cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incorporating computational science activities in high school algebra

Despite great increases in the role of computation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), there has been no comprehensive curriculum for computational science in K-12 education [5]. The June 2005 President's Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC) report stated that "only a small fraction of the potential of computational science is being realized", and "the diverse technical skills and technologies ... constitute a critical U.S. infrastructure that we under appreciate and undervalue at our peril [4]." Despite a growing focus on STEM education, a substantial shortage exists of Americans qualified to work in STEM professions, including scientific research [1]. Progress in training computational scientists is lagging demand in the U.S. today. As this decade is seeing growth in the number of graduate, undergraduate, and teacher training programs in computational science [7], it is vital that the curriculum and materials to infuse computation into K-12 schools are made avail.Previous studies have shown how interactive learning objects can be incorporated into teaching, allowing teachers to make classrooms more engaging and student active, provided faculty using the resources have adequate training, a willingness to modify their teaching styles, and access to or time to create quality interactive assignments [6]. The Computational Science Education Reference Desk (CSERD), a Pathway project of the National Science Digital Library, collects learning objects for teaching about and teaching with computation, reviewing items in its catalog on the basis of verification, validation, and accreditation to help provide faculty with information regarding the quality of the learning objects [3].This study attempts to determine the effectiveness of a set of interactive learning materials from the CSERD collection in teaching concepts in a freshman Algebra I class. Materials from the CSERD resource Project Interactivate [2] will be used in a series of 4 lessons through February and March 2006 at a parochial school in Northeastern New Jersey. Students will take a pre- and post-test on topics covered in this period. Students and teachers will be surveyed to determine their attitudes towards the use of computation in learning and towards mathematics in general. Additionally, students will submit a daily feedback statement after each augmented lesson.
Changes in the vertical distribution of capelin (Mallotus villosus) off Newfoundland

Vertical distribution patterns of capelin were examined using data from spring and autumn acoustic surveys off northeastern Newfoundland in the years 1988-2000. Until 1991, capelin typically underwent diel vertical migrations from 50 to 150 m. Since 1991, vertical migrations have been reduced or have become erratic, with capelin commonly located deeper in the water column (200+m) and closer to the seabed. Changes in vertical distribution initially coincided with the onset of a severe cold period, but distributions failed to return to normal as waters warmed. Vertical distribution was examined with regard to potential habitat-selection factors, including capelin density, water temperature, fish size, maturity stage, and proximity of predators. Of these, only fish density and predator (Atlantic cod) presence were significant. Capelin occupied more of the water column when their density was high than when it was low, and they were found farther from the seabed in areas with cod than without. Results indicate that, during the 1990s, capelin should have been able to optimize vertical distribution and feeding. This is not consistent with reports of poorer capelin condition and size-at-age in the 1990s, suggesting that vertical distributions are likely a result of changes in other factors, such as prey availability.
The Genetics of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that represents a growing global health crisis. Two major forms of the disease exist: early onset (familial) and late onset (sporadic). Early onset Alzheimer's is rare, accounting for less than 5% of disease burden. It is inherited in Mendelian dominant fashion and is caused by mutations in three genes (APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2). Late onset Alzheimer's is common among individuals over 65 years of age. Heritability of this form of the disease is high (79%), but the etiology is driven by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. A large number of genes have been implicated in the development of late onset Alzheimer's. Examples that have been confirmed by multiple studies include ABCA7, APOE, BIN1, CD2AP, CD33, CLU, CR1, EPHA1, MS4A4A/MS4A4E/MS4A6E, PICALM, and SORL1. Despite tremendous progress over the past three decades, roughly half of the heritability for the late onset of the disease remains unidentified. Finding the remaining genetic factors that contribute to the development of late onset Alzheimer's disease holds the potential to provide novel targets for treatment and prevention, leading to the development of effective strategies to combat this devastating disease.
Design of a differentially flat 3R planar under-actuated manipulator with a single input at the second joint

In contrast to a fully actuated system, an under-actuated system cannot execute all joint trajectories. However, under-actuation may be unavoidable at times, such as during joint failure. In recent literature, an under-actuated open-chain planar manipulator with revolute joints has been shown to be feedback linearizable with specific choices of mass and inertia distribution. It has been shown that the dynamic model of an n-joint manipulator with center of mass located at joint 2 and with only one actuator is static feedback linearizable if and only if the input is at the first or the last joint [1]. In our pursuit for novel designs of under-actuated arms, which are both controllable and feedback linearizable, we investigate the feasibility of designing a 3R planar under-actuated manipulator which has a different distribution of compliance [1]. This study shows that this new architecture of 3R planar under-actuated manipulator with one input at the second joint can still be designed to be differentially flat. With this design, a simple stabilizing controller in the flat output space enables the system to perform point-to-point motion and mitigate initial errors.
Co-location of mental health professionals in primary care settings : Three north carolina models

