cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perrhenate incorporation into binary mixed sodalites: The role of anion size and implications for technetium-99 sequestration

Abstract Perrhenate (ReO 4 − ), as a TcO 4 − analogue, was incorporated into mixed-anion sodalites from binary solutions containing ReO 4 − and a competing anion X n− (Cl − , CO 3 2− , SO 4 2− , MnO 4 − , or WO 4 2− ). Our objective was to determine the extent of solid solution formation and the dependence of competing ion selectivity on ion size. Using equivalent aqueous concentrations of the anions (ReO 4 − /X n− molar ratio = 1:1), we synthesized mixed-anion sodalites from zeolite and NaOH at 90 °C for 96 h. The resulting solids were characterized by bulk chemical analysis, powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy to determine crystal structure, chemical composition, morphology, and rhenium (Re) oxidation state. Rhenium in the solid phase occurred predominately as Re(VII)O 4 − in the sodalites, which have a primitive cubic pattern in the space group P 4 ¯ 3 n . The refined unit-cell parameters of the mixed sodalites ranged from 8.88 to 9.15 A and showed a linear dependence on the size and mole fraction of the incorporated anion(s). The ReO 4 − selectivity, represented by its distribution coefficient (K d ), increased in the following order: Cl − 3 − 4 − and CO 3 2− 4 2− 4 2− for the monovalent and divalent anions, respectively. The relationship between the ReO 4 − distribution coefficient and competing anion size was nonlinear. When the difference in ionic radius (DIR) between ReO 4 − and X n − (n = 1 or 2) was greater than ~ 12%, then ReO 4 − incorporation into sodalite was insignificant. The results imply that anion size is the major factor that determines sodalite anion compositions. Given the similarity in chemical behavior and anion size, ReO 4 − serves as a suitable analogue for TcO 4 − under oxidizing conditions where both elements are expected to remain as oxyanions in the + 7 oxidation state.
Noninvasive intracranial hypertension diagnosis using ensemble sparse classifiers

The level of intracranial pressure (ICP), which is the pressure inside the skull, is a valuable indicator for the diagnosis and management of various neurological disorders such as traumatic brain injury (TBI). The current gold standard of ICP measurement involves an invasive procedure for insertion of a catheter to the intracranial compartment. Due to its risks and cost, however, various noninvasive ICP assessment techniques have been proposed. So far, none of them has achieved sufficient accuracy to be adopted into routine clinical practice. We propose a novel classification technique to address a simpler problem, which is the diagnosis of intracranial hypertension (IH). Our goal is to diagnose IH of head-injured patients based on a full set of morphological features extracted from cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) waveforms. Our result demonstrates that the proposed technique is a better diagnostic tool for IH than a fine-tuned conventional classification technique such as Support Vector Machines (SVM).
TAXONOMIC AND NOMENCLATURAL NOTES ON PHILIPPINE FERNS II: THREE NEW NAMES IN ASPLENIUM

The new names Asplenium luzonicum and A. perplexum are published to replace the homonyms A. cristatum Brack. and A. riparium Brack.; their nomenclatural history is reviewed and data are provided to support their retention as separate species. The legitimate name A. baileyanum should be used instead of the homonym A. gracile Fee.
Evaluation of an Experimental LiDAR for Surveying a Shallow, Braided, Sand-Bedded River

Reaches of a shallow (<1.0 m), braided, sand-bedded river were surveyed in 2002 and 2005 with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Experimental Advanced Airborne Research LiDAR (EAARL) and concurrently with conventional survey-grade, real-time kinematic, global positioning system technology. The laser pulses transmitted by the EAARL instrument and the return backscatter waveforms from exposed sand and submerged sand targets in the river were completely digitized and stored for postflight processing. The vertical mapping accuracy of the EAARL was evaluated by comparing the ellipsoidal heights computed from ranging measurements made using an EAARL terrestrial algorithm to nearby (<0.5 m apart) ground-truth ellipsoidal heights. After correcting for apparent systematic bias in the surveys, the root mean square error of these heights with the terrestrial algorithm in the 2002 survey was 0.11 m for the 26 measurements taken on exposed sand and 0.18 m for the 59 measurements taken on submerged sand. In the 2005 survey, the root mean square error was 0.18 m for 92 measurements taken on exposed sand and 0.24 m for 434 measurements on submerged sand. In submerged areas the waveforms were complicated by reflections from the surface, water column entrained turbidity, and potentially the riverbed. When applied to these waveforms, especially in depths greater than 0.4 m, the terrestrial algorithm calculated the range above the riverbed. A bathymetric algorithm has been developed to approximate the position of the riverbed in these convolved waveforms and preliminary results are encouraging.
Secondary Sternal Closure: A Method of Preventing Cardiac Compression

