cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Water balance of irrigated areas: a remote sensing approach

An efficient management of our precious water resources is not possible without acquiring a comprehensive and detailed understanding on water fluxes at irrigated areas. In the past few decades, agricultural water balance analyses have been carried out at a wide variety of temporal (from hourly to annual) and spatial (from plant root zone to basin) scales. Scheme-wide water balance analyses, in particular, provide information on the amount of water supplied to irrigation schemes and its fate. This paper attempts to summarise the results of previous studies in quantifying water balance components of irrigation schemes, as well as to present challenges and opportunities of conducting such research projects. With recent improvements in air- and space-borne imaging of land surfaces, remote sensing techniques nowadays can serve as a powerful tool in monitoring/modeling water movements, at or near real time. Remote sensing contribution to water balance studies could be as simple as developing crop classification maps, or as complicated as estimating the spatially distributed evapotranspiration, which is perhaps the most critical water flux in irrigated areas. Therefore, this paper also aims to review the few studies that have incorporated satellite-derived products in their water budget analysis. Finally, the results of a case study from the southern California are presented to better demonstrate the potential of remotely sensed data. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Coherent trapping in continuum-continuum transitions

We study a quantum model in which transitions occur between structureless continua. The population is in one of the continua initially. When the continuum-continuum coupling is very strong, we show that the continua are decoupled and population trapping occurs.
absolute concentrations of O(³P) in the lower thermosphere at night

A rocketborne instrument module for detecting atomic oxygen concentrations by the resonance fluorescence technique is reported. The module contained a source lamp emitting O I 1304 A photons and a detector for the scattered photons. The module was constructed so that it could be coupled to a fast flow reactor for calibration purposes. During the flight the module was radially deployed from the payload on an oscillating boom with a maximum extension of 90 cm from the skin. Analysis of the initial flight data indicates that the shock formed by the motion of the rocket had a substantial effect on the data and the maximum concentration of the layer at 93 km was about 1.1 x 10 to the 11th/cu cm.
Synergistic binding of the Vibrio fischeri LuxR transcriptional activator domain and RNA polymerase to the lux promoter region

Abstract LuxR, the Vibrio fischeri luminescence gene (lux) activator, is the best-studied member of a family of bacterial transcription factors required for cell density-dependent expression of specific genes involved in associations with eukaryotic hosts. Neither LuxR nor any other LuxR homolog has been shown to bind DNA directly. We have purified the LuxR C-terminal transcriptional activator domain from extracts of recombinant Escherichia coli in which this polypeptide was expressed. The purified polypeptide by itself binds to lux regulatory DNA upstream of the lux box, a 20-bp palindrome that is required for LuxR activity in vivo, but it does not bind to the lux box. However, the LuxR C-terminal domain together with RNA polymerase protects a region including the lux box and the lux operon promoter from DNase I cleavage. There is very little protection of the lux operon promoter region from DNase I digestion in the presence of RNA polymerase alone. Apparently, there is a synergistic binding of the LuxR C-terminal domain and RNA polymerase to the promoter region. The upstream binding region for the purified polypeptide encompasses a binding site for cAMP receptor protein (CRP). Under some conditions, CRP binding can block the binding of the LuxR C-terminal domain to the upstream binding region, and it can also block the synergistic binding of the LuxR C-terminal domain and RNA polymerase to the lux box and luminescence gene promoter region. This description of DNA binding by the LuxR C-terminal domain should lead to an understanding of the molecular interactions of the LuxR family of transcriptional activators with regulatory DNA.
In vivo finger flexor tendon force while tapping on a keyswitch.

Although the rate of injury to the tendons at the wrist and adjacent tissues associated with repetitive work is reported to be high (55% of all work-related repetitive motion disorders [6]), the injury mechanisms are not well understood. Along with motion, posture, and vibration, the force exerted during a repetitive task is a risk factor for tendon-related disorders (4,19,23). Understanding how force is transmitted from the site of external application (fingertip) to the internal tissue (finger flexor tendons) is critical to understanding the mechanics of repetitive motion disorders. This understanding determines how the internal biological tissues support an externally applied force, and such knowledge identifies tendons that are exposed to higher forces. The knowledge of in vivo tendon tension also guides techniques of tendon repair, procedures for rehabilitation (15,22), and design of joint replacements (25). Rempel et al. (21) and Martin et al. (18) have measured exposure to force during keyboard work. The fingertip force history during a keystroke contains three distinct phases: (I) the keyswitch compression, (II) the high frequency component during finger impact at the end of keycap motion, and (III) the compression and release of the fingertip (21). Currently, applied fingertip loads and finger postures are used as the input or independent variables in inverse biomechanic models to predict tendon force (7). Harding et al. (13) specifically assumed quasi-static equilibrium—that is, a simple proportional relationship—during the dynamic activity of piano playing. These models, however, have not been validated for dynamic applications, and hence the internal tendon force (dosage) during a keystroke remains unknown. The goal of this study was to evaluate the relationship between fingertip force and finger flexor tension by measuring the in vivo force in the finger flexor digitorum superficialis tendon during the rapid finger motion of a keystroke. During gait, the directly measured tendon forces of the Achilles tendon are not proportional to the forces measured at the foot (15). Similarly, it is unlikely that during a rapid keystroke the relationship between the tension of the finger flexor tendon and the force at the fingertip is simply proportional. Therefore, we investigated the following three hypotheses. First, existing isometric models based on quasi-static equilibrium do not accurately predict the observed ratios of tendon-to-tip force. Second, high-frequency fingertip forces, for example during fingertip impact, will not be observed in the tendon at the wrist. Third, the relationships between tendon and tip force, as defined by the slope of lines fitted to the data, are different during the loading and unloading portions of a keystroke.
SU-FF-T-243: Evaluation of Local Dose Reduction in the Fluence Map for Varian 2.5 Mm HD120® MLC Using Portal Dose Image Prediction (PDIP)