The pressing need for identification and treatment of behavioral health disorders in primary care has renewed interest in the concept of co-located models of care. The purpose of this article is to describe three North Carolina practice models in which mental health professionals are co-located with pediatric primary care providers. Each of the models was sustainable, partly due to systemic changes brought about by advocacy efforts. In addition to providing practical guidance for possible replication in primary care, this article reflects on how advocacy efforts can impact the success of co-location models.
MUVI: automatically inferring multi-variable access correlations and detecting related semantic and concurrency bugs

Software defects significantly reduce system dependability. Among various types of software bugs, semantic and concurrency bugs are two of the most difficult to detect. This paper proposes a novel method, called MUVI, that detects an important class of semantic and concurrency bugs. MUVI automatically infers commonly existing multi-variable access correlations through code analysis and then detects two types of related bugs: (1) inconsistent updates--correlated variables are not updated in a consistent way, and (2) multi-variable concurrency bugs--correlated accesses are not protected in the same atomic sections in concurrent programs.We evaluate MUVI on four large applications: Linux, Mozilla,MySQL, and PostgreSQL. MUVI automatically infers more than 6000 variable access correlations with high accuracy (83%).Based on the inferred correlations, MUVI detects 39 new inconsistent update semantic bugs from the latest versions of these applications, with 17 of them recently confirmed by the developers based on our reports.We also implemented MUVI multi-variable extensions to tworepresentative data race bug detection methods (lock-set and happens-before). Our evaluation on five real-world multi-variable concurrency bugs from Mozilla and MySQL shows that the MUVI-extension correctly identifies the root causes of four out of the five multi-variable concurrency bugs with 14% additional overhead on average. Interestingly, MUVI also helps detect four new multi-variable concurrency bugs in Mozilla that have never been reported before. None of the nine bugs can be identified correctly by the original race detectors without our MUVI extensions.
Engineering data exchange in the ROSE system

Two engineering data exchange standards have emerged in the realm of design-IGES (initial graphics exchange specification) and PDES (product data exchange using STEP). The authors discuss how these data exchange standards are being integrated into the ROSE (Rensselaer object system for engineering) system, a database system developed to support concurrent engineering. An overview of ROSE is given, followed by background material on IGES and PDES. The integration of these standards into ROSE is considered. Exchanging data between applications is an important requirement for heterogeneous concurrent engineering systems. The ROSE data management system meets this requirement by providing interfaces to the IGES data exchange standard and the PDES proposed standard, as well as a data translation tool for altering the structure of a composite object in a ROSE database. >
Astrological TV: The Creation and Destruction of a Genre

The National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters implemented its Television Code in March 1952 to protect the commercial system from congressional attempts to reform it. Angered by the Code's prohibition of the so-called astrological programs, viewers mobilized and wrote letters of protest to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 1953. Taken as a whole, the letters demonstrate viewers' confusion about—but wholesale belief in—the FCC's role in regulating television, and they reveal viewers' discursive construction of this fledgling genre. Rather than analyzing the prohibition of astrological programs as a self-regulatory maneuver or as a cultural moment, this article highlights the intersection of industrial self-regulation, government regulatory power, and viewer feedback.
Economic Crisis and Children

The global economic downturn is impacting countries in East Asia and the Pacific, threatening to reverse progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially with regards to children’s health, education, and overall development. Of concern are potential adverse affects on children vis-a-vis poor health indicators, lower educational attainment, increased child labor, and reduced family incomes. How governments respond is vital to ensuring that the crisis does not lead to long-term consequences for children and vulnerable populations. Badly designed policies or those that are slow to materialize can be destabilizing and detrimental to the populations they aim to protect. Social safety nets and increased expenditures for social services, particularly in health and education, are important for protecting the poor. UNICEF, along with other UN agencies, is working with governments to monitor the impacts of the crisis and to harmonize and implement pro-poor social policies that protect vulnerable populations from current and future crises.
Sensitivity analysis and dynamic range of quad filters and some comparative results

The paper considers general sensitivity analysis and dynamic range of quad filters. The use of quad structures in the design of symmetrical and/or unsymmetrical active filters is studied from the sensitivity and dynamic range points of view and these are compared with other design methods. Determination of gain constants of biquadratic blocks either according to overloading or noise immunity or both for quad realization are also considered. It is shown that, especially for symmetrical transfer functions, the design equations are simple and that the sensitivity performance is as good as the FLF and LF configurations and better than GFLF. Furthermore, it is shown with an example that quad realization also yields better dynamic range as compared to GFLF.
Effect of Stresses in Molybdenum Back Contact Film on Properties of CIGSS Absorber Layer