A patient with severe congenital pulmonary stenosis who underwent pulmonary valvulectomy is reported. Acute cardiac compression and left ventricular failure developed in the immediate postoperative period. Because of extreme cardiac dilatation, the chest wall could not be closed. A technique of secondary sternal closure is described.
Charge-Density-Dependent Partitioning of Cs+ and K+ into Nickel Hexacyanoferrate Matrixes

Nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF) is a zeolite-like Prussian Blue analogue, where cyanide bonding between nickel and iron creates a cubic unit cell with intercalated cations that balance the negative charge on the matrix. Partitioning of Cs+ and K+ into electrodeposited NiHCF thin films is examined as a function of solution composition and the charge density on the matrix. Potential cycle and hold sequences in the range −25 to +1125 mV versus saturated calomel electrode are used to reversibly intercalate Cs+ and K+ mixtures into NiHCF matrixes possessing variable charge densities. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy is used to quantify the intercalated cation content in the matrix, and Raman spectroscopy is used to confirm the oxidation state of the matrix. Cs+/K+ partitioning is investigated over the range 10-2 < [K+]/[Cs+] < 105. Oxidized NiHCF, with its modest matrix charge density (≈ −190 C/cm3) and low concentration of intercalated alkali cations, is cesium-selective for all solution compositions exam...
Profiling the U.S.-Bound Chinese Travelers by Purpose of Trip

Abstract Using the analysis of the In-Flight survey data collected by U.S. Tourism Industries, this study profiled the characteristics of U.S.-bound Chinese travelers in terms of their age, gender, income, occupation, lead time of pre-trip preparation, information sources, duration of stay, expenditure patterns, package usage, and participation rates of activities. Comparisons were made among three groups: business only, business and leisure, and leisure only travelers. The three travel groups demonstrated some differences in their pre-trip preparation, trip characteristics, as well as destination activity participation patterns. The leisure travelers' leadtime for airline reservations was much longer than the other two groups. While all three groups identified travel agencies as a main information source, leisure travelers tended to use informal sources such as friends and relatives and word-of-mouth. The business and hybrid groups showed a stronger reliance on official or formal information channels suc...
Intravascular catheter dressings with chlorhexidine-impregnated sponges reduced infections in the ICU.

Do intravascular catheter dressings with chlorhexidine gluconate–impregnated sponges (CHGISs) reduce catheter-related infections (CRIs) compared with standard dressings in intensive care unit (ICU) patients? Are dressing changes every 7 days non-inferior to changes every 3 days? ### Design: 2 × 2 factorial randomised controlled trial. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00417235. ### Allocation: {concealed}.* ### Blinding: blinded (microbiologists, outcome assessors, {data analysts, and safety committee}*). ### Follow-up period: 48 hours after ICU discharge. ### Setting: 7 ICUs in 3 university and 2 general hospitals in France. ### Patients: 1653 patients >18 years of age (median age 62 y, 64% men, based on 1636 patients) requiring catheters for ⩾48 hours. Exclusion criteria were allergy to chlorhexidine or transparent dressings. ### Interventions: CHGIS dressings, 3-day change (n = 412); CHGIS dressings, 7-day change (n = 413); standard dressings, 3-day change (n = 416); or standard dressings, 7-day change (n = 412). In …
Measurement of Carboxylases (RuDPCase and PEP Case) in Cell Suspensions of Phaedactylum tricornutum treated with Organic Solvents

Summary Treatment of cell suspensions with a mixture of toluene and ethanol (1 : 4 v/v) allowed measurement of both RuDPCase and PEPCase. The possible use of the solvent technique as an alternative method for the measurement of carboxylases in marine algae has been suggested.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Fracture in Rual

High temperature intermetallic compounds show promise for aerospace technology. Unfortunately many of them have the property of being brittle at low temperatures and have therefore to be modified to be used. However among the binary high temperature materials, stoichiometric RuAl has shown some significant room temperature toughness [1]. Computer simulations at the atomistic level have shown to be of significant help in the understanding of many phenomena (phase transformations, etc). In this work, Molecular Dynamics and potentials derived by the Embedded Atom Method (EAM) have been used to study the behavior of a microcrack embedded in a three-dimensional lattice of RuAl. Values of the critical toughness factor (value at which the crack starts propagating) have been established for different orientations of the crack and for different temperatures. Dislocation emission and propagation have been observed in some cases. Parameters such as the unstable stacking energy (which characterizes the resistance to slip) and the surface energy (which characterizes the resistance to cleavage) have also been calculated for this material. A recent theory developped by Rice [2] will be used to interpret the behavior of the crack upon orientation.
Assessing the energy and environmental performance of algae-mediated tertiary treatment of estrogenic compounds.

