cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A tool for accessing accounting cases

Abstract The utilization of cases in accounting education has increased significantly in the past two decades and the number of sources of these cases has also grown larger. Accounting faculty wanting to use cases from these sources are hindered in their ability to do so because of the lack of a central case clearinghouse. The data collection underlying this paper is designed to alleviate this problem. A computerized database of accounting cases is offered to anyone free of charge. The intent is to provide a functionally useful index that will help faculty locate cases for use in their accounting classes. This article explains how faculty can access and use this database. In addition, cases published between 1983 and 2003 in two accounting education journals are summarized in order to provide an overview.
Capturing Dynamics on Multiple Time Scales: A Multilevel Fusion Approach for Cluttered Electromagnetic Data

Many problems in electromagnetic signal analysis exhibit dynamics on a wide range of time scales. Further, these dynamics may involve both continuous source generation processes and discrete source mode dynamics. These rich temporal characteristics can present challenges for standard modeling approaches, particularly in the presence of nonstationary noise and clutter sources. Here we demonstrate a hybrid algorithm designed to capture the dynamic behavior at all relevant time scales while remaining robust to clutter and noise at each time scale. We draw from techniques of adaptive feature extraction, statistical machine learning, and discrete process modeling to construct our hybrid algorithm. We describe our approach and present results applying our hybrid algorithm to a simulated dataset based on an example radio beacon identification problem: civilian air traffic control. This application illustrates the multi-scale complexity of the problems we wish to address. We consider a multi-mode air traffic control radar emitter operating against a cluttered background of competing radars and continuous-wave communications signals (radios, TV broadcasts). Our goals are to find a compact representation of the radio frequency measurements, identify which pulses were emitted by the target source, and determine the mode of the source.
Hearing-aid users’ voices: A factor that could affect directional benefit

AbstractObjective: Backward-facing directional processing (Back-DIR) is an algorithm that employs an anti-cardioid directivity pattern to enhance speech arriving from behind the listener. An experiment that was originally designed to evaluate Back-DIR, together with its follow-up experiment, are reported to illustrate how hearing-aid users’ voices could affect directional benefit. Design: Speech recognition performance was measured in a speech-180°/noise-0° configuration, with aids programmed to Back-DIR enabled or omnidirectional processing. In the original experiment, the conventional hearing-in-noise test (HINT) was used, wherein listeners repeated heard sentences. In the follow-up experiment, a modified HINT was used, wherein a carrier phrase was presented before each sentence. Study sample: Fifteen adults with sensorineural hearing loss participated in both experiments. Results: Significant Back-DIR benefit (relative to omnidirectional processing) was observed in the follow-up experiment, while not i...
Reactions of the complexes M(Pr3)2(CO)3 (M = Cr, Mo, W; R =iPr, Cy) with thiols, hydrogen sulfide, disulfides, hydrogen iodide and iodine. The role of heteroatoms in determining the metal hydrogen bond strength at a sterically crowded metal center

Abstract The complexes M(PCy3)2(CO)3 (M = Cr, Mo, W) react with phenyl disulfide to form stable 17-electron radical complexes Ṁ(PCy3)2(CO)3(SPh). Reaction with other alkyl and aryl disuufides also yields stable radicals and reaction with I2 yields Ẇ(P1Pr3)2(CO)3(I). Reaction with thiols, hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen iodide yield the corresponding 18-clectron hydrides W(P1Pr3)2(CO)3(H)(X). The crystal structure of W(P1Pr3)2(CO)3(H)(I) is reported and allows comparison with the structure of the radical complex Ẇ(P1Pr3)2(CO)3(I). The WH bond strengths in these heteroatorn complexes are low, 55–57 kcal mol−1. In spite of steric crowding, H atom transfer from W(P1Pr3)2(CO)3(H)(SPh) to Ċr(CO)2(PPh3)Cp occurs readily due to the stronger nature of the CrH bond formed. The chromium radical does not appear to attack the molecular hydrogen complex W(Pr3)2(CO)3(H2) or its dihydride form W(Pr3)2(CO)n3(H)2 based on rate of hydrogenation studies. Phenyl disulfide does react with either W(Pr3)2(CO)3(H2) a its dihydride tautomer W(Pr3)2(CO)3(H)2 to form thiophenol and W(Pr3)2(CO)3(SPḣ). This reaction is proposed to proceed by reaction of ṠPh radicals which are generated in situ. These studies are used to bracket the first WH bond dissociation energy in W(Pr3)2(CO)3(H)2. Additional studies of H atom and heteoratom transfer are described.
National preferences in business and communication education

The authors seek to answer questions regarding what factors contribute most to job search success in business, what factors contribute most to success in a business career, what specific courses contribute most to career success, and what would be the basic skills of an ideal manager. Questionnaires were mailed to 1000 personnel directors in the United States with a 42.8 percent (428) return. The results indicate that communication skills are most important for business entry‐level jobs and career success.
The relationship between synoptic weather systems and meteorological forcing on the North Carolina inner shelf