Analysis of CuIn 1-x Ga x Se 2-y S y (CIGSS) absorber and molybdenum back contact layer was carried out to understand the changes in the microstructure of CIGSS layer as a function of the deposition conditions and the nature of stress in the underlying Mo film. All the depositions were carried out on 10 cm x 10 cm glass substrates. Compressive and tensile stressed molybdenum films were prepared with combinations of deposition parameters; power and pressure. CIGSS absorber layer was prepared by depositing metallic precursors using DC magnetron sputtering followed by selenization and sulfurization. Molybdenum layer deposited at 300 W and 3 x 10 Torr pressure produced compressive stress with compact, well adherent and lower sheet resistance as compared to the tensile stressed film deposited at 200 W and 5 x 10 Torr. The crystallinity of the CIGSS film was found not to depend on the stress in the underlying molybdenum film. However, the adhesion at the Mo/CIGSS as well as gallium profile at the Mo/CIGSS interface were affected by the stress.
Superoxide mediates endotoxin-induced platelet-endothelial cell adhesion in intestinal venules.

Platelets have been implicated in the pathogenesis of different diseases of the vascular system, including atherosclerosis, sepsis, and ischemia-reperfusion injury; however, relatively little is kn...
Distinct Mutations in IRAK-4 Confer Hyporesponsiveness to Lipopolysaccharide and Interleukin-1 in a Patient with Recurrent Bacterial Infections

We identified previously a patient with recurrent bacterial infections who failed to respond to gram-negative LPS in vivo, and whose leukocytes were profoundly hyporesponsive to LPS and IL-1 in vitro. We now demonstrate that this patient also exhibits deficient responses in a skin blister model of aseptic inflammation. A lack of IL-18 responsiveness, coupled with diminished LPS and/or IL-1-induced nuclear factor-kappaB and activator protein-1 translocation, p38 phosphorylation, gene expression, and dysregulated IL-1R-associated kinase (IRAK)-1 activity in vitro support the hypothesis that the defect lies within the signaling pathway common to toll-like receptor 4, IL-1R, and IL-18R. This patient expresses a "compound heterozygous" genotype, with a point mutation (C877T in cDNA) and a two-nucleotide, AC deletion (620-621del in cDNA) encoded by distinct alleles of the IRAK-4 gene (GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession nos. AF445802 and AY186092). Both mutations encode proteins with an intact death domain, but a truncated kinase domain, thereby precluding expression of full-length IRAK-4 (i.e., a recessive phenotype). When overexpressed in HEK293T cells, neither truncated form augmented endogenous IRAK-1 kinase activity, and both inhibited endogenous IRAK-1 activity modestly. Thus, IRAK-4 is pivotal in the development of a normal inflammatory response initiated by bacterial or nonbacterial insults.
Chicory inulin does not increase stool weight or speed up intestinal transit time in healthy male subjects

Inulin is a non-digestible oligosaccharide classified as a prebiotic, a substrate that promotes the growth of certain beneficial microorganisms in the gut. We examined the effect of a 20 g day−1 supplement of chicory inulin on stool weight, intestinal transit time, stool frequency and consistency, selected intestinal microorganisms and enzymes, fecal pH, short chain fatty acids and ammonia produced as by-products of bacterial fermentation. Twelve healthy male volunteers consumed a well-defined, controlled diet with and without a 20 g day−1 supplement of chicory inulin (degree of polymerization (DP) ranging for 2–60), with each treatment lasting for 3 weeks in a randomized, double-blind crossover trial. Inulin was consumed in a low fat ice cream. No differences were found in flavor or appeal between the control and inulin-containing ice creams. Inulin consumption resulted in a significant increase in total anaerobes and Lactobacillus species and a significant decrease in ammonia levels and β-glucuronidase activity. Flatulence increased significantly with the inulin treatment. No other significant differences were found in bowel function with the addition of inulin to the diet. Thus, inulin is easily incorporated into a food product and has no negative effects on food acceptability. Twenty grams of inulin was well tolerated, but had minimal effects on measures of laxation in healthy, human subjects.
Perfectionism, Perceived Stress, Drinking to Cope, and Alcohol-Related Problems Among College Students

This study investigated the association between perfectionism (categorized by adaptive perfectionistic, maladaptive perfectionistic, or nonperfectionistic groups), perceived stress, drinking alcohol to cope, and alcohol-related problems in a large sample of college students (N = 354). Maladaptive perfectionists reported significantly higher levels of stress and drinking to cope than adaptive perfectionists and nonperfectionists. Adaptive perfectionists reported the fewest alcohol-related problems, suggesting that healthy levels of high standards may protect against drinking to cope with stress. Across all participants, a significant indirect effect for drinking to cope supported its role as a mediator between stress and alcohol-related problems. Structural equation modeling analyses supported the moderating role of perfectionism in this mediation model, such that maladaptive perfectionists were more likely to drink to cope under stress and report alcohol-related problems, whereas higher stress was associated with fewer alcohol-related problems among nonperfectionists. Additional analyses revealed higher stress levels for women and a stronger link between stress and drinking to cope for women compared to men. Future research directions as well as clinical implications regarding perfectionism, stress, drinking to cope, and alcohol-related problems are discussed.
Chemical Alarm Signals in Juvenile Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus, Centrarchidae)