This study uses a systems-level modeling approach to illustrate a novel synergy between municipal wastewater treatment and large-scale algaculture for production of bio-energy, whereby algae-mediated tertiary treatment provides efficient removal of unregulated, strongly estrogenic steroid hormones from the secondary effluent. Laboratory results from previously published studies suggested that algae-mediated treatment could deliver roughly 75–85% removal of a model estrogen (17β-estradiol) within typical algae pond residence times. As such, experimental results are integrated into a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) framework, to assess the environmental performance of an algae-based tertiary treatment system relative to three conventional tertiary treatments: ozonation, UV irradiation, and adsorption onto granular activated carbon. Results indicate that the algae-mediated tertiary treatment is superior to the selected benchmarks on the basis of raw energy return on investment (EROI) and normalized energy use per mass of estrogenic toxicity removed. It is the only tertiary treatment system that creates more energy than it consumes, and it delivers acceptable effluent quality for nutrient and coliform concentrations while rendering a significant reduction in estrogenic toxicity. These results highlight the dual water and energy sustainability benefits that accrue from the integration of municipal wastewater treatment and large-scale algae farming.
Modeling the student in intelligent tutoring sytems: The promise of a new psychometrics

This paper reviews a number of relatively new and promising psychometric approaches to the problem of modeling student achievement (the student model) within intelligent tutoring systems (ITS). A shared characteristic of most ITSs is their need to estimate a model of the student's understanding of the domain, and use this model to modify and adapt subsequent instructional content and sequence. Sound cognitive diagnosis and the need to advance ITS technology require the development of student models that are integrated with cognitive theory and instructional science. A number of cognitively oriented psychometric approaches — including latent-trait models, statistical pattern recognition methods, and causal probabilistic networks — are described and discussed within the current ITS framework. As measurement-based student models are refined, we anticipate their compatibility with future generations of intelligent tutoring systems.
Delayed-Enhanced MR Scar Imaging and Intraprocedural Registration Into an Electroanatomical Mapping System in Post-Infarction Patients

Post-infarction arrhythmias are most often confined to scar tissue. Scar can be detected by delayed-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of pre-procedural scar identification and intraprocedural real-time image registration with an electroanatomical map in 23 patients with previous infarction and ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). Registration accuracy and cardiac magnetic resonance/electroanatomical map correlations were assessed, and critical areas for VA were correlated with the presence of scar. With a positional registration error of 3.8 ± 0.8 mm, 86% of low-voltage points of the electroanatomical map projected onto the registered scar. The delayed-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance–defined scar correlated with the area of low voltage (R = 0.82, p
Localized Revenue Implications of Severe Tornado Outbreaks on the Lodging Industry

In 2011, significant tornado outbreaks occurred throughout the United States. The property damage from these tornadoes was record breaking at over $28 billion. The impact of these tornadic events on the lodging industry, however, was not as extreme and in some instances was financially beneficial. This study evaluated the revenue implications of severe tornado events on the lodging industry. Using data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Smith Travel Research (STR), the lodging industries of 17 counties impacted by either EF4 or EF5 (enhanced Fujita scale) tornadoes were analyzed. Results indicated that the lodging operations in all 17 counties experienced an occupancy percentage increase for multiple days after tornado events. Only five counties experienced significant increases in average daily rate (ADR) for seven days following tornado events. All but one county experienced increases in revenue per available room (RevPAR) following tornado events. This suggests t...
The design perspective in resource and environmental economics

Abstract Despite the fact that most regulatory problems in resource and environmental economics are design problems, rarely have resource economists explicity adopted the design perspective in modeling such problems. In this note I argue that the design perspective should be adopted. I highlight the merits of the design approach by studying an old problem - the regulation of an open access fishery (OAF) - in a new way. I show that the design perspective has important implications for fisheries management.
Converting student technology handbook into an electronic format

In order to address the rising costs of publishing, Southeast Missouri State University is in the process of converting its 43-page Student Technology Handbook into an interactive, electronic format. This presentation seeks to inform attendees about the new electronic format and its ability to allow users to easily access the information both online or from a DVD. The software used in the conversion as well as a timeline that reflects the time and resources involved will be discussed. Finally, the factors and considerations that need to be made before converting a handbook will be discussed during this presentation.Currently, it costs approximately $1.85 to produce this handbook in the paper format. We expect the new electronic format to cost approximately $0.25 cents offering us a significant savings in our current tight budget situations. The content will encompass all matters of technology that includes open computer labs, help desk, resnet, wireless, e-mail, and more.
Myofibroma: From protein losing enteropathy to liver tumor

Myofibromas are rare fibrous tumors, which can be solitary (myofibroma) or multiple (myofibromatosis). They can be dermatological or visceral in origin. Usually the dermatological tumors are benign and have good prognosis while those with visceral involvement are associated with poor outcome. The extent and location of these lesions are the important prognostic factors with a mortality rate of 75% with multifocal visceral involvement. The major difficulty in diagnosis is variable clinical presentation of these tumors. We report two cases which represent the wide clinical spectrum of these tumors ranging from protein losing enteropathy in infancy to liver tumor in childhood. Delay in the diagnosis and inappropriate management can be life threatening as each requires a specific treatment approach.
Collagen-platelet interaction: Type XI collagen-induced platelet aggregation