Purpose: Dose (fluence) reduction in some regions was found when IMRT QA was performed on Trilogy Tx with 2.5mm HD120 MLC. The dose error in regions (strips) captured during IMRT dose verification on Trilogy Tx using PDIP and film dosimetry was evaluated. Measured dose fluence maps from Trilogy Tx and 2100EX (5mm MLC), created from the same IMRT plans, were compared. Materials and Methods: 15 patients of various treatment sites — prostate, H&N, and brain were included in the study. To evaluate the presence or absence of local dose reduction for each machine, each patient's optimized fluence map was calculated for leaf motion sequence on Trilogy Tx and 2100EX, respectively. PDIP and film dosimetry were acquired on the Trilogy Tx to validate the accuracy of portal dosimetry. Thus, film dosimetry was used to compare the measured fluence maps obtained from each machine. PDIP dosimetry was analyzed using the Eclipse Planning System. Film dosimetry was analyzed using Vidar Scanner and RIT 113. Results: For the fluence maps measured on the Trilogy Tx, PDIP and film dosimetry displayed “strips” of reduced fluence (dose) in high dose gradient areas, particular in Head & Neck and Braintreatment plans. Through the “strips” of reduced fluence, we measured differences of 10%–15% in the 2D profile comparison of predicted and measured profiles. For the 2100EX, the phenomenon was less pronounced with discrepancies < 3%. These strips occurred on the measured dose fluence map when a pair of leaves move at different speeds compared to adjacent leaves. Conclusion: Regions (strips) of reduced fluence were present in PDIP and film dosimetry for both machines. The percent difference between the planed and measured profiles are more pronounced on Trilogy Tx (2.5 mm MLC) than that on 2100EX (5mm MLC). The overall dosimetry impact and its cause are being investigated.
Self‐Motivation and Adherence to Habitual Physical Activity

The purpose of this investigation was to develop and refine a psychometric measure of self-motivation and assess its relationship to adherence to programs of habitual physical activity. Following construction of a Self-Motivation Inventory, a series of studies were conducted involving the pretesting of undergraduate males and females (N= 401) and subsequent validation work involving intercollegiate women athletes (N= 64) and adult males (N= 66) in actual exercise settings. Results of the psychometric work provided evidence for the logical validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the self-motivation construct. In addition, convergent and discriminant evidence was provided for construct validity through self-motivation's pattern of association with other conceptually relevant psychometric variables. Finally, from the standpoint of behavioral validation, self-motivation proved to be the best discriminator between exercise adherers and dropouts among the psychological variables employed and was strongly related to program adherence in both exercise settings. In fact, when combined with selected morphologic variables in a psychobiologic framework, self-motivation scores were found to accurately classify participants according to their adherence status in approximately 80% of all cases and to account for nearly 50% of the variance in exercise adherence behavior.
A gradient molecule in developing rat retina: expression of 9-O-acetyl GD3 in relation to cell type, developmental age, and GD3 ganglioside.