We investigated the presence of chemical alarm signals in juvenile Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) under laboratory conditions. We exposed individual sunfish to skin extracts of conspecifics and swordtails (Xiphophorus helleri), a species not known to possess alarm pheromones and that is phylogenetically distant and allopatric from green sunfish. Sunfish significantly increased time spent freezing and time with dorsal fin rays erect (known antipredator postures) in response to conspecific skin extract but not to swordtail skin extract. No significant difference was noted in change in area use for sunfish exposed to conspecific versus swordtail skin extract. These results suggest that juvenile green sunfish possess chemical alarm signals. This is the first such demonstration in a centrarchid species.
Optimal Multiple Crop Price Hedging: Robust Estimates Under Yield/Basis Risk

This paper examines how commodity futures can optimally be used by farmers to reduce exposure to price risk in the presence of production uncertainty. The multiple-crop hedging problem is modeled under conditions of price risk, production risk, and basis risk. The results are of general significance for producers with concave utility functions of expected wealth. Optimal hedges are obtained that are quantitatively robust for different wealth levels and for variations in utility functions spanning the plausible range from decreasing to increasing relative risk aversion and for relative risk aversion coefficients of any plausible value. Extensions to the existing literature include a closed form solution that provides robust estimates of optimal hedging strategy for the multiple crop hedging problem under uncertain yields, estimation of the optimal hedge variation as a function of distance from the geographical center of crop production, and optimal hedge estimates for state average crop mixes by state for forty-two states.
The Petitioning System in Iran: State, Society and Power Relations in the Late 19th Century

Considering the plethora of academic studies on the relationship of the Iranian judicial system and citizens' rights, a book on the “Investigation of Complaints” and the institution of maẓālim as p...
Amputation for discrepancy of limb length in tuberculosis of the hip.

In the case described, a typical patient with tuberculosis of the hip, who was treated for a long time in traction and many plaster casts, with manipulation of the extremity under anaesthesia to correct apparent deformity about the knee, had two operations upon the hip with further immobilization. When fusion of the joint finally occurred, the extremity was 13.75 centimeters shorter than its normal mate, and a calcaneocavus deformity of the foot was present. The method of treating such a useless and unsightly extremity includes the following steps: 1. Fusion of the knee joint; 2. Amputation of the extremity, so that the end of the stump will be at the same level as the knee joint of the "good" leg; 3. Fitting the patient with the proper prosthesis, after rehabilitation and training by prior application of a walking pylon. The excellent result in the case described warrants serious consideration of this method of treatment for an extensively deformed and shortened lower extremity, resulting from damage to the susceptible epiphyses during so-called "conservative" treatment of hipjoint tuberculosis or other disease requiring prolonged immobilization of the lower extremity.
Agalsidase Beta Clinical Trials and Long Term Experience

There have been phase I/II and III clinical trials of agalsidase beta infusions for treatment of Fabry disease. The phase I/II trial demonstrated that agalsidase beta infusions were well tolerated, and that globotriaocylceramide (GL-3) clearance was dose dependent. A phase III trials demonstrated clearance of GL-3 on a tissue level. A separate study demonstrated decreased risk of renal progression with therapy in a population with advanced disease. There is evidence of benefit for the renal, cardiac, and quality of life manifestations. Additional studies are needed to address cerebrovascular disease, life expectancy, and other problems related to Fabry disease. Enzyme replacement therapy with agalsidase beta has been a major advance in the care of patients with this disorder.
Chapter 2 Direct-Sequence Systems

A spread-spectrum signal is one with an extra modulation that expands the signal bandwidth greatly beyond what is required by the underlying coded-data modulation. Spread-spectrum communication systems are useful for suppressing interference, making secure communications difficult to detect and process, accommodating fading and multipath channels, and providing a multiple-access capability. Spread-spectrum signals cause relatively minor interference to other systems operating in the same spectral band. The most practical and dominant spread-spectrum systems are direct-sequence and frequency-hopping systems.
The 3H–3He Charge Radii Difference