Type XI collagen in its native fibrillar but not in soluble monomeric form mediates human platelet aggregation and release of adenosine triphosphate in a dose-dependent manner. Its action is inhibited by aspirin. Type XI collagen also increased radiolabelled phosphate incorporation into protein bands with molecular weights of 42 KDa and 22 KDa, respectively. In contract, these events were not observed in platelets incubated with type IX collagen. These results suggest that the fibrillar type XI collagen has the same ability as other types of collagen to induce human platelet aggregation.
Autonomic neurons of the sacral spinal cord in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, anterior poliomyelitis and “neuronal intranuclear hyaline inclusion disease”: Distribution of sacral autonomic neurons

Further evidence is presented that the Onuf's nucleus (or “colonne en torsade” of Laruelle) and the intermediolateral nucleus of the sacral cord share common selective vulnerability with the thoracolumbar intermediolateral nucleus in ALS, anterior poliomyelitis and “neuronal intranuclear hyaline inclusion disease”. Sparing of the sacral nuclei in the motor neuron diseases and neuronal loss of the nuclei in the multisystem atrophy are correlated well with normal and disturbed vesicorectal function. The clinicopathological evidence strongly supports the view that the Onuf's nucleus represents autonomic neurons much as the intermediolateral nucleus.
C9orf72 nucleotide repeat structures initiate molecular cascades of disease

A hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE), (GGGGCC)n, in C9orf72 is the most common genetic cause of the neurodegenerative diseases amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here we identify a molecular mechanism by which structural polymorphism of the HRE leads to ALS/FTD pathology and defects. The HRE forms DNA and RNA G-quadruplexes with distinct structures and promotes RNA•DNA hybrids (R-loops). The structural polymorphism causes a repeat-length-dependent accumulation of transcripts aborted in the HRE region. These transcribed repeats bind to ribonucleoproteins in a conformation-dependent manner. Specifically, nucleolin, an essential nucleolar protein, preferentially binds the HRE G-quadruplex, and patient cells show evidence of nucleolar stress. Our results demonstrate that distinct C9orf72 HRE structural polymorphism at both DNA and RNA levels initiates molecular cascades leading to ALS/FTD pathologies, and provide the basis for a mechanistic model for repeat-associated neurodegenerative diseases.
Individual differences in digit span and chunking

Abstract The present experiment examined the relation between digit span and chunking in adults. Chunking was estimated from performance in a serial anticipation task that included run patterns and patterns discovered in conventionally constructed digit-span sequences. Chunking was indexed by the location of errors made on experimenter-defined chunks and by a measure that makes no assumptions about the location of chunk boundaries. Both measures revealed large individual differences in chunking; however, correlations between these differences and span tended to be weak and nonsignificant. Thus, the results provided no evidence that higher digit spans are due to more active chunking processes.
Reduced quadriceps strength relative to body weight: a risk factor for knee osteoarthritis in women?

Objective To determine whether baseline lower extremity muscle weakness is a risk factor for incident radiographic osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Methods This prospective study involved 342 elderly community-dwelling subjects (178 women, 164 men) from central Indiana, for whom baseline and followup (mean interval 31.3 months) knee radiographs were available. Lower extremity muscle strength was measured by isokinetic dynamometry and lean tissue (i.e., muscle) mass in the lower extremities by dual x-ray absorptiometry. Results Knee OA was associated with an increase in body weight in women (P = 0.0014), but not in men. In both sexes, lower extremity muscle mass exhibited a strong positive correlation with body weight. In women, after adjustment for body weight, knee extensor strength was 18% lower at baseline among subjects who developed incident knee OA than among the controls (P = 0.053), whereas after adjustment for lower extremity muscle mass, knee extensor strength was 15% lower than in the controls (P not significant). In men, in contrast, adjusted knee extensor strength at baseline was comparable to that in the controls. Among the 13 women who developed incident OA, there was a strong, highly significant negative correlation between body weight and extensor strength (r = -0.740, P = 0.003), that is, the more obese the subject, the greater the reduction of quadriceps strength. In contrast, among the 14 men who developed incident OA, a modest positive correlation existed between weight and quadriceps strength (r = 0.455, P = 0.058). No correlation between knee flexor (hamstring) strength and knee OA was seen in either sex. Conclusion Reduced quadriceps strength relative to body weight may be a risk factor for knee OA in women.
Low affinity binding of the classical D1 antagonist SCH23390 in rodent brain: potential interaction with A2A and D2-like receptors.