In the embryonic and postnatal rat retina a cell surface antigen that is detected by monoclonal antibody JONES is distributed in a dorsoventral gradient. Biochemical analysis has determined that the antigen is a modified ganglioside, 9-O-acetyl GD3. In the present study, the distributions of 9-O-acetyl GD3 and its possible precursor GD3 in developing rat retina were compared immunocytochemically using specific monoclonal antibodies JONES and R24. On embryonic day 13 (E13) immunoreactivity to JONES was localized to central retina; however, R24 stained throughout the retinal epithelium. By E20, when JONES binding was distributed in a gradient along the dorsoventral axis, R24 again stained dorsal and ventral regions with uniform intensity. Analysis of freshly dissociated retinal cells further revealed that GD3 and 9–O-acetyl GD3 expressions do not necessarily coincide. At E15 and postnatal day 2 (PN2), the majority of cells (78 and 92%, respectively) were immunolabeled by antibody to GD3, while between E15 and PN2 the percentage of cells immunolabeled by antibody to 9–O-acetyl GD3 rose from 19 to 68%. By PN4, labeling decreased for both molecules; however, the rate of decline in 9–O-acetyl GD3 labeling was more pronounced. Regulation of the numbers of JONES-positive cells does not appear to depend on interaction with the extraretinal environment, for in neural retina explanted at E15 the proportions of 9–O-acetyl GD3–bearing cells was found to be similar to the percentage observed in neural retina developing to an equivalent age in vivo. Experiments to identify the retinal cell types bearing 9-O-acetyl GD3 revealed that it is expressed by both neurons and glia growing in monolayer cultures of rat perinatal neural retina. Examination of freshly dissociated retinal cells following simultaneous labeling for some specific cell types and 9–O-acetyl GD3 demonstrated that the latter determinant is present on photoreceptor, amacrine, and ganglion cells. For each neuronal cell type, however, not all of the cells were immunoreactive with JONES. We conclude that the differences in the percentages of JONES- and R24-positive cells, and in particular the different rates at which JONES and R24 staining declined with age, indicate that the expression of the JONES epitope is regulated with some independence from parent ganglioside GD3. In addition, since JONES is expressed on a variety of retinal cells, both neurons and glia, and since the rate of decline in proportions of JONES-labeled cells was found to be the same for at least two neuronal cell types, regulation of the expression of the JONES epitope, in keeping with its dorsoventral gradient of distribution, is probably not based on cell type.
Development of Thyroid Hormone Dependence for Growth in the Rat: A Study Involving Transplanted Fetal, Neonatal, and Juvenile Tissues*

The role of thyroid hormones (TH) in the growth of rat tissue of different ages was investigated in a transplant system. Paws from 14- to 15-day-old fetal rats or pieces of xiphoid cartilage from 18- to 20-day fetuses and 2-, 9-, or 30-day-old rats were transplanted under the kidney capsule of control or thyroidectomized (TX) syngeneic adult female hosts and grown there for 11 days. Paw transplants grew equally well, and tissue differentiation was similar in control and TX hosts. The degree of ossification was measured by a histometric procedure and was found to be equivalent in paws that developed in situ until 4 days postpartum and in paw transplants of equivalent age grown for 11 days on the kidneys of euthyroid or TX hosts. These results show that growth and differentiation of the skeletal and other tissues of the paw are not dependent on TH during the transplant period, which encompassed the equivalent of the late fetal and first few days of neonatal life. Transplanted xiphoid cartilage was used to analyze growth and the development of TH dependence of a differentiated tissue which is relatively uniform in animals of different ages. In control and TX hosts, the growth capacity of transplanted xiphoids declined progressively with increasing donor age. The tissue also showed an age-related increase in dependence on TH for growth. The xiphoid transplants from the fetal rats grew equally well in the euthyroid and hypothyroid hosts, but those from 30-day-old rats showed a near-total dependence on TH for growth. Overall, the results indicate that rat supportive tissues begin to develop a dependence on TH for growth during the second week postpartum.
RNA terminating within the E. coli origin of replication: stringent regulation and control by DnaA protein.

Abstract RNA entering the E. coli replication origin, oriC , in the counterclockwise direction terminates at several sites throughout the origin sequence. The significant finding was that nine clusters of these termination sites are found at the nine clusters of RNA to DNA transitions in oriC . The majority of these transcripts terminate with cytosine. Termination sites are associated with 9 of the 11 GATC sites and all DnaA protein-binding sites. Chloramphenicol-treated cells contain an increased amount of this RNA species, while cells starved for isoleucine have greatly reduced levels, indicating that synthesis of these transcripts is stringently regulated. Both decreased and increased intracellular levels of DnaA protein decrease the fraction of transcription that enters oriC .
Treatment of invasive aspergillus sinusitis with liposomal‐amphotericin B

Invasive sinonasal aspergillosis is a severe and frequently fatal infection in immunosuppressed patients with hematologic malignancies. Seven patients with sinonasal aspergillosis who failed to respond to conventional amphotericin B (AmpB) were treated with liposomal AmpB (L-AmpB). AmpB was incorporated into multilamellar vesicles consisting of dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine and dimyristoyl phosphatidylglycerol in a 7:3 molar ratio. Five patients had underlying hematologic malignancies, one patient had aplastic anemia, and one patient had no underlying disease. All patients had biopsy-proven invasive Aspergillus sinusitis, and had failed conventional antifungal therapy including AmpB. Five patients were cured and two did not respond to treatment. Fever and chills were infrequent and, when they occurred, mild, and responded well to conventional management. No severe renal or central nervous system toxicity was observed. L-AmpB is effective and less toxic than conventional AmpB in the treatment of invasive Aspergillus sinusitis.
Is a consistent cytologic diagnosis of low-grade urothelial carcinoma in instrumented urinary tract cytologic specimens possible? A comparison between cytomorphologic features of low-grade urothelial carcinoma and non-neoplastic changes shows extensive overlap, making a reliable diagnosis impossible.