The upcoming E12-14-009 [1] experiment at Jefferson Lab will determine the ratio of the electric form factors for the A=3 mirror nuclei 3 He and 3 H. The measurement will use a 1.1 GeV electron beam, a special collimator plate to allow for simultaneous optics measurements, and the low-activity tritium target being prepared for Jefferson Lab. By observing the dependence of the form factor ratio as a function of Q 2 over 0.05–0.09 GeV2 , the dependence of the radii extraction on the shape of the form factors is minimized. As a result, we anticipate the uncertainty of the extracted charge radii difference to be 0.03 fm, a reduction of 70% from the current measurement. Using precise measurements of the 3 He charge radius from isotopic shift or μ He measurements [2–4], we can deduce the absolute 3 H charge radius. The results will provide a direct comparison to recent calculations of the charge radii.
Prophylactic antibiotic therapy in the management of acute pancreatitis

Studies done in the early 1970s came to the conclusion that antibiotic prophylaxis was not useful in the management of acute pancreatitis. However, these studies suffered from the drawback of using antibiotics that had poor penetration into the pancreas. In addition, the design of these trials were faulty. With the advent of new information and the availability of better antibiotics, the picture is changing. Recent studies have suggested that antibiotic prophylaxis is useful in decreasing the incidence of infection in patients with severe pancreatitis. Of the antibiotics that have been tested, imipenem appears to be the most promising.
Chapter 32 – Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus is the prototypic autoimmune disease which can have features of every other autoimmune disease, from demyelination of the brain to desquamation of the skin. It is not a rare disease, affecting more than 1.5 million people in the USA alone. It is more common to African Americans, Latinos, and Asians. The disease preferentially affects women in their childbearing years. The disease is not inherited in classical Mendelian fashion. Its pathogenesis is complex and involves T and B lymphocytes and the presence of autoantibodies which form the basis for inflammation and the pathology found in various organ systems. Any organ system can be affected. The basis for therapy is immunosuppression, but a recent emphasis on the development of biological agents that inhibit autoreactive B cells, interrupt cytokine signaling, and facilitate the development of regulatory T cells is the future direction for control of the illness.
Ectopic Vas Deferens Inserting Into Distal Retroiliac Ureter in the Currarino Syndrome

Vas deferens ectopia is a rare congenital anomaly frequently associated with anorectal abnormalities and hypospadias. We present a Currarino syndrome case with an ectopic vas deferens terminating in a distal retroiliac ureter. A left vasectomy, ureteral decussation over the iliac vessels, and a Cohen's-type ureteral reimplantation were performed. The objectives are to preserve renal function, prevent epididymitis, and preserve fertility. There is no evidence in the literature that recommends surgical correction of the vas deferens. Microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration or testicular sperm extraction combined with intracytoplasmic sperm injection might be a viable strategy for these affected individuals.
Control Engineering Methods for the Design of Robust Behavioral Treatments

In this paper, a robust control approach is used to address the problem of adaptive behavioral treatment design. Human behavior (e.g., smoking and exercise) and reactions to treatment are complex and depend on many unmeasurable external stimuli, some of which are unknown. Thus, it is crucial to model human behavior over many subject responses. We propose a simple (low order) uncertain affine model subject to uncertainties whose response covers the most probable behavioral responses. The proposed model contains two different types of uncertainties: uncertainty of the dynamics and external perturbations that patients face in their daily life. Once the uncertain model is defined, we demonstrate how least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso) can be used as an identification tool. The lasso algorithm provides a way to directly estimate a model subject to sparse perturbations. With this estimated model, a robust control algorithm is developed, where one relies on the special structure of the uncertainty to develop efficient optimization algorithms. This paper concludes by using the proposed algorithm in a numerical experiment that simulates treatment for the urge to smoke.
Characterizing user-perceived impairment events using end-to-end measurements: Research Articles

Measures of quality of service (QoS) must correlate to end-user experience. For multimedia services, these metrics should focus on the phenomena that are observable by the end-user. Metrics such as delay and loss may have little direct meaning to the end-user because knowledge of specific coding and/or adaptive techniques is required to translate delay and loss to the user-perceived performance. Impairment events, as defined in this paper, are observable by the end-users independent of coding, adaptive playout or packet loss concealment techniques employed by their multimedia applications. Time between impairments and duration of impairments are metrics that are easily understandable by a network user. Methods to detect these impairment events using end-to-end measurements are developed here. In addition, techniques to identify Layer 2 route changes and congestion events using end-to-end measurements are also developed. These are useful in determining what caused the impairments. End-to-end measurements were conducted for about 26 days on 9 different node pairs to evaluate the developed techniques. Impairments occurred at a high rate on the two paths on which congestion events were detected. On these two paths, congestion occurred for 6–8 hours during the day on weekdays. Impairments caused by route changes were rare but lasted for several minutes. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Situating Korean American Men in Asian America