Abstract Whereas structurally dissimilar D1 antagonists competing for [3H]-SCH23390 binding recognize primarily one site in striatum, two distinct affinity states are observed in both amygdala and hippocampus. The binding profile of SCH23390 is similar in both of these regions, with the high affinity site (KD ∼ 0.4 nM) consistent with D1/D5 receptors. The appearance of the low affinity site (KD ∼ 300 nM) is dependent upon the absence of MgCl2, but independent of D1 expression (i.e., still present in D1 knockout mice). Although the density of high affinity state receptor is lower in hippocampus or amygdala of D1 knockout mice, some residual binding remains, consistent with the known expression of D5 receptors in these regions. Remarkably, in hippocampus, the affinity of the low affinity site is shifted rightward in the presence of the D2 antagonist domperidone and is largely absent in the hippocampus of D2 knockout animals. Additionally, this site is also shifted rightward in the presence of the A2A ligands SCH58261, CSC, or NECA, or in the absence of A2A receptors. The affinity of SCH23390 for this low affinity site is greater than seen for SCH23390 binding to D2 receptors in heterologous expression systems, consistent with the hypothesis that both D2 and A2A receptors are involved in the low affinity binding site. Therefore, we suggest that the heteromerization of D2 and A2A receptors reported previously in vitro also may occur in the brain of both rats and mice.
Immediate reconstruction of the wrist and dorsum of the hand with a free osteocutaneous groin flap

A free osteocutaneous groin flap, based on the deep circumflex iliac artery, was used to primarily fuse the wrist and stabilize the first and second metacarpal bones, as well as provide soft tissue coverage for a severely injured hand. The indications for primary reconstruction with free tissue transfers include a tidy wound with minimal bacterial contamination, ready access to uninjured recipient vessels, and a predictable advantage in the use of free tissue transfer over conventional techniques.
Minor burns: a review

Two million burns occur annually in the USA, of which 95% are treated in an out-patient setting. The treatment of burns is controversial. There are few data from controlled studies to provide rational guidelines for the frequency of both dressing changes and patient visits for the physician. Conclusions concerning infection drawn from studies on major burns are misleading when applied to the management of minor burns. Trauma to regenerating epithelium caused by frequent dressing change is of relatively less importance in treating major burns, because the control of infection is of overriding importance. In the treatment of minor burns, the traumatic consequences of too frequent changes of dressing may assume greater importance. There is a clear need to study the variables in the treatment of minor burns and to generate criteria for their clinical management that are distinct from those of major burn management. Collaborative studies of out-patient populations by providers of primary health care are suggested as a useful approach to such investigation. The effects of several additional therapies are reviewed, including initial cold therapy, debridement of blisters and antibiotics.
Abstract 1702: Metabolic heterogeneity of HER2-positive breast cancers.

Breast cancers are at least five molecularly distinct diseases with reported metabolic differences. Basal-like breast cancers are typically more glycolytic as compared to luminal-like breast cancers. However, HER2-positive breast tumors have variable FDG-PET maximum uptake values. We hypothesized that HER2-positive breast cancer cell lines would reflect the metabolic heterogeneity reported in breast cancer tumors. In the current study, a panel of HER2-positive breast cancer cell lines (N = 8) was profiled by their metabolic properties. To evaluate glycolytic dependency for ATP production, ATP-synthase dependent oxygen consumption rates were normalized to extracellular acidification rates using the Seahorse Bioscience XF analyzer. The glycolytic dependency was highly variable (12-fold range); ER-negative lines including AU565 and HCC1954 were the most glycolytic. Consistent with these results, HER2-positive/ER-negative cell lines produced more lactate compared to HER2-positive/ER-positive cell lines (1.5 versus 1.2 lactate produced/glucose consumed, p = 0.02). The glycolytic phenotypes of HER2-positive/ER-negative breast cancer cell lines were similar to that of basal-like breast cancer cell lines. For the HER2-positive lines, the highest rates of glutamine consumption were in ER-positive lines BT474 and HCC1419. Differential expression of mitochondrial glutaminase 2 (GLS2, p = 0.02), but not cytosolic glutaminase (GLS) or glutamine synthetase (GLUL), may contribute to higher rates of glutamine consumption by HER2-positive/ER-positive breast cancers. Consistent with higher rates of mitochondrial respiration, ER-positive/HER2-positive cells were also associated with higher expression of carbonic anhydrase 12 (CA12) and lower expression of the lactate transporter MCT1 (SLC16A1). Metabolic heterogeneity of HER2-positive cells was only evident in normoxic conditions. Per the “Pasteur effect,” all cell lines cultured under hypoxia (1% O2) were equally glycolytic (average = 1.8 lactate production/glucose consumption ratio) with correspondingly reduced rates of glutamine uptake. We conclude that the heterogeneity observed in FDG-PET may be influenced by fundamental metabolic differences between HER2-positive breast cancers, in particular, for well-oxygenated regions of the tumor. Citation Format: Jennifer B. Dennison, Gordon B. Mills. Metabolic heterogeneity of HER2-positive breast cancers. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1702. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1702
The feeding behavior of Beroe ovata