Introduction The ability to consistently diagnose low-grade urothelial carcinoma (LGUC) in urinary tract cytology (UTCy) specimens remains controversial, as the reported sensitivity of UTCy in the detection of LGUC is as low as 10%. To determine whether a consistent cytologic diagnosis of LGUC is possible, we assessed the presence and frequency of previously described cytomorphologic features of LGUC in UTCy from patients with LGUC and a negative control group. Materials and methods Biopsy-proven cases of LGUC from June 1, 2010 to January 31, 2014 were identified; UTCy obtained within 3 months prior to biopsy composed the study group (n = 98). The negative control group consisted of UTCy obtained from patients with negative cystoscopy and biopsy (n = 53). All specimens were masked and reviewed in random order to evaluate 17 cytomorphologic parameters. Results Univariate statistical analyses demonstrated that the prevalence of paired cells, clumpy chromatin, and cytoplasmic homogeneity was higher in the study group; however, multivariate analysis did not show these features as significant predictors of LGUC. Conclusions No cytomorphologic feature was statistically significant in the LGUC group versus the negative control group. The presence of 3-dimensional papillary structures with fibrovascular cores is diagnostic of LGUC, but it is only seen in a small minority (2 of 98) cases. Our results reemphasize the fact that urinary tract cytology has a low sensitivity for the diagnosis of LGUC and suggest that, instead of striving to detect LGUC in urine specimens, we should concentrate on the clinically relevant goal of urine cytology—the detection of high-grade lesions.
Ethical Issues Related to the Provision of Audit and Non-Audit Services: Evidence from Academic Research

Audit standards require auditors to conduct audits being independent in mental attitude from their clients. Regulators and financial statement users are concerned that auditors compromise their independence by allowing clients that contract for consulting services, i.e., non-audit services, more financial statement discretion relative to clients that demand relatively little non-audit services from their auditor. This paper begins by discussing the role of auditing in the capital markets and the various stakeholders that rely on audited financial information in making their capital allocation decisions. The paper continues by explaining the ethical dilemma inherent in audit contracts in general, and more specifically, how the provision of non-audit services threatens auditor independence. The paper concludes by summarizing research studies that report conflicting evidence that there is a violation of auditor independence due to the provision of non-audit services to audit clients.
Smoot-hawley and the stock market crash, 1929-1930

This paper revisits the controversial relationship between the Smoot-Hawley tariff debate and the 1929-1930 stock market crash. Archival evidence indicates that most American industry backed President Hoover's efforts to establish a flexible mechanism for adjusting tariffs outside the legislative process. But, when an agrarian coalition of Democrats and Republican insurgents seized control of the Senate bill in the autumn of 1929, business grew uneasy over delay and deadlock. The tariff debate thus was one of the shocks that helped to destabilize the stock market and to exacerbate the recession. Early in 1930 the stock market experienced a partial recovery, as Hoover's allies regained control of the tariff writing process. But Dow Jones industrial averages tumbled again in June 1930 as investors worried about foreign retaliation. As this episode suggests, the relationship between trade policy and finance is complex, but in I929-1930 a policy impasse apparently helped unsettle markets and business expectat...
Substructure evolution of copper polycrystals under different testing conditions: conventional strain control and ramp loading

Abstract Substructure evolution has been studied by transmission electron microscopy in cyclically deformed copper polycrystals during conventional strain control testing and ramp loading. In both cases, and very similar to the substructure evolution previously reported for copper single crystals, dislocation structures develop from high and medium energy dislocation structures into low energy dislocation structures with increasing cumulative plastic strain. The two clearest differences between the substructure evolution of copper polycrystals conventionally tested and those ramp loaded are found to be the levels of homogeneity, from grain to grain, and the density of secondary dislocations within the developing loop patches. During ramp loading, the very small increment of the load per cycle promotes a much more homogeneous substructure, from grain to grain, higher densities of secondary dislocations and, therefore, lower energy loop patches than those observed in conventionally tested specimens. At stress amplitudes high enough to produce strain localization during ramp loading, substructure heterogeneities occur, which are explained by an orientation effect in which those grains with multislip behavior promote rapid evolution of low energy dislocation structures, i.e. persistent slip bands.
Congruence research in behavioral medicine: methodological review and demonstration of alternative methodology