Utilizing a social construction lens, Hearn situates Korean American men within US history beginning with Chinese migration to Hawaii. The chapter proposes that the seeds for Asian American male stereotypes and the racial discrimination Korean American men face today were planted during the arrival of Asians to the Hawaiian Islands and then to California. Hearn offers several different understandings of racism and how the media continues to perpetuate Asian American stereotypes. These stereotypes contribute to the ongoing construction of Asian American masculinity and subsequent racial discrimination toward Korean American men.
Is the icc Targeting Africa Inappropriately? A Moral, Legal, and Sociological Assessment

This short essay considers the legitimacy of the ICC’s early focus on Africa along three interrelated dimensions: moral, legal, and sociological. It argues that the ICC’s Africa focus is neither legally nor morally inappropriate, but nonetheless threatens to undermine perceptions of the Court’s fairness.
Economic feasibility of safety improvements on low-volume roads

ABSTRACTThis article presents an investigation into the economic feasibility of safety countermeasures along rural low-volume roads. Although these roads may be associated with higher crash risks as they're built to meet lower standards, crash frequencies are notably lower than those on other roadways with higher traffic exposure. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that some conventional safety countermeasures that are proven to be cost effective on well-travelled roads may turn out to be infeasible on low-volume roads. Twenty-seven safety improvements were examined in this investigation for their economic feasibility along low-volume roads. A roadway sample of 681 miles of Oregon was used in this study. Detailed benefit–cost analyses were performed using countermeasure costs, 10-year crash data, and expected crash reductions using Highway Safety Manual methods. Around half of the countermeasures investigated were found cost-effective for implementation along low-volume roads. Further, most of the coun...
Spatio-temporal localization of intense pulses in gas-filled capillaries

We investigate pulse propagation from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared in gas-filled capillaries. For shorter wavelength pulses and smaller capillary diameters, ionization-induced refraction excites higher-order modes, and their constructive interference leads to spatio-temporal localization.
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor mobilizes dormant hematopoietic stem cells without proliferation in mice

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is used clinically to treat leukopenia and to enforce hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) mobilization to the peripheral blood (PB). However, G-CSF is also produced in response to infection, and excessive exposure reduces HSC repopulation capacity. Previous work has shown that dormant HSCs contain all the long-term repopulation potential in the bone marrow (BM), and that as HSCs accumulate a divisional history, they progressively lose regenerative potential. As G-CSF treatment also induces HSC proliferation, we sought to examine whether G-CSF-mediated repopulation defects are a result of increased proliferative history. To do so, we used an established H2BGFP label retaining system to track HSC divisions in response to G-CSF. Our results show that dormant HSCs are preferentially mobilized to the PB on G-CSF treatment. We find that this mobilization does not result in H2BGFP label dilution of dormant HSCs, suggesting that G-CSF does not stimulate dormant HSC proliferation. Instead, we find that proliferation within the HSC compartment is restricted to CD41-expressing cells that function with short-term, and primarily myeloid, regenerative potential. Finally, we show CD41 expression is up-regulated within the BM HSC compartment in response to G-CSF treatment. This emergent CD41Hi HSC fraction demonstrates no observable engraftment potential, but directly matures into megakaryocytes when placed in culture. Together, our results demonstrate that dormant HSCs mobilize in response to G-CSF treatment without dividing, and that G-CSF-mediated proliferation is restricted to cells with limited regenerative potential found within the HSC compartment.
Mechanisms and Microfoundations in Theorizing about Performance: an Action-Based Approach

Performance theorizing currently faces three challenges: the search for microfoundations, the integration of isolated explanations offered by the incumbent theories, and the formulation of conclusi...
Improving Backpressure-based Adaptive Routing via Incremental Expansion of Routing Choices

Backpressure-based adaptive routing algorithms have been studied extensively in the literature. Although backpressure-based adaptive routing algorithms have been shown to be network-wide throughput optimal, they typically have poor delay performance under light or moderate loads because packets may be sent over unnecessarily long routes. Further, backpressure-based algorithms have required every node to compute differential backlogs for every destination queue with the corresponding destination queue at every adjacent node. This computation is expensive given the large number of possible pairwise differential backlogs and requires many exchanges of backlog information between adjacent nodes. In this paper, we propose new backpressure-based adaptive routing algorithms that only use shortest-path routes to destinations when they are sufficient to accommodate the given traffic load, but the proposed algorithms will incrementally expand routing choices as needed to accommodate increasing traffic loads. We show analytically by means of fluid analysis that the proposed algorithms retain network-wide throughput optimality, and we show empirically by means of simulations that our proposed algorithms provide substantial improvements in delay performance. Our evaluations further show that in practice, our approach dramatically reduces the number of pairwise differential backlogs that have to be computed and the amount of corresponding backlog information that has to be exchanged because routing choices are only incrementally expanded as needed.
Multisensory expectations shape olfactory input to the brain