Patches of the neritic ctenophores Beroe ovata and Bolinopsis vitrea were observed on the edge of the Great Bahama Bank in order to determine the interaction between the predator Beroe ovata and its prey Bolinopsis vitrea. Laboratory experiments on Beroe ovata showed that it responds chemokinetically to the presence of its prey; as it swims it collides with other etenophores on which it preys. The unique use of macrocilia as cutting implements aids the predator in removing tissue from its prey, yielding maximum gain from each encounter. By means of direct observations while diving, data on horizontal and vertical patchiness, swimming speeds, abundance, and feeding behavior were collected, and used to assess the impact of populations of the predator on its prey. Together, these two animal populations form an ecological feed-back system which affects other portions of the planktonic community.
Laboratory Evaluation of Warm Asphalt Binder Aging Characteristics

As warm asphalt has been gaining increasing popularity in recent years, there are still several characteristics of warm asphalt, which are unknown. While several studies have been conducted to analyse the performance of warm asphalt mixtures, aging characteristics of warm-mix asphalt (WMA) binders are not known in great detail. This paper presents the results of a study to evaluate the aging characteristics of WMA binders artificially aged in the rolling thin film oven (RTFO) and the pressure aging vessel. RTFO aging was performed at 163°C and a lower temperature to simulate warm asphalt aging. The results of this study indicated that reducing the aging temperature reduced the aging index and increased the m-values, but had no significant effects on G*/sin δ, G*sin δ and stiffness of the binders. Also, the addition of warm asphalt additives significantly increased the G*/sin δ values and lowered the m-values of the binders.
On the derivation of frequency distributions of vector wind shear values for small shear intervals

The relationship between the shear interval and the mean vector shear in the free atmosphere is developed. It can be shown by observed data that the mean vector shear decreases with the shear interval following a power law. A linear relationship exists between mean vector shear and standard deviation for the corresponding shear intervals. The power law is also applicable to mean extreme vector shears. It is thus possible to analytically derive distributions of vector shear values for small shear intervals in the free atmosphere, where practically no regular measurements of such small increment recordings exist.
The STRS (shortness of breath, tremulousness, racing heart, and sweating): A brief checklist for acute distress with panic-like autonomic indicators; development and factor structure

Peritraumatic response, as currently assessed by Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) diagnostic criterion A2, has weak positive predictive value (PPV) with respect to PTSD diagnosis. Research suggests that indicators of peritraumatic autonomic activation may supplement the PPV of PTSD criterion A2. We describe the development and factor structure of the STRS (Shortness of Breath, Tremulousness, Racing Heart, and Sweating), a one page, two-minute checklist with a five-point Likert-type response format based on a previously unpublished scale. It is the first validated self-report measure of peritraumatic activation of the autonomic nervous system. We selected items from the Potential Stressful Events Interview (PSEI) to represent two latent variables: 1) PTSD diagnostic criterion A, and 2) acute autonomic activation. Participants (a convenience sample of 162 non-treatment seeking young adults) rated the most distressing incident of their lives on these items. We examined the factor structure of the STRS in this sample using factor and cluster analysis. Results confirmed a two-factor model. The factors together accounted for 68% of the variance. The variance in each item accounted for by the two factors together ranged from 41% to 74%. The item loadings on the two factors mapped precisely onto the two proposed latent variables. The factor structure of the STRS is robust and interpretable. Autonomic activation signs tapped by the STRS constitute a dimension of the acute autonomic activation in response to stress that is distinct from the current PTSD criterion A2. Since the PTSD diagnostic criteria are likely to change in the DSM-V, further research is warranted to determine whether signs of peritraumatic autonomic activation such as those measured by this two-minute scale add to the positive predictive power of the current PTSD criterion A2. Additionally, future research is warranted to explore whether the four automatic activation items of the STRS can be useful as the basis for a possible PTSD criterion A3 in the DSM-V.
Constructions of Cooperative Diversity Schemes for Asynchronous Wireless Networks

It has been shown by Li and Xia that there exist cooperative diversity schemes that can provide for diversity gains in wireless networks even without symbol synchronicity between cooperative network users. These asynchronicity-tolerant schemes were based on distributed space-time codes which maintained their full-rank property for specific asynchronicity cases and specific numbers of users. By expanding the signaling set, we provide constructions of schemes that maintain near-optimal error performance, given certain cooperation strategies and given synchronicity, and which are asynchronicity-tolerant, with probability one, for any asynchronicity profile and for all numbers of network users. By relating the problem of asynchronicity to the maximum degrees of freedom provided by a cooperative-diversity scheme, we are further able to provide cooperative diversity methods that are empirically shown to translate asynchronicity to reduction of the probability of error.
The Failure of Race Neutral Policies: How Mandatory Terms and Sentencing Enhancements Contribute to Mass Racialized Incarceration

This study examines the effects of mandatory terms and sentencing enhancements on Black and White men’s state-level prison admission rates. Four major findings emerge from the analysis. First, both mandatory terms and sentencing enhancements increase prison admission rates for Black and White men. Second, these policies disproportionately increase Black men’s admissions. Third, the effects of these policies—on both scale and disparity—are strongest and most consistent on admissions for violent offenses. Finally, although sentencing enhancements increase admission rates more consistently than mandatory terms, mandatory terms have larger effects on admission rates for the categories—for example, violent admissions for Black men—where they do increase admission rates. The findings are consistent with theories of modern racism, which argue that, in the post-civil rights era, racial disparities are primarily produced and maintained by colorblind policies and practices.
The impact of family history of breast cancer on women's health beliefs, salience of breast cancer family history, and degree of involvement in breast cancer issues.