A strong relationship is observed between synoptic weather systems and atmospheric forcing of the ocean as estimated from buoy measurements made on the North Carolina inner shelf during August and October-November 1994 as part of the Coastal Ocean Processes (CoOP) Inner Shelf Study. Synoptic variation (timescales of days to weeks) in the meteorological time series was primarily associated with the passage of atmospheric frontal systems. The most common synoptic weather pattern observed was the passage of a low-pressure center to the north of the study site, which caused the associated cold front to pass over the study region. Before passage of the cold front, warm, moist northeastward winds increased the heat flux into the ocean, whereas after the cold front passed, cold, dry southwestward winds decreased the heat flux into the ocean. In addition, in the presence of oceanic stratification, northeastward winds drove coastal upwelling, bringing colder water to the surface, further increasing the air-sea temperature contrast and hence the heat flux into the ocean inshore of the surface front between cool upwelled water and warmer water offshore. The decrease in surface heat flux during the passage of a cold front was of order 400 W m−2, due primarily to a decrease in latent heat flux. Although other synoptic patterns were observed, including one warm front passage and two tropical storm systems, the dominance of cold fronts as a source of variability resulted in a strong positive correlation between the along-shelf component of wind stress and the surface heat flux. To address the issue of spatial variation in the surface heat fluxes, data from several different sources located along a cross-shelf transect were analyzed. This analysis suggests that the temperature of the atmospheric boundary layer undergoes adjustment when warm air blows over cold water but not when cold air blows over warm water. This produces cross-shelf gradients in the bulk estimates of turbulent heat fluxes during offshore winds but not during onshore winds.
Gap Detection in School-Age Children and Adults: Effects of Inherent Envelope Modulation and the Availability of Cues Across Frequency

Purpose The present study evaluated the effects of inherent envelope modulation and the availability of cues across frequency on behavioral gap detection with noise-band stimuli in school-age children. Method Listeners were 34 normal-hearing children (ages 5.2–15.6 years) and 12 normal-hearing adults (ages 18.5–28.8 years). Stimuli were continuous bands of noise centered on 2000 Hz, either 1000- or 25-Hz wide. In addition to Gaussian noise at these bandwidths, there were conditions using 25-Hz-wide noise bands modified to either accentuate or minimize inherent envelope modulation (staccato and low-fluctuation noise, respectively). Results Within the 25-Hz-wide conditions, adults' gap detection thresholds were highest in the staccato, lower in the Gaussian, and lowest in the low-fluctuation noise. Similar trends were evident in children's thresholds, although inherent envelope modulation had a smaller effect on children than on adults. Whereas adults' thresholds were comparable for the 1000-Hz-wide Gaussia...
Late Allograft Failure After Heart Transplantation: 2 Unusual Cases

Cardiac allograft failure is most commonly caused by acute rejection and cardiac allograft vasculopathy. Consequently, heart transplant recipients who present with heart failure are empirically treated at many transplant centers with augmented immunosuppression despite negative endomyocardial biopsies. We report 2 unusual cases of acute allograft dysfunction that highlight the importance of caution in adopting an empiric strategy of profound immunosuppression in the absence of objective data to support graft rejection.
An analytical model for ballistic diode based on asymmetric geometry

This paper presents an analytical model which calculates the current rectification of an asymmetric two-dimensional ballistic constriction structure in a classical treatment. Such a ballistic diode eliminates the use of p-n junctions or electrodes of dissimilar materials. We show the conditions at which the I-V asymmetry may be maximized for various aspect ratios. The analytic theory is verified by Monte Carlo simulations.
Increased Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 in Keloid Fibroblasts May Account for their Elevated Collagen Accumulation in Fibrin Gel Cultures

Proteolytic degradation of the provisional fibrin matrix and subsequent substitution by fibroblast-produced collagen are essential features of injury repair. Immunohistochemical studies revealed that although dermal fibroblasts of normal scars and keloids expressed both urokinase type plasminogen activator (uPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), keloid fibroblasts had a much higher PAI-1 expression. In long-term three-dimensional fibrin gel cultures (the in vitro fibroplasia model), normal fibroblasts expressed moderate and modulated activity levels of uPA and PAI-1. In contrast, keloid fibroblasts expressed a persistently high level of PAI-1 and a low level of uPA. The high PAI-1 activity of keloid fibroblasts correlated with their elevated collagen accumulation in fibrin gel cultures. Substituting collagen for fibrin in the gel matrix resulted in increased uPA activity and reduced collagen accumulation of keloid fibroblasts. Furthermore, decreasing PAI-1 activity of keloid fibroblasts in fibrin gel cultures with anti-PAI-1-neutralizing antibodies also resulted in a reduction in collagen accumulation by keloid fibroblasts. Cumulatively, these results suggest that PAI-1 overexpression is a consistent feature of keloid fibroblasts both in vitro and in vivo, and PAI-1 may play a causative role in elevated collagen accumulation of keloid fibroblasts.
SU-E-T-354: Dosimetry Parameters Revisited for the IsoAid Model IAI-125A Brachytherapy Seed