Researchers in behavioral medicine are using methods to study the effect of congruence between two predictors (e.g., patient and provider preferences for patient-decision making) on outcomes (e.g., patient satis- faction and adherence) that may compromise the validity of their results and conclusions. The current paper reviews the methods used in behavioral medicine for the study of congruence effects and the problems associated with those methods—namely, that difference-score-based and artifi- cial-group-based methods increase the risk of both Types I and II error and constrain the theoretical hypotheses that researchers are able to assess. The current paper explains and demonstrates a possible alternative method, polyno- mial regression, that may be used in some instances of congruence research and that avoids many of the problems of currently used methods; the current paper provides the first analysis of behavioral-medicine data using this method. Methodological advancement in health-related congruence research can help advance theory and optimize intervention-design.
“The Ultimate Decision Is Yours”: Exploring Patients’ Attitudes about the Overuse of Medical Interventions

Previous research has found that American patients strongly believe that more testing and more treatment lead to better outcomes and, to a lesser extent, that newer treatments are more effective. We conducted five focus groups with privately insured, healthy, middle-aged Americans (n = 43) to explore these apparent preferences. Contrary to previous research, an unexpected distinction emerged. Participants placed enormous value on testing and screening, reacting with hostility to guidelines recommending less of either. However, they were suspicious of overmedication. The wariness of pharmaceuticals and enthusiasm for testing and screening both appear to reflect participants’ efforts to take responsibility for their health. But recommendations to test and screen less conflicted with their active, engaged, information-seeking roles. Nonetheless, given patients’ concerns about overuse of pharmaceuticals, we maintain that they can learn to understand the connections between over-testing and over-treatment, and can actively choose to do less. We close with suggestions about how treatment guidelines can better communicate these connections to patients. Our findings cannot necessarily be generalized beyond privately-insured, healthy, middle-aged Americans. But because we found that, among these individuals, attitudes towards pharmaceuticals differ from attitudes towards testing and screening, we maintain that future research should also distinguish among and compare attitudes towards different types of medical interventions.
The devil in the detail(ing).

In a worthy effort to challenge the current political correctness about the proper relationship between physicians and pharma, Huddle (2010) proposes that the Association of American Medical Colleg...
Temperature—The Key to Lubricant Capacity

Failure of a nonreactive mineral oil can be predicted by Blok's formula for determining the maximum temperature between two bodies in rolling and sliding contact. Evaluation of many lubricants on a geared roller lest machine revealed that the lubricant failure for any particular lubricant-material combination occurs at a constant, critical contact temperature over wide ranges of load, sliding velocity, surface velocity, specimen temperature, film thickness, and viscosity grade. Coefficient of friction can be predicted by a parameter involving the unit load, inlet viscosity, sum velocity, and sliding velocity. The load capacity of a lubricant varies inversely with specimen temperature for a constant set of lest conditions. Electrical resistance measurements across the contact zone aided in identifying the lubricant failure point and in revealing the action of two deposit-forming additives. Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the Lubrication Conference held in Washington, D.C....
Vegetation synchronously leans upslope as climate warms

Ecologists have long sought to understand how vegetation relates to climate (1, 2). Such knowledge underlies effective mitigation and adaptation to contemporary climate change (3). Warming temperatures associated with anthropogenic increases in greenhouse gases have led ecologists to predict that vegetation gradients will “march” up the hill as climate envelopes shift with elevation, at a lag that scales with species' generation times (4, 5). This prediction derives from the hypothesis that low-temperature constraints relax in association with warming climate, resulting in more favorable conditions for establishment and growth at the leading edge of a species' range (e.g., the upper elevation boundary on a mountain) (6, 7). Because of competition and change in plant-available water, the trailing edge is expected to track the leading edge (5) with the central tendency expected to concurrently “march” upslope. This type of response has important implications for predicting and mitigating climate change impacts, particularly for vegetation spanning elevation gradients. If, rather than collectively moving with climate change, responses of dominant species assembled along an elevation gradient are highly individualistic, there is greater potential for more novel, nonanalog vegetation assemblages. Several types of plant distribution responses to contemporary changes in climate have been documented, such as truncation of species' ranges at lower boundaries via tree mortality (8, 9), range-wide decreases in species abundance, either in response to extreme events (10) or due to increased background rates of mortality without increases in recruitment (11), and increases in the mean elevation in the distribution …
Dietary Shifts in the Queen Triggerfish, Balistes vetula, in the Absence of its Primary Food Item, Diadema antillarum