ABSTRACT Prior investigations have employed the Health Belief Model (HBM) to predict health care utilization and cancer screening behaviors. The HBM is expanded in the current investigation to include issue involvement with breast cancer and salience of breast cancer family history. Differences in the constructs of this expanded HBM, as they relate to mammography screening, between women with positive and negative family histories of breast cancer were assessed in 378 women. Perceived benefits and barriers were found to be similar for women with positive and negative family histories of breast cancer. However, susceptibility, cues to action, salience of family history, and issue involvement were found to be more relevant for women with a positive family history of breast cancer. These findings have implications for interventions directed at increasing compliance with recommendations for breast cancer screening.
An investigation of the lowest-order transverse-electric (TE_1) mode of the parallel-plate waveguide for THz pulse propagation

We experimentally and theoretically investigate the lowest-order transverse-electric (TE1) mode of the parallel-plate waveguide (PPWG) for the propagation of broadband THz pulses. We demonstrate undistorted THz pulse propagation via the single TE1 mode, solving the group-velocity-dispersion and spectral-filtering problems caused by the mode's low-frequency cutoff. We observe a remarkable counterintuitive property of the TE1 mode: its attenuation decreases with increasing frequency for all frequencies above cutoff. This phenomenon has not been observed with any other THz waveguide to date, and it can enable extremely low-loss propagation. We present a physical interpretation of this frequency-dependent behavior using a simple plane-wave description of the TE1 mode propagation. We also find that it is possible to achieve almost 100% coupling to the TE1 mode from a focused free-space Gaussian beam. In addition, using the above plane-wave analysis, we show how to mitigate the diffraction losses inherent to long path-length PPWGs via the use of transverse-concave plates.
Gene name identification and normalization using a model organism database

Biology has now become an information science, and researchers are increasingly dependent on expert-curated biological databases to organize the findings from the published literature. We report here on a series of experiments related to the application of natural language processing to aid in the curation process for FlyBase. We focused on listing the normalized form of genes and gene products discussed in an article. We broke this into two steps: gene mention tagging in text, followed by normalization of gene names. For gene mention tagging, we adopted a statistical approach. To provide training data, we were able to reverse engineer the gene lists from the associated articles and abstracts, to generate text labeled (imperfectly) with gene mentions. We then evaluated the quality of the noisy training data (precision of 78%, recall 88%) and the quality of the HMM tagger output trained on this noisy data (precision 78%, recall 71%). In order to generate normalized gene lists, we explored two approaches. First, we explored simple pattern matching based on synonym lists to obtain a high recall/low precision system (recall 95%, precision 2%). Using a series of filters, we were able to improve precision to 50% with a recall of 72% (balanced F-measure of 0.59). Our second approach combined the HMM gene mention tagger with various filters to remove ambiguous mentions; this approach achieved an F-measure of 0.72 (precision 88%, recall 61%). These experiments indicate that the lexical resources provided by FlyBase are complete enough to achieve high recall on the gene list task, and that normalization requires accurate disambiguation; different strategies for tagging and normalization trade off recall for precision.
Bridging the Digital Divide in Public Schools

Most American public schools and the communities that fund them are finding it increasingly difficult to keep pace with the new wave of technology. Unfortunately, the “digital divide” between the “haves” and the “have nots” is widening. While some well-financed suburban schools have installed “wireless” computers and have trained teachers to use the new technologies, poorer urban and rural schools are lagging behind with outdated computers and insufficient Internet access. This gap has serious negative consequences for the future of the next generation. Those students from urban and rural working class families, largely racial and ethnic minorities, will be unable to compete with their wealthier, better educated, and more technologically advanced peers in the global marketplace. The purpose of this comparative analysis is to discover the causes of this “digital divide” between public schools and to recommend solutions to the inequities in students' access to technological innovations.
ULTRAVIOLET MUTAGENESIS AND ITS REPAIR IN AN ESCHERICHIA COLI STRAIN CONTAINING A NONSENSE CODON

Ultraviolet mutagenesis and its repair were studied mainly in WU36-10-89, a uvr- strain of Escherichia coli containing a UAG mutation in a gene for leucine biosynthesis. Following ultraviolet (UV) irradiation revertants appearing with or without direct photoreactivation (PR) were classified according to the presence and type of suppressor they contained. We find UV mutation production to be quite specific. An analysis of revertants produced by UV indicates they are formed mainly from GC → AT and that the miscoding is due to a cytosine residue at the site of mutation in a cytosine-thymine (CT) dimer. We propose that the dimer serves as template during some aspects of repair replication and at the time of replication the C in the dimer directs the insertion of A in the complementary strand. We also note that C → A and T →G changes caused by a CT dimer occur much less frequently.
Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a common quadratic Lyapunov function for two stable second order linear time-invariant systems