The mammalian brain interprets sensory input based on prior multisensory knowledge of the external world, but it is unknown how this knowledge influences neural processing in individual sensory modalities. We found that GABAergic periglomerular interneuron populations in the olfactory bulb endogenously respond not only to odors but also to visual, auditory, and somatosensory stimuli in waking (but not anesthetized) mice. When these stimuli predict future odors, they evoke enhanced interneuron activity during the time odor normally occurs. When expectations are violated by omitting an expected warning tone before an odor, odor presentation evokes a burst of interneuron activity. The resulting GABA release presynaptically suppresses neurotransmitter release from the axon terminals of olfactory sensory neurons, the cells that transduce odor in the nasal epithelium and communicate this information to the brain. Expectations, even those evoked by cues in other sensory modalities, can thus affect the very first neurons in the olfactory system.
Revascularization Strategies in CKD: Antiplatelet Therapy, Stent Type, Timing, and Complications of PCI

Accelerated atherosclerosis, coupled with several nontraditional risk factors increases coronary artery disease ﻿(CAD) burden in patients with all stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Given the complex anatomy, heavy calcific burden, and the brittle bleeding–clotting paradigm in CKD, post-percutaneous coronary interventional outcomes remain inferior in CKD compared to patients with preserved renal function. This chapter will review various aspects of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with CAD and CKD, including outcomes of bare-metal (BMS) versus drug-eluting stents (DES), duration and type of dual antiplatelet therapy, and timing and complications of PCI.
The cost determinants of routine infant immunization services: a meta-regression analysis of six country studies

Evidence on immunization costs is a critical input for cost-effectiveness analysis and budgeting, and can describe variation in site-level efficiency. The Expanded Program on Immunization Costing and Financing (EPIC) Project represents the largest investigation of immunization delivery costs, collecting empirical data on routine infant immunization in Benin, Ghana, Honduras, Moldova, Uganda, and Zambia. We developed a pooled dataset from individual EPIC country studies (316 sites). We regressed log total costs against explanatory variables describing service volume, quality, access, other site characteristics, and income level. We used Bayesian hierarchical regression models to combine data from different countries and account for the multi-stage sample design. We calculated output elasticity as the percentage increase in outputs (service volume) for a 1% increase in inputs (total costs), averaged across the sample in each country, and reported first differences to describe the impact of other predictors. We estimated average and total cost curves for each country as a function of service volume. Across countries, average costs per dose ranged from $2.75 to $13.63. Average costs per child receiving diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis ranged from $27 to $139. Within countries costs per dose varied widely—on average, sites in the highest quintile were 440% more expensive than those in the lowest quintile. In each country, higher service volume was strongly associated with lower average costs. A doubling of service volume was associated with a 19% (95% interval, 4.0–32) reduction in costs per dose delivered, (range 13% to 32% across countries), and the largest 20% of sites in each country realized costs per dose that were on average 61% lower than those for the smallest 20% of sites, controlling for other factors. Other factors associated with higher costs included hospital status, provision of outreach services, share of effort to management, level of staff training/seniority, distance to vaccine collection, additional days open per week, greater vaccination schedule completion, and per capita gross domestic product. We identified multiple features of sites and their operating environment that were associated with differences in average unit costs, with service volume being the most influential. These findings can inform efforts to improve the efficiency of service delivery and better understand resource needs.
Logo2PWM: a tool to convert sequence logo to position weight matrix

position weight matrix (PWM) and sequence logo are the most widely used representations of transcription factor binding site (TFBS) in biological sequences. Sequence logo - a graphical representation of PWM, has been widely used in scientific publications and reports, due to its easiness of human perception, rich information, and simple format. Different from sequence logo, PWM works great as a precise and compact digitalized form, which can be easily used by a variety of motif analysis software. There are a few available tools to generate sequence logos from PWM; however, no tool does the reverse. Such tool to convert sequence logo back to PWM is needed to scan a TFBS represented in logo format in a publication where the PWM is not provided or hard to be acquired. A major difficulty in developing such tool to convert sequence logo to PWM is to deal with the diversity of sequence logo images. We propose logo2PWM for reconstructing PWM from a large variety of sequence logo images. Evaluation results on over one thousand logos from three sources of different logo format show that the correlation between the reconstructed PWMs and the original PWMs are constantly high, where median correlation is greater than 0.97. Because of the high recognition accuracy, the easiness of usage, and, the availability of both web-based service and stand-alone application, we believe that logo2PWM can readily benefit the study of transcription by filling the gap between sequence logo and PWM.
Multiple Perspectives on Literacy as It Continuously Changes: Reflections on Opportunities and Challenges When Literacy Is Deictic.