Purpose: Investigate and analyze TG43 dosimetry parameters for the IsoAid I125 model IAI 125A seedMethods: We revisited dosimetry for the IsoAid advantage I125 model IAI 125A seed to verify the published TG43 parameters. The IsoAid seed was examined based on manufacturer data and detailed information published in literature. The MCNP5 Monte Carlo radiation transport code was used. Sensitivity of these dosimetry parameters was assessed by changing a total of 10 geometric and computational variables, including source coating thickness, capsule design, photon emission spectrum, and cross section library. The calculated dose rate constants and radial dose functions were then compared with published literature values. Results: Compared to the reference simulation conditions of a 0.5 um source coating, recent capsule design data, the NNDC photon spectrum, and the ZAID.04p MCNP5 cross section libraries, the highest dose rate constant variation was +3.1% and the lowest was −4.0% compared to our value of 0.922 cGy/h/U. Calculated values by Solberg et al. (2002) and Meigooni et al. (2002) were 0.962 and 0.98 cGy/h/U respectively. There were significant differences (>10%) between the published values for the radial dose function and those calculated herein, becoming increasingly disparate as radial distance increased. These differences could be explained within a few percent by performing simulations with their photon emission spectrum and using older cross section libraries. For the similarly designed model 6711 seed, our dose rate constant results agreed within 0.2% and within 0.5% for gL(0.5<r<10cm) with Kennedy et al. (2010). Conclusion: A modern investigation of the TG43 dosimetry parameters for the I125 IsoAid seed indicates clinically‐significant differences with published results used for the AAPM consensus values. We suggest that the AAPM revisit dosimetry for this and other seeds included in the 2004 and 2007 reports.
The Development of a Fully Synthetic Tape Insulation for Lapped Power Cables 1

The characteristics of the traditional kraft paper/oil insulation of power transmission cables are the limiting factors of cable performance in some applications. An insulating tape of an oriented polyolefin has been developed to overcome these limitations by improving the operating stress, heat transfer, charging current and SIC of a cable. Results are presented of tests on new materials and small cable samples. The test data are extrapolated to cable designs for 345 and 550 kV.
EVOLUTION OF SURFACE STRUCTURE, MICROSTRUCTURE, AND SUPERCONDUCTING PROPERTIES DURING YBA2CU3O7 A-AXIS THIN FILM GROWTH

The evolution of surface structure, grain microstructure, and superconducting transition temperature of a-axis YBa2Cu3O7 thin films has been studied as a function of film thickness. The grain size increases and develops a bimodal distribution of grain size during film growth, concurrent with an improvement in Tc. The surface structure does not represent the grain size, but rather the development of the bimodal grain structure follows the formation of the surface structure. The results are discussed in terms of thin film growth modes.
Cationic Dihydrogen/Dihydride Complexes of Osmium: Structure and Dynamics

Reaction of Cp*Os(CO)2Cl with (Et3Si )(BArF4) under hydrogen gas affords the cationic hydrogen complex [Cp*Os(CO)2(H2)][BArF4] (1), (Cp* = C5Me5; ArF = C6F5). When this reaction is carried out with HD gas, complex 1-d1 results, with JHD = 24.5 Hz. When solutions of complex 1 are monitored by 1H NMR spectroscopy over several days, the gradual formation of a trans dihydride species is observed. Similarly, reaction of CpOs(dppm)Br with NaBArF*4 (ArF* = 3,5-(CF3)2C6H3) under hydrogen affords the cationic dihydride complex [CpOs(dppm)H2]BArF*4 (2). At 295 K, complex 2 exists as a 10:1 mixture of cis and trans isomers. The 1H NMR spectrum of the cis form in the hydride region exhibits a triplet with JHP = 6.5 Hz, due to rapid exchange of the hydrogen atoms. At low temperature, static spectra of the HH'PP' spin system can be obtained, revealing quantum mechanical exchange coupling between the two hydride ligands. The observed JHH' is temperature dependent, varying from 133 Hz at 141 K to 176 Hz at 198 K. This is the first report of detectable exchange coupling between pairs of chemically equivalent hydrogen atoms. Research at the University of Washington was supported by the National Science Foundation. Research at Brookhaven National Laboratorymore » was carried out under contract DE-AC02-98CH10886 with the U.S. Department of Energy and was supported by its Division of Chemical Sciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences. Research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was funded by LDRD funds. PNNL is operated by Battelle for the US Department of Energy.« less
A “Democratic Authority” for Bureaucracy

After an analysis of Weberian theory the author describes recent “augmentations” to the bureaucratic model. Although accepted as a residual feature of organizations, bureaucracy is shown to be amenable to personalization and democratization. In particular this appears true of the Catholic church as the repercussions of Vatican II are felt. The resultant decentralization of authority and the amelioration of strict bureaucratic procedures in an Australian Archdiocesan school system are described. Data presented lend support to the initial hypothesis that greater organizational effectiveness and increased administrative efficiency have resulted.
Pattern recognition as a quest for minimum entropy

Abstract We shall show that many known algorithms of clustering and pattern recognition can be characterized as efforts to minimize entropy, when suitably defined.
Vietnam Service, Combat, and Lifetime Educational Attainment Preliminary Results From the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging

Combat experiences early in adulthood may have lifelong ramifications. In the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA), the authors studied lifetime educational attainment (LEA) in 236 male twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry. Twins who served in Vietnam had completed significantly fewer years of education by their 50s. Level of combat exposure was negatively correlated with LEA. To control for variables that might confound the relationship between combat and LEA, the authors compared twin pairs discordant for Vietnam service (n = 44 pairs); the twins who served in Vietnam had significantly lower LEA than their cotwins. Greater cognitive ability at military induction and older age at induction both predicted higher LEA, but after statistically controlling for these variables, the relationship between combat exposure and LEA remained significant. The VETSA results demonstrate that combat experience and entering military service at a younger age may reduce lifelong educational prospects, even after cogn...
Effects of calcium channel blockers on pentylenetetrazol drug discrimination in rats.

The effects of the dihydropyridine L-type calcium channel blockers nitrendipine and nimodipine on the pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) drug discrimination, an operant model of anxiety, were investigated. Male Long-Evans rats were trained to discriminate PTZ (16 mg/kg, i.p.) from saline. Both nitrendipine (5.0-25 mg/kg, i.p.) and nimodipine (5.0-25 mg/kg, i.p.) partially substituted for the PTZ discriminative stimulus. However, pretreatment with nitrendipine (25 mg/kg, i.p.) or nimodipine (25 mg/kg, i.p.) produced no change in the PTZ dose-effect function. Rats were given a nutritionally balanced liquid diet containing 6.5% ethanol for 10 days. Rats selected the PTZ drug lever during withdrawal. Subchronic coadministration of nitrendipine (1.25-5.0 mg/kg, i.p., b.i.d.) with ethanol failed to dose-dependently reduce PTZ-lever responding, but it did reverse withdrawal signs. Acute administration of nitrendipine (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg, i.p.) produced marked suppression of lever responding, but it failed to significantly reduce levels of PTZ-lever responding. Although calcium channel blockers reduce signs of ethanol withdrawal, they also markedly reduce rates of behavior and produce no clear effects on anxiety-like behaviors induced by ethanol withdrawal.
New concepts in systems for electrical measurement

A new concept of more flexible instrumentation for power systems is described. A group of individual transducers is used for measuring the usual electrical quantities and temperature, each producing a high-level d-c output suitable for either analog or digital readout. Conventional d-c mechanisms are used in the end devices, eliminating the need for more complex mechanisms. The operating principles, performance characteristics, and circuit diagrams of six commercially available transducers are given.
Attenuated Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease agents can hide more virulent infections

Abstract We previously showed that a slow infectious strain of Creutzfeldt–Jakob Disease (CJD) can dramatically suppress the expression of a fast virulent agent injected intracerebrally 80 days later. While the slow SY agent eventually produced disease at ∼400 days, there was little evidence of the fast FU agent. However, two of 18 superinfected mice showed a minor increase in pathologic changes. To determine if FU was partially or completely suppressed, or if FU and SY agents formed a ‘chimera’ with intermediate incubation properties as predicted by prion theory, we passaged representative brains. All traces of FU were obliterated in typical brains of suppressed mice. The two aberrant mice however had mixed SY and FU infections, with FU reappearing at late stages of SY disease. Thus less virulent sporadic CJD infections in older people can conceal other agents such as variant CJD, the more recently evolved and virulent agent linked to bovine spongiform encephalopathy. This powerful model of agent-induced repression also implicates targets other than prion protein (PrP) in eliminating infection.
The interaction of photoperiod and testosterone on the development of copulatory behavior in castrated male hamsters

Abstract Castrated adult male golden hamsters were maintained on either a stimulatory (LD 14:10) or a nonstimulatory (LD 6:18) light cycle for 10 weeks, and then were implanted subcutaneously with empty or testosterone-filled Silastic capsules of various lengths. Animals were tested for copulatory behavior prior to capsule implantation and 10, 20 and 40 days after implantation. Androgen-treated LD 14:10 hamsters showed a higher incidence of ejaculation on the final trial than did similarly treated LD 6:18 animals. When serum androgen levels were maintained at physiological levels (about 3 ng/ml, from a 20 mm capsule), significantly greater numbers of LD 14:10 hamsters intromitted and ejaculated compared to LD 6:18 animals. Examination of the development of copulation over trials revealed an interaction of photoperiod and androgen: LD 14:10 animals showed significant improvement over trials if stimulated with 8,20 or 100 mm long testosterone capsules, while LD 6:18 animals showed increased copulation over trials only if they were implanted with 100 mm capsules. These results indicate that exposure to short days for 10 weeks renders copulatory behavior of the castrate male hamster less responsive to the stimulatory effects of testosterone. This alteration in sensitivity to androgen may be one way in which the photoperiod acts to decrease copulation in seasonally breeding animals.
Four Territories of Experience: A Developmental Action Inquiry Approach to Outdoor-Adventure Experiential Learning

One major challenge of effective management learning is closing the gap between abstract thinking and practical application. I propose here a way to enhance the value of outdoor-adventure experient...
Is endometrial carcinoma intrinsically more aggressive in elderly patients