In this paper, necessary and sufficient conditions are derived for the existence of a common quadratic Lyapunov function for M (>2) stable second order linear time-invariant systems.
Heat Shock Proteins and the Inflammatory Response

: The heat shock proteins (HSPs) are important in the cellular response to stress and in cellular homeostatic functions such as protein synthesis and protein transport across membranes. An emerging body of data supports a role for HSPs in the inflammatory response, suggesting that HSPs participate in cytokine signal transduction and in the control of cytokine gene expression, that HSPs enhance antigen presentation to T lymphocytes, and that HSPs displayed on the surface of cells are important in targeting cytotoxic cells. Because changes in HSP accumulation occur in the whole organism under physiologic conditions, understanding the role of HSPs in the immune/inflammatory response may aid in understanding the organism's response to danger.
Diagnostic Dilemma: Left Aortic Arch with Right Descending Aorta—A Rare Vascular Ring

An infant had a rare type of vascular ring comprising a left aortic arch, a retroesophageal transverse aorta, a right descending aorta, and a right ligamentum arteriosum. Noninvasive studies including echocardiography with Doppler color flow mapping and magnetic resonance imaging were diagnostic of a vascular ring. However, only angiography prospectively established the exact type of ring. This report discusses the pitfalls of noninvasive studies used to diagnose unusual arch anomalies.
Unraveling Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education

Evidence-based practices (EBPs) are instructional techniques that meet prescribed criteria related to the research design, quality, quantity, and effect size of supporting research, which have the potential to help bridge the research-to-practice gap and improve student outcomes. In this article, the authors (a) discuss the importance of clear understanding and communication regarding EBPs and what works in special education; (b) define EBPs and discuss how they are identified; (c) differentiate the term EBP from related terms such as research-based, best, and recommended practices; (d) consider the purview of EBPs; and (e) present relevant caveats related to EBPs. The authors conclude by providing recommendations to facilitate special educators’ clear and effectual thinking and communication about EBPs.
Fast Online Training of Ramp Loss Support Vector Machines

A fast online algorithm OnlineSVMR for training Ramp-Loss Support Vector Machines (SVMRs) is proposed. It finds the optimal SVMR for t+1 training examples using SVMR built on t previous examples. The algorithm retains the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions on all previously observed examples. This is achieved by an SMO-style incremental learning and decremental unlearning under the Concave-Convex Procedure framework. Further speedup of training time could be achieved by dropping the requirement of optimality. A variant, called OnlineASVMR, is a greedy approach that approximately optimizes the SVMR objective function and is suitable for online active learning. The proposed algorithms were comprehensively evaluated on 9 large benchmark data sets. The results demonstrate that OnlineSVMR (1) has the similar computational cost as its offline counterpart; (2) outperforms IDSVM, its competing online algorithm that uses hinge-loss, in terms of accuracy, model sparsity and training time. The experiments on online active learning show that for a fixed number of label queries OnlineASVMR (1) achieves consistently better accuracy than QueryAll and competitive accuracy to Greedy approach; (2) outperforms the active learning version of IDSVM.
Optimization of Analytical Methods Using Designed Experiments

To develop any analytical method, answers to the following questions are required: 1. What variables influence the measurement? 2. What are the best conditions for making the measurement? 3. What degree of regulation is required for each of the respective variables?
Usage statistics for the evaluation of electronic resources

This enticing program, sponsored by the Reference and User Services Association, Collection Development and Evaluation Section (RUSA/CODES) Collection Evaluation Techniques Committee, convened befo...
Physiological Roles of Acid-Base Sensors

Acid-base homeostasis is essential for life. The macromolecules upon which living organisms depend are sensitive to pH changes, and physiological systems use the equilibrium between carbon dioxide, bicarbonate, and protons to buffer their pH. Biological processes and environmental insults are constantly challenging an organism's pH; therefore, to maintain a consistent and proper pH, organisms need sensors that measure pH and that elicit appropriate responses. Mammals use multiple sensors for measuring both intracellular and extracellular pH, and although some mammalian pH sensors directly measure protons, it has recently become apparent that many pH-sensing systems measure pH via bicarbonate-sensing soluble adenylyl cyclase.
Reliability analysis of the double counter-rotating ring with concentrator attachments

The inherently weak reliability behavior of the ring architecture has led network designers to consider various design choices to improve network reliability. We assess the impact of provisions such as node bypass, secondary ring and concentrator trees on network reliability. For this reason, we develop closed-form expressions for the reliability and the mean time-to-failure of the double counter-rotating ring architecture. For our comparisons we adopt the 2-terminal, and the all-terminal reliability criteria. Our network reliability expressions are valid for any time-to-failure distributions of links and nodes. >