. The long-spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum has been reported to be the major food item of the queen triggerfish, Balistes vetula in the Caribbean. This sea urchin has undergone a massive mortality on reefs throughout the Caribbean during 1983. The dietary habits of twenty-three queen triggerfish from patch reef habitats in Belize were examined. It was found that crabs and chitons now form the major dietary items when D. antillarum is not available. It is suggested that this predator, which was previously specialized on a single food item, is able to shift resource utilization in the absence of its primary food source, and that the queen triggerfish can capture diverse prey from a wide variety of habitats.
Spatial autocorrelation of West Nile virus vector mosquito abundance in a seasonally wet suburban environment

The objective of this study is to quantify and model spatial dependence in mosquito vector populations and develop predictions for unsampled locations using geostatistics. Mosquito control program trap sites are often located too far apart to detect spatial dependence but the results show that integration of spatial data over time for Cx. pipiens-restuans and according to meteorological conditions for Ae. vexans enables spatial analysis of sparse sample data. This study shows that mosquito abundance is spatially correlated and that spatial dependence differs between Cx. pipiens-restuans and Ae. vexans mosquitoes.
Dielectric relaxation in short chain molecules

Abstract Models for the dielectric relaxation via coupled molecular rotational diffusion and conformational change in the rotational isomeric state model are described for short chain molecules. The models are compared to experimental determinations of the dielectric behavior of appropriate molecules. Some parameters of the models are evaluated using non-dielectric data.
Managing Mac labs with radmind

The research systems Unix group at the University of Michigan have created a nice set of free tools for managing Macintosh computers called radmind. The tools can check the whole filesystem of a client computer against the server's master list, and make changes based on the differences. This means you can add or remove files anywhere on the machine (e.g. applications, user templates and system updates). Together with some simple shell scripts, this makes it possible to have flexible, robust labs with great uptime.We've been using radmind at Reed College since 2002, and barring mechanical failures (and occasional administrative mistakes!) all machines in our managed labs have been functional all day every day since then.We've refined our use of the tools to a fairly precise science, including making application transcripts that are modular enough to be added or removed as line items from lab command files without affecting other parts of the system.In the paper and talk, I'll give some examples of how we've organized our radmind system, show some scripts we've written, and give some strategies for making successful modular transcripts.
School attendance problems: using the TQM tools to identify root causes

Deming’s quality managment principles (TQM) are widely used as a school restructuring vehicle and produce increases in student achievement and self‐esteem and increased teacher morale and self‐confidence. Application of Deming’s principles and the TQM problem‐solving tools and techniques can be used to solve noninstructional problems of schooling. These areas, which create unnecessary costs to the school and community, include vandalism, school dropouts and student absenteeism. This case study presents a model for principals to apply to provide quality outcomes, at reduced cost, in noninstructional areas. Using teachers, parents, community members, and applying the problem‐solving tools and techniques of TQM to identify root problem causes, principals can identify realistic solutions which yield positive results and reduce costs in academic and nonacademic areas.
Molecular Mobility in Amorphous Sucrose Films Monitored by Riboflavin Phosphorescence - Potential Applications in Edible/Biodegradable Films

The physical properties of amorphous biomolecules play a critical role in stability of food, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological products. Consequently, they have an impact on formulation design and quality control of amorphous products.Molecular mobility, heterogeneity, and air permeability have been monitored in amorphous materials using Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) luminescent probes, i.e., tryptophan and erythrosine B. Given its GRAS status and widespread availability, we hypothesize that riboflavin can be used as a convenient and safe intrinsic luminescent probe to study the physical properties of amorphous films. Riboflavin phosphorescence has only been reported at temperatures below 77K and in solid matrices.The objectives of this study were: 1)to investigate riboflavin phosphorescence sensitivity towards molecular mobility in a disaccharide model system, 2)to characterize the temperature dependence of riboflavin phosphorescence in amorphous films.Sucrose was used as a model system to assess riboflavin's applicability as a phosphorescent probe of the physical state of edible films. Steady-state and time-resolved phosphorescence of riboflavin in amorphous sucrose films were collected over the temperature range from −30°C to 60°C. Emission spectra were fitted with a log-normal function. The performance of a stretched exponential and a multi-exponential function were evaluated to characterize riboflavin lifetimes. The rate constant of non-radiative decay (kTS0), a measure of molecular mobility, was calculated from riboflavin's average lifetime. Measures of the distribution of energetically distinct environments were obtained from bandwidth (Γ), stretching exponential factor (β), and fractional amplitudes (αi) parameters. The analysis of fitted parameters as a function of temperature revealed two temperature regimes below Tg in sucrose films with a transition at 10°C. Implications of these findings on riboflavin's potential applications as a luminescent probe of physical properties of amorphous biomolecules and edible films are discussed.
Directly Reprogrammed Fibroblasts Show Global Epigenetic Remodeling and Widespread Tissue Contribution