Background The current study was conducted to determine the influence of old age (age >/= 70 years) on outcome in a group of patients with endometrial carcinoma who were treated with simple hysterectomy followed by adjuvant radiation therapy (RT). Methods Between November 1987 and May 2000, 405 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Stage IB-II endometrial carcinoma were treated with postoperative RT. Intravaginal RT alone was given to 77% of patients (median dose, 21grays [Gy] given in 3 fractions). Additional postoperative external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) was given to 23% of patients (median dose, 45 Gy). Eighty-four patients were age >/= 70 years and 321 patients were age /= 70 years group had other comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, or hypertension (P = 0.02) and were found to have deep (> 50%) myometrial invasion (P = 0.008). Results With a median follow-up time of 48 months, the 5-year locoregional control (LRC), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) rates were 95%, 91%, and 90% respectively. On multivariate analysis, poor LRC was found to be correlated with age >/= 70 years (P = 0.019) and lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.001). Poor DFS was found to be correlated with age >/= 70 years (P = 0.03), lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.01), and aggressive histology (P = 0.001). Similarly, poor OS was found to correlate with age >/= 70 years (P = 0.001), lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.01), aggressive histology (P = 0.01), and cervical involvement (P = 0.02). The same factors that were found to correlate with OS (age >/= 70 years, lymphovascular involvement, aggressive histology, and cervical involvement) also appeared to correlate with disease-specific survival (P = 0.03, P = 0.008, P = 0.001, and P = 0.04, respectively). The 5-year actuarial rates of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group late complications that were >/= Grade 3 (gastrointestinal tract, genitourinary tract, or vagina) were 3% in both groups. Conclusions Even when treated in a similar fashion, endometrial carcinoma patients age >/= 70 years appear to fare worse than younger patients independent of other poor prognostic factors. The rate of complications from adjuvant RT, despite a higher rate of comorbidity in elderly patients, was found to be similar in both age groups. Endometrial carcinoma appears to be intrinsically more aggressive in older patients, thus mandating further improvement in their treatment strategies.
Static Deadlock Detection for the SHIM Concurrent Language

Concurrent programming languages are becoming mandatory with the advent of multi-core processors. Two major concerns in any concurrent program are data races and deadlocks. Each are potentially subtle bugs that can be caused by non-deterministic scheduling choices in most concurrent formalisms. As an alternative, the SHIM concurrent language guarantees the absence of data races by eschewing shared memory, but a SHIM program may still deadlock if a program violates a communication protocol. We present a model-checking-based static deadlock detection technique for the SHIM language. Although SHIM is asynchronous, its semantics allow us to model it synchronously without losing precision, greatly reducing the state space that must be explored. This plus the obvious division between control and data in SHIM programs makes it easy to construct concise abstractions. Experimentally, we find our procedure runs in only a few seconds for modest-sized programs, making it practical to use as part of a compilation chain.
Functional specificity of co-chaperone interactions with Hsp90 client proteins.

A wide array of proteins in signal transduction pathways depend on Hsp90 and other chaperone components for functional maturation, regulation, and stability. Among these Hsp90 client proteins are steroid receptors, members from other classes of transcription factors, and representatives of both serine/threonine and tyrosine kinase families. Typically, dynamic complexes form on the client protein, and these consist of Hsp90- plus bound co-chaperones that often have enzymatic activities. In addition to its direct influence on client folding, Hsp90 locally concentrates co-chaperone activity within the client complex, and dynamic exchange of co-chaperones on Hsp90 facilitates sampling of co-chaperone activities that may, or may not, act on the client protein. We are just beginning to understand the nature of biochemical and molecular interactions between co-chaperone and Hsp90-bound client. This review focuses on the differential effects of Hsp90 co-chaperones toward client protein function and on the specifi...
Quality Rating and Improvement Systems: Validation of a local implementation in LA County and children's school-readiness

Abstract As states are actively participating in the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant, research that validates the translation of child care quality measures for policy purposes is required. This paper presents results from a two-part study on QRIS ratings: (1) Study 1 examines the concurrent validity of a QRIS, and (2) Study 2 simulates the QRIS scores with a secondary dataset to predict child outcomes. Study 1 – the QRIS descriptive study – presents the pilot-study data from the L.A. County QRIS collected between 2009 and 2012. Data from 254 early childhood programs (98 family child care homes and 156 centers with 331 classrooms) indicate that individual quality rating indicators do contribute to an overall score, and the simulated scores were related to external measures of child care quality. Study 2 – the QRIS simulation study – included 223 low-income 3- and 4-year-old children in 101 early care and education classrooms/programs; one-quarter were dual language learners. Continuous measures of child care quality were positively associated with children's school-readiness. However, after quality measures were combined and scored into QRIS ratings, ratings were no longer associated with increases in cognitive/academic and social child outcomes across the school year. The lack of an association between QRIS ratings and child outcomes is consistent with findings from other studies and warrants further examination of QRIS ratings and their effect on children's learning.
Statistical analysis of SVD-based Prony techniques

