrelated representations within a single schema while also introducing new representations. We particularly focus on variable-length encoding of the binary exponent and on the manner in which fraction bits are mapped to values. Our framework builds upon and shares many of the attractive properties of posits but allows for independent experimentation with exponent codes, fraction mappings, reciprocal closure, rounding modes, handling of under- and overflow, and underlying precision.
Quantum illumination using non-Gaussian states generated by photon subtraction and photon addition

Quantum illumination takes advantage of quantum entanglement to achieve low error probability for detecting a low reflective object embedded in a noisy thermal bath. The two-mode squeezed state (TMSS), which is a Gaussian state, has been applied to quantum illumination as the detecting states in experiment. The photon-subtracted TMSS has also been proposed to achieve even lower error probability. Here we study quantum illumination with non-Gaussian states generated by photon subtraction and photon addition. Helstrom limit and quantum Chernoff bound are evaluated for comparison between performance of states with the same squeezing strength and with the same signal strength, respectively. Particularly, states generated by asymmetrical coherent superposition of photon subtraction and addition are studied, which are shown by us to have better performance than symmetrical ones. We show that non-Gaussian operations enhance the quantum illumination by introducing both stronger entanglement and signal strength. We then give a strategy on how to choose the optimal states for the best performance in different scenarios.
Breastfeeding history and risk of stroke among parous postmenopausal women in the women’s health initiative

Background Stroke is the third leading cause of death among US Hispanic and non‐Hispanic black women aged 65 and older. One factor that may protect against stroke is breastfeeding. Few studies have...
Effects of thermal conductivity of airframe substrate on the dynamic ice accretion process pertinent to UAS inflight icing phenomena

Abstract An experimental investigation was conducted to quantify the dynamic ice accretion and the unsteady heat transfer process over the ice accreting surfaces of composite-based airframes widely used for light-weight, Unmanned-Aerial-Systems (UAS), in comparison to those over the surfaces of metal-based airframes used by conventional manned aircraft, in order to elucidate the underlying icing physics specifically pertinent to UAS inflight icing phenomena. Two airfoil/wing models with the same airfoil shape, but made of different materials (i.e., thermoplastic material with the thermal conductivity being only ∼0.2 W/m⋅K to represent typical UAS airframe substrates vs. Aluminum with the thermal conductivity being ∼200 W/m⋅K widely used for conventional manned aircraft). The two test models were mounted side-by-side inside an Icing Research Tunnel available at Iowa State University (i.e., ISU-IRT) under the same wet glaze or dry rime icing condition. During the icing experiment, while a high-speed imaging system was used to record the dynamic ice accretion process over the surfaces of the test models, an infrared thermal imaging system was also used to map the corresponding surface temperature distributions over the ice accreting airfoil surfaces. It was found that, upon the impacting of the airborne, super-cooled water droplets in ISU-IRT, ice would start to accrete rapidly on the surfaces of the test models with a significant amount of the latent heat of fusion being released associated with the phase changing of the impacted super-cooled water mass over the airfoil surfaces. The thermal conductivity of the airframe substrate was found to affect the dynamic ice accretion and unsteady heat transfer processes over the ice accreting surfaces significantly. With the two test models being exposed under the same icing conditions, the released latent heat of fusion was found to be dissipated much slower over the surface of the thermoplastic model, due to the much lower thermal conductivity of the thermoplastic substrate. In comparison with those on the surface of the Aluminum model, the slower dissipation of the released latent heat of fusion on the surface of the thermoplastic model was found to cause higher surface temperatures and greater “heated” regions near the airfoil leading edge, more obvious surface water runback over the airfoil surface, and formation of more complex rivulet-shaped ice structures at further downstream locations beyond the direct impinging zone of the super-cooled water droplets.