In this joint reflection, Elena Forzani and Donald J. Leu discuss the nature of literacy in relation to “New Literacies: A Dual-Level Theory of the Changing Nature of Literacy, Instruction, and Ass...
Urinary diversion in the genitourinary cancer survivor

Urinary diversion has been in the scope of practice of Gynecologic Oncologists since the inception of the sub-specialty. However, many fewer urinary diversions are performed currently than in the past due to improved prevention of cervical cancer. The intent of this article is to provide a state of the art review for Gynecologic Oncologists. Surgeons performing these complex procedures must be knowledgeable about the differences between various types of continent and non-continent urinary diversions, and the principles of pre and post-operative care. This includes the indications for surgery and pre-operative considerations, types of urinary diversion including continent and non-continent diversions, and the need for long-term follow-up with patients who undergo urinary diversion requiring lifelong follow up and testing for surveillance of the upper urinary tracts and to monitor for nutritional and metabolic alterations.
Examination of breaker-based protection systems for implementation in LVDC SSCB applications

In an effort to simplify the stages of converting power into its most basic form, new microgrids will be conceptualized in the DC format rather than the AC format. This has become a trend in the field of power electronics that is likely to continue. Power systems and power conversion components are increasingly available however, in terms of DC circuit breakers, many designs are presently in the experimental stages. The most noteworthy disadvantage of this kind of system is that interrupting current that does not have zero crossing causes a sustained power arc. This type of DC circuit breaker demonstrates the advantages of its application in consumer electronics. Motivations for the development of the solid-state type of power switching device as a new power device for DC power networks instead of electromechanical circuit breakers are also discussed at length. This switching device should incorporate power MOSFET and BJTs. In this paper, such a device is examined along with its performance. The IGBT model's simulated switching time is displayed. It is further improved with capacitors which gives it a slightly faster switching time.
Intimate Examinations and Chaperones

A chaperone is an independent person, appropriately trained whose role is to observe the examination/procedure undertaken by the doctor/health care professional to assist in maintaining the appropriate doctor patient relationship. In addition to intimate examinations there are several other situations where chaperones are beneficial including when examining vulnerable or anxious patients, patients examined by trainee doctors and where religious and cultural issues may affect the physical exam.
Dynamic Lift Coefficients for Spade Rudders on Yachts

Abstract : The loss of a rudder is a dangerous situation for any vessel, and with the increasingly higher aspect ratios in current sailing yacht rudder designs, a better understanding of the forces on a rudder are required. While many failures have been caused by impacts with objects, a large number have failed due to underestimation of sailing loads. While larger aspect ratios increase the lift-to-drag ratio, they also increase the bending moment about the rudder's root. Combined with thinner airfoil sections to reduce drag, modern rudders are highly stressed. Traditional design methods normally assume that the maximum lift coefficient is constant for all aspect ratios. This project combined computational fluid dynamics (CFD), finite element analysis (FEA) and the tank testing of a 1/5-scale yacht to determine suitable design lift coefficients for spade rudders of cruising and racing yachts. Two rudders of different aspect ratios were tested at various speeds, heel angles and wave conditions in the tank at the Naval Surface Warfare Center ? Carderock Division. The rudders were equipped with strain gauges to determine the strains at various positions along the stock and blade. The strain profile was compared against FEA results that used a CFD prediction of the pressure profile. Through back-calculation the lift coefficients in stillwater and waves were derived. The results indicated that these lift coefficients are not constant.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Xanthophyll Cycle

The xanthophyll cycle is the cyclical interconversion of violaxanthin, antheraxanthin and zeaxanthin in plants and green algae. The existence of the cycle has been known for many years but has attracted renewed interest because of its role in protection of plants against the potentially harmful effects of excess light by enhancing the dissipation of excess energy as heat. The cycle is catalyzed by two enzymes that are localized on opposite sides of the thylakoid membrane. The de-epoxidase that converts violaxanthin to zeaxanthin by way of the intermediate, antheraxanthin, is localized in the thylakoid lumen. The epoxidase that catalyzes the resynthesis of violaxanthin is bound to the stromal side of the membrane. The extent and rate of zeaxanthin and antheraxanthin formation (de-epoxidation) are affected by at least four factors, namely, (i) pool size, (ii) availability, (iii) ascorbate, and (iv) lumen pH. The mechanism for de-epoxidation is assumed to be reduction followed by dehydration. Factors affecting the recovery of violaxanthin (epoxidation) include levels of NADPH, ferredoxin, ferredoxin-oxidoreductase and FAD. The mechanism of epoxidation is assumed to be similar to other monooxygenases wherein hydroperoxyflavin is involved and one oxygen atom from molecular oxygen is incorporated. Recently, the cDNAs for both enzymes were isolated and catalytic activities of the expressed proteins demonstrated. Analyses of the deduced polypeptide sequences indicate that both proteins belong to the lipocalin family. The lipocalins are a diverse group of proteins with a conserved barrel structure that bind small hydrophobic molecules. This chapter summarizes the biochemistry of the xanthophyll cycle and examines recent advances in the molecular biology of the cycle.