The authors present an analysis of parameter variance statistics for the SVD-Prony method applied to damped exponential signals. The covariance matrix of the estimated parameters for this method is derived. The parameters include the magnitudes and angles of the poles, and the magnitudes and angles of the amplitude coefficients. The theoretical results are verified using Monte Carlo simulation studies. The variance results are compared to the corresponding Cramer-Rao bounds for several cases. >
Transplantation of human fetal pancreas : fresh vs. cultured fetal islets or ICCS

The paucity of human adult islets available for transplantation in IDDM makes the use of human fetal pancreas a potential alternative. Fetal pancreatic endocrine cells grow and differentiate over time when fresh explants or cultured islet-like cell clusters (ICCs) are transplanted under the kidney capsule in athymic nude mice. We have recently developed a procedure to isolate fetal islets, which differ from ICCs in their beta-cell content. This study was undertaken to compare the maturation and growth of grafts from purified fetal islets, containing mostly beta-cells, to grafts of mostly undifferentiated endocrine cell precursors, cultured as ICCs, and fresh, uncultured tissue. Total insulin content was highest in the fresh tissue pre-transplant while insulin levels fell precipitously during culture as either fetal islets or ICCs. Although 500 fetal islets contained more insulin than 500 ICCS before transplantation, the insulin content of the resulting grafts was the same 3 months post-transplantation. The degree of stimulation following glucose challenge was comparable, as was the histological appearance. However 70 mg of fresh tissue was needed to generate the fetal islets while only 30 mg was needed for the ICCs. Grafts of 30 mg fresh tissue also had similar total insulin contents and stimulation following glucose challenge, but, when normalized to DNA there was a significantly higher concentration of insulin in the grafts from ICCs or fetal islets. Moreover there were distinct morphological differences, with fibrous and ductal elements prominent in the grafts from fresh tissue, which were also much larger and more diffuse, with cystic elements evident macroscopically. Quantitative immunohistochemical analysis showed that grafts from cultured tissue were 48.3+/-5% positive for immunoreactive insulin compared with grafts from fresh tissue which were only 13.3+/-1.4% positive for insulin. In conclusion cultured ICCs, a heterogeneous mixture of hormone-containing and undifferentiated endocrine cells, are a preferable source for transplantation than either purified fetal islets or uncultured tissue.
Does Spatial Access to Mammography Have an Effect on Early Stage of Breast Cancer Diagnosis? A county-level Analysis for New York State.

Breast cancer is the most common type of women's cancer. New York (NY) State has a slightly higher incidence than that of the United States. On average, 65% of breast cancer patients in NY are diagnosed at an early stage, with county averages ranging from 55% to 75%, indicating regional disparities. In this study we evaluate the relationship between early stage of breast cancer diagnosis and geographic access to mammography in NY. We utilized indicators of spatial autocorrelation to assess if significant clusters of early stage breast cancer diagnosis and mammogram facilities occurred across NY counties over the years 2007-11. We used spatial autoregressive models to evaluate the importance of density and proximity of facilities in early stage cancer, Among 62 counties, the density of mammogram facilities varied from 0.2 to 2 sites/10,000 women, while distance to a facility from population centroid ranged between 0.44 to 38.58 miles. Four significant spatial clusters of high percentages of early stage breast cancer diagnosis were identified. The spatial autoregressive model indicated that the only statistically significant variable relating to higher percent of early stage at diagnosis was higher education (p=0.005). Using the county as the spatial unit of analysis, there were no significant effects of spatial access to mammography on the percent of early stage breast cancer diagnosis.
Horizontal Heterogeneity of Denitrifying Bacterial Communities in Marine Sediments by Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism Analysis

Although it is widely believed that horizontal patchiness exists in microbial sediment communities, determining the extent of variability or the particular members of the bacterial community which account for the observed differences among sites at various scales has not been routinely demonstrated. In this study, horizontal heterogeneity was examined in time and space for denitrifying bacteria in continental shelf sediments off Tuckerton, N.J., at the Rutgers University Long-Term Ecosystem Observatory (LEO-15). Characterization of the denitrifying community was done using PCR amplification of the nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) gene combined with terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Spatial scales from centimeters to kilometers were examined, while temporal variation was assayed over the course of 1995 to 1996. Sorenson's indices (pairwise similarity values) were calculated to permit comparison between samples. The similarities of benthic denitrifiers ranged from 0.80 to 0.85 for centimeter scale comparisons, from 0.52 to 0.79 for meter level comparisons, and from 0.23 to 0.53 for kilometer scale comparisons. Sorenson's indices for temporal comparisons varied from 0.12 to 0.74. A cluster analysis of the similarity values indicated that the composition of the denitrifier assemblages varied most significantly at the kilometer scale and between seasons at individual stations. Specific nosZ genes were identified which varied at centimeter, meter, or kilometer scales and may be associated with variability in meio- or macrofaunal abundance (centimeter scale), bottom topography (meter scale), or sediment characteristics (kilometer scale).
Metallic Structural Heat Pipes as Sharp Leading Edges for Mach 7 Vehicles