Ectopic expression of the four transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc, and Klf4 is sufficient to confer a pluripotent state upon the fibroblast genome, generating induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. It remains unknown if nuclear reprogramming induced by these four factors globally resets epigenetic differences between differentiated and pluripotent cells. Here, using novel selection approaches, we have generated iPS cells from fibroblasts to characterize their epigenetic state. Female iPS cells showed reactivation of a somatically silenced X chromosome and underwent random X inactivation upon differentiation. Genome-wide analysis of two key histone modifications indicated that iPS cells are highly similar to ES cells. Consistent with these observations, iPS cells gave rise to viable high-degree chimeras with contribution to the germline. These data show that transcription factor-induced reprogramming leads to the global reversion of the somatic epigenome into an ES-like state. Our results provide a paradigm for studying the epigenetic modifications that accompany nuclear reprogramming and suggest that abnormal epigenetic reprogramming does not pose a problem for the potential therapeutic applications of iPS cells.
Retention-release characteristics of triclocarban and triclosan in biosolids, soils, and biosolids-amended soils

Transport models that incorporate retention/release characteristics of organic compounds in soils and sediments typically assume that organic-carbon normalized partition coefficients (K(OC)) apply to all solid matrices and that the partitioning process is completely reversible. Partition coefficients (K(d)) (from which the K(OC) was calculated), and retention/release characteristics of triclocarban (TCC) and triclosan (TCS) in biosolids, soils, and biosolids-amended soils were determined. Four soils of different physicochemical properties amended with biosolids at 10 g/kg, together with unamended soils, and several biosolids were separately spiked with either [(14)C]TCC or [(14)C]TCS for the various determinations. The hysteresis coefficient values of the two compounds were consistently <1 in all three solid matrices, suggesting strong hysteresis. Multiple desorption steps (24 h each) over several days revealed incomplete desorption of the two compounds from all three solid matrices. The K(d) values determined in biosolids (log K(d) 3.34 +/- 0.13 for TCC and 3.76 +/- 0.39 for TCS) were greater than those determined in soils (log K(d) 1.71 +/- 0.09 for TCC and 2.25 +/- 0.26 for TCS) and biosolids-amended soils (log K(d)1.90 +/- 0.16 for TCC and 2.31 +/- 0.19 for TCS), however, the K(OC) values of all three solid matrices were similar (log K(OC) of 3.82 +/- 0.16 for TCC and 4.26 +/- 0.31 for TCS). Thus, it was concluded that a single or a narrow range of K(OC) values for TCC and TCS may be appropriate to describe retention of the compounds in soils and sediments. However, models that assume complete reversibility of the retention/release processes of the compounds in soils and sediments may not adequately describe the retention/release characteristics of the compounds in soils and sediments, especially when the chemicals are biosolids borne.
A Geometric Model for Stochastic Automata

This paper is concerned with the problem of equivalence and dominance relations between sequential stochastic machines. We first introduce the transition output stochastic automaton together with the notion of pseudoautomaton. In Section III, we establish some fundamental properties concerning the rank of a stochastic automaton.
Astrocytes Promote or Impair the Survival and Function of Embryonic Ventral Mesencephalon Co-grafts: Effects of Astrocyte Age and Expression of Recombinant Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor

Intrastriatal grafting of dopamine-rich embryonic ventral mesencephalon (VM) is a potential therapeutic treatment for Parkinson's disease. However, it has been suggested that the efficacy of this procedure might be improved by enhancing the survival and/or degree of neurite outgrowth by the grafted VM, since these parameters are currently suboptimal. In the present study, we tested the ability of astrocytes retrovirally transduced to produce recombinant brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to enhance the survival and/or function of embryonic VM in the unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rat, a well-characterized rodent model of Parkinson's disease. In culture, primary astrocytes derived from Postnatal Day 0 (P0) rat striatum and transduced with the BDNF vector increased the survival of Embryonic Day 15 (E15) dopaminergic VM neurons by approximately threefold and reduced the loss of dopaminergic neurons following 6-OHDA treatment by approximately 20%. The cultured astrocytes were then mixed 1:1 with freshly dissociated E15 VM and co-grafted into the dopamine-denervated striatum. Unexpectedly, the control nontransduced astrocytes reduced the survival of dopaminergic neurons by 60% and restricted the pattern of neurite outgrowth by the co-grafted VM, compared to grafts of VM alone at 7 weeks postgrafting. These effects were paralleled by an attenuated rate and degree of behavioral recovery. The detrimental effects of the control astrocytes were partially reversed when the astrocytes were transduced to express BDNF, although dopaminergic neuron survival was still reduced by 30% compared to that within VM-only grafts. To begin to assess whether the detrimental effects of the astrocytes were related to the maturational state of the cultured astrocytes, astrocytes were obtained from E18 striatum and maintained in short-term culture (9 days vs several weeks for P0 cultures) prior to co-grafting with VM. Interestingly, the younger astrocytes did not reduce graft survival and allowed for better graft integration. These results suggest that primary astrocytes maintained in long-term culture are detrimental to embryonic neural grafts, an effect that is not completely overcome by expression of recombinant BDNF, and that astrocyte age may be an important consideration in the use of these cells as CNS gene delivery vehicles.
Results of a State Incentive Program on the Supply and Distribution of National Board Certified Teachers.