Sharp leading edges on hypersonic vehicles experience very large heating loads and consequent high temperatures. One strategy for for accommodating these effects is to provide very high effectively thermal conductivity which allows heat to be transferred from the hot leading edge to large cool surfaces for radiation into space. Heat pipes integrated within metallic leading edges provide this function, as well as being easy to manufacture and highly robust compared to other material choices. This paper will examine the feasibility of metallic leading edge heat pipes for hypersonic vehicles in Mach 7 flight. Using temperatures and heat fluxes calculated elsewhere, analytic approximations of the temperature distributions and stresses in a prototypical system are analyzed. The analysis is supplemented and confirmed by finite element calculations. Feasibility of the system is assessed by simple calculations on the operational limits of heat pipes.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
THE NATURE OF THE GLASS PHASE IN HEATED CLAY MATERIALS* I. COMMON CLAYS†

The progress of fusion in an alluvial clay, a glacial clay, and a shale, when heated at various temperatures, was determined with the aid of the petrographic microscope. Thin sections and powdered samples obtained from the heated clay specimens were used in these tests. The relationships between the amounts and kinds of glasses in the specimens and the properties of the glasses were determined. Shrinkage and porosity of the specimens were found to depend not only on the temperature at which glass formation started but also on that at which the glass became sufficiently fluid to allow contraction of the specimen to take place. The colors of the heated clay specimens were governed largely by the crystallization of the glass bonds. Solution of the crystals formed by devitrification also profoundly affected the colors of the specimens. The increase in intensity of the red color of the specimens of alluvial clay and shale was directly related to the increase in the number of red crystals produced in the glass phases. The loss of red color by these specimens heated at very high temperatures in an oxidizing atmosphere and also at lower temperatures in a reducing atmosphere was caused by solution of the red crystals. The glassy bond in the specimens of glacial clay differed in composition from that in the alluvial clay and shale, which prevented the development of a red color of the specimens. A black glass, formed on solution of the red crystals, produced a dark gray color in the overheated specimens and in those heated in a reducing atmosphere. The growth of fine-grained green crystals in the glacial clay specimens was a factor in neutralizing the small amount of red color originally in these test pieces.
Student Veterans Transitioning to Higher Education and Policy Implications

This article traces policy developments related to the expansion of government investment in higher education benefits for military veterans, specifically, the GI Bill. Beginning in World War II, as a benefit for returning war veterans through to the recent expansions since the Gulf Wars, the GI bill has transformed higher education. Increasingly female veterans are using the benefits to enroll in institutions of higher education and are a significant subgroup. The article presents recommendations based on research to create support structures to improve academic outcomes for returning veterans, in particular, the female veterans.
Rapid transaction-undo recovery using twin-page storage management

A twin-page storage method, which is an alternative to the TWIST (twin slot) approach by A. Reuter
The role of weather in mediating the effect of mercury exposure on reproductive success in tree swallows

Mercury is a heavy metal that has contaminated countless ecosystems throughout the world. A large body of literature has documented reproductive, physiological, and behavioral impairments associated with mercury exposure in laboratory settings, but whether and how such effects are manifest in free-living populations remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) breeding success at a site with high mercury exposure varied with ambient temperature or precipitation at various points in the breeding cycle. Tree swallows nesting along the South River had significantly elevated blood total mercury (mean ± SE: 3.03 ± 0.15 μg/g) compared to swallows breeding on reference sites (mean ± SE: 0.16 ± 0.005 μg/g). These high levels of mercury were associated with reduced hatching and fledging success, and contaminated birds produced approximately one less fledgling per nest than their reference counterparts. The magnitude of this difference was weather-dependent: unusually high ambient temperatures encountered early in the nestling period were associated with reduced reproductive output in contaminated, but not in reference, birds. In contrast, little effect of mercury on success of nestlings was observed when temperatures were cooler, and precipitation also had no detectable interaction with mercury. These results provide insight into mechanisms underlying reproductive effects of mercury. In addition, these findings underscore the importance of considering variable environmental conditions when assessing effects of contaminants on free-living wildlife. In particular, projections about the effects of global climate change on ecotoxicological impacts must take into account the kinds of weather-mediated effect demonstrated here.
Splanchnic and Peripheral Disposal of Oral Glucose in Man

Oral glucose (92 g) was administered to 22 healthy, young volunteers undergoing hepatic vein catheterization, and net splanchnic glucose output (SGO) was measured during the basal period and for 4 h after glucose ingestion. In the basal state, SGO averaged 1.90 +/- 0.11 mg/min X kg. After glucose, SGO rose to a peak value of 6.65 +/- 0.83 mg/min X kg at 30 min and returned to baseline by 3 h. Total SGO over 4 h was 69 +/- 4 g; assuming complete absorption of the load, this amount represented 75% of the oral glucose. In a subgroup of six subjects, leg glucose uptake was simultaneously quantitated by femoral vein catheterization and leg blood flow measurement. In the postabsorptive state, glucose uptake by one leg was 24 +/- 8 mg/min and increased to a mean value of 76 +/- 7 mg/min during the 4 h after glucose ingestion. Overall, 18 +/- 2 g/4 h of glucose were taken up by one leg, which extrapolates to a total body muscle uptake of 65 +/- 4 g over 4 h. We conclude that in normal man, well over 2/3 of an oral glucose load escapes splanchnic removal, and that the peripheral tissues quantitatively play the dominant role in glucose disposal.
Anteromedialization of the tibialtubercle: A 4- to 12-year follow-up

Abstract In this article, we review of 36 patients (42 knees, 6 bilateral) that underwent anteromedialization of the tibial tubercle for patellar malalignment and cartilage breakdown between 1982 and 1990. The average follow-up was 8.2 years (minimum 4.4). Patients completed questionnaires, visual analog scales, and a modified Lyshohn scale. Thirty-six patients (with 42 affected knees) returned questionnaires of which 19 patients (22 knees) were seen in the office for long-term follow-up evaluation. Good to excellent results were subjectively reported by 86% (36 of 42) of the patients. On physical examination, 19 of 22 knees had an excellent or good result. The average score on the modified Lysholm scale was 83.5 (range, 15 to 100). After surgery, 7 of 36 patients returned to heavy labor, 9 of 36 to moderate work, and 18 of 36 to light duty. One year after surgery, 95% (40 of 42) said they would undergo the procedure again given similar circumstances, and 67% said they were satisfied with their level of recreational activity. Anteromedialization of the tibial tubercle when done properly is a successful method for correcting patellar malalignment and relieving pain from mild to moderate patella cartilage breakdown. This study is based on objective and subjective long-term follow-up.
Defects in crystalline quartz: Electron paramagnetic resonance of E' vacancy centers associated with germanium impurities☆

Abstract Magnetic resonance measurements on crystalline quartz doped with germanium indicate E ' 1 and E ' 2 trapped electron centers can be produced by low energy ionizing radiation (50 kVp X-rays). Most of these vacancy-related centers are associated with substitutional Ge impurities rather than Si host cations. Analyses of detailed spectroscopic data in terms of non-bonding s - p hybrid orbitals formed from atomic Si or Ge orbitals, as appropriate, effectively account for the basic paramagnetic responses. Two distinct but quite similar EPR spectra of the E ' 1 -type associated with Ge impurities are observed, each characteristic of a specific treatment (X-irradiation and heating). A single-oxygen-vacancy E -defect model for E ' center geometry is proposed. The model is based on the spectroscopic data and experimental results on generation and bleaching of paramagnetic vacancy centers in α-SiO 2 :Ge. The various E ' 1 and E ' 2 -type magnetic centers are pictured as modifications of this basic E defect. These result from interposition of common impurities (hydrogen in particular) and trapping of electrons or holes.
Motion compensated multiresolution transmission of high definition video

Several methods to perform multiresolution transmission of HDTV through subband coding are compared. The first is simple intraframe encoding of the spatial subbands of the video. The authors have used the subband decomposition for both hierarchical estimation of the motion as well as encoding of the compensated error function. They have used block matching for motion estimation on both 2D lowpass and bandpass (QMF) pyramids. They found that the motion estimation on the lowpass QMF pyramid performs better than the motion estimation on the bandpass QMF pyramid. They achieved approximately the same quality reconstructed video with either backward or forward motion compensated schemes. For multiresolution transmission, by simulating a test sequence, they have obtained a PSNR of 35 dB at the bit rate of 0.44 bits per pixel with adaptive PCM and at a bit rate of 0.53 bits pet pixel with PCM. Such a result would require 0.75 bits per pixel for the intraframe scheme. The complexity of the motion compensated multiresolution coding scheme is comparable to that of a single resolution method. >
The curse of simultaneity

Typical models of strategic interactions in computer science use simultaneous move games. However, in applications simultaneity is often hard or impossible to achieve. In this paper, we study the robustness of the Nash Equilibrium when the assumption of simultaneity is dropped. In particular we propose studying the sequential price of anarchy: the quality of outcomes of sequential versions of games whose simultaneous counterparts are prototypical in algorithmic game theory. We study different classes of games with high price of anarchy, and show that the subgame perfect equilibrium of their sequential version is a much more natural prediction, ruling out unreasonable equilibria, and leading to much better quality solutions.We consider three examples of such games: Cost Sharing Games, Unrelated Machine Scheduling Games and Consensus Games. For Machine Cost Sharing Games, the sequential price of anarchy is at most O(log(n)), an exponential improvement of the O(n) price of anarchy of their simultaneous counterparts. Further, the subgame perfect equilibrium can be computed by a polynomial time greedy algorithm, and is independent of the order the players arrive. For Unrelated Machine Scheduling Games we show that the sequential price of anarchy is bounded as a function of the number of jobs n and machines m (by at most O(m2n)), while in the simultaneous version the price of anarchy is unbounded even for two players and two machines. For Consensus Games we observe that the optimal outcome for generic weights is the unique equilibrium that arises in the sequential game. We also study the related Cut Games, where we show that the sequential price of anarchy is at most 4. In addition we study the complexity of finding the subgame perfect equilibrium outcome in these games.