Investment in state incentive policies to support National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) prompt consideration of their distribution and retention. This study examines the results of a state’s incentive program for NBCTs, including a targeted bonus for those working in high-poverty schools. A quantitative analysis was conducted of state data using a longitudinal, multi-year design. The analysis included a comparison of NBCTs in high-poverty schools and in schools not identified for an additional bonus. Findings suggest that the proportion and overall supply of NBCTs in high-poverty schools increased over the three-year period. Policy implications regarding the use of incentives are discussed.
What do real ideal projectors interpolate

Abstract A characterization of interpolation properties of ideal projectors on the space of complex polynomials in several variables was given in [H.M. Moller, Hermite interpolation in several variables using ideal-theoretic methods, in: W. Schempp, K. Zeller (Eds.), Constructive Theory of Functions of Several Variables, in: Lecture Notes in Mathematics, Springer, 1977, pp. 155–163] (cf. also [C. de Boor, A. Ron, On polynomial ideals of finite codimension with applications to box spline theory, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 158 (1991) 168–193]). The purpose of this article is to provide a similar characterization for ideal projectors on the space of real polynomials. Equivalently, we give a description of finite-dimensional D -invariant subspaces of the space R [ [ x 1 , … , x d ] ] of formal power series in d indeterminants with real coefficients.
A private-sector, incentives-based model for justice reinvestment

Research Summary Justice reinvestment is a recent strategy designed to reduce the use of incarceration and divert the savings to improve the circumstances of communities that have high incarceration rates. More than a dozen states have mounted justice reinvestment projects. While support for justice reinvestment remains high, actual results have been mixed. In particular, the “community reinvestment” aspect of justice reinvestment has been disappointing. An approach that focuses on the private sector and creates incentives for private justice reinvestment could resolve some of these current limitations of the method. Policy Summary Advocates for justice reinvestment would be able to address some of the problems in the approach by developing financial incentives that involve the private sector in justice reinvestment activity.
Finite difference methods for the Fokker-Planck equation

Two methods are developed for numerical solution of the time-dependent Fokker-Planck equation. First, a finite difference scheme is constructed which has the property of simultaneously conserving total system mass, energy, and momentum throughout the interior of velocity space, thereby reducing nonconservation errors to boundary contributions only. Second, the Fokker-Planck collision operator is expanded in Legendre polynomials and reduced to an equivalent system of one-dimensional problems. The expansion is carried out to all orders and is mathematically exact; no terms are neglected or linearized. The resulting system of one-dimensional equations is given explicitly. Both these formulations are given for the case of two-dimensional azimuthally symmetric distribution functions. As a test of the methods, the thermal equipartition of an isotropic deuterium-electron plasma is computed numerically. Over a range of initial conditions from Te/TD = 0.01 to Te/TD = 100 the electron and ion temperatures obtained from the Fokker-Planck equation agree to within 6 % with those obtained from the Maxwellian model given by Spitzer.
Long-term results of complete and partial ligation of congenital portosystemic shunts in dogs

The medical records of 65 dogs that underwent complete or partial ligation of a single congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS) were reviewed to determine the long-term clinical clinical results. Information retrieved from the records included age at surgery, preligation (baseline) portal pressure, postligation portal pressure, change in portal pressure from baseline, complete or partial occlusion of the shunting vessel and fasting, and 2-hour postprandial bile acids from the preoperative, early postoperative (PO), and greater than 1 year PO time periods. A clinical rating score derived from a follow-up examination greater than 1 year PO was assigned to each dog. Of the 56 dogs that survived the perioperative period, 29 (52%) had complete and 27 (48%) had partial ligations. Age at surgery, pre- and postligation portal pressure, change in portal pressure from baseline and serum bile acid concentrations were not related to long-term clinical outcome. Clinical rating scores were significantly greater for dogs with partial CPSS ligations compared with dogs with complete ligations, indicating a less favorable clinical outcome for partial ligations. Fasting and 2-hour postprandial bile acid values at both PO time intervals were significantly greater in partial versus complete ligation groups. Follow-up information for more than 1 year was available on 18 of 29 dogs (62%) with complete ligations. All were clinically normal. Of 27 dogs with partial ligations, 11 dogs (41%) developed recurrence of clinical signs resulting in presentation to the university or referring veterinarian for additional surgery, medical management, or euthanasia. Only three dogs with partial CPSS ligation (11%) were clinically normal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)