cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving API documentation using API usage information

Jadeite is a new Javadoc-like API documentation system that takes advantage of multiple users' aggregate experience to reduce difficulties that programmers have learning new APIs. Previous studies have shown that programmers often guessed that certain classes or methods should exist, and looked for these in the API. Jadeite's “placeholders” let users add new “pretend” classes or methods that are displayed in the actual API documentation, and can be annotated with the appropriate APIs to use instead. Since studies showed that programmers had difficulty finding the right classes from long lists in documentation, Jadeite takes advantage of usage statistics to display commonly used classes more prominently. Programmers had difficulty discovering how to instantiate objects, so Jadeite uses a large corpus of sample code to automatically the most common ways to construct an instance of any given class. An evaluation showed that programmers were about three times faster at performing common tasks with Jadeite than with standard Javadoc.
Design, Designers, and Reflection-in-Action

The role of the designer is ever changing and we are constantly looking to improve our designer preparation methods. Reflection-in-action, an interdisciplinary design principle, is emerging as an important component in instructional design. This chapter explores reflection-in-action in design by defining reflection-in-action and by discussing theoretical foundations, perspectives of reflection within design, and its implications on design and designers. It also illustrates each of these principles through examples in a case study.
Understanding the Everyday Practice of Individualized Education Program Team Members

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 states that individualized education program (IEP) teams are composed of members with distinct identities, roles, expertise, and histories. Although team members must work together to implement educational and related services for learners with special needs, little is known about how these members actually accomplish this throughout the school year. This study examined the practice of members on two elementary IEP teams through analysis of data from a yearlong case study using the communities of practice (CoP) framework. Contrary to idealized conceptualizations of IEP team practice as being equitable and occurring in meetings, the practice of members on both teams was controlled by a few team members and occurred during concise exchanges throughout the day. These findings underscore opportunities for innovating the practice of IEP team members to improve services for students with special needs.
Active Ligand for Low PPM Miniemulsion Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

Modification of bis(2-pyridylmethyl)octadecylamine (BPMODA), a ligand commonly used in ATRP in aqueous dispersed media, was accomplished through the incorporation of electron-donating substituents,...
Defects and high bulk resistivities in the Bi-rich tetradymite topological insulator Bi 2+x Te 2-x Se

Defects in the topological insulator Bi${}_{2}$Te${}_{2}$Se are studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. Small numbers of Te${}_{\mathrm{Bi}}$ antisite defects are found and are postulated to be the origin of $n$-type carriers in this tetradymite composition near the $n$-to-$p$ crossover. Based on this defect chemistry, we design an alternative method for obtaining resistive Bi${}_{2+x}$Te${}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}$Se samples, by the introduction of compensating $p$-type carriers through Bi${}_{\mathrm{Te}}$ antisite defects induced by making the material slightly Bi rich. Our resistivity and Hall coefficient measurements of Bi${}_{2+x}$Te${}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}$Se crystals grown by the Bridgeman-Stockbarger method show that the carrier concentration at base temperature is significantly reduced from that of stoichiometric samples. Analysis of the measurements reveals the possible underlying chemical distribution along the boules during growth.
The Relationship of Child Protection Service Caseworker Discipline-Specific Education and Definition of Sibling Abuse: An Institutional Hiring Impact Study

Abstract A rise in child abuse reports has been observed in Child Protection Service institutions. States differ in terms of defining sibling abuse as a form of child abuse, and, as a result, child protection caseworkers are called upon by their institutions to apply their own definitions of specific behaviors that constitute sibling abuse. This study investigated the relationship between child protection caseworker definition of one specific form of child abuse, sibling abuse, and caseworkers' discipline-specific educational background. A sample of seventy-seven (77) child protection caseworkers of various educational backgrounds were surveyed through qualitative and quantitative methods. These child protection caseworkers were involved in developing assessments in child abuse investigations. It was found that child protection workers' definitions varied widely in identification of behaviors constituting sibling abuse. Hiring practices can impact the disposition of a sibling abuse investigation through t...
Influence of hyperglycemic factor (glucagon) on 17-hydroxysteroids in plasma and urine of man.

Summary1. Plasma 17-hydroxysteroid levels and urinary 17-hydroxysteroid excretion rates were observed in humans before, during, and after the intravenous administration of purified hyperglycemic factor. There were no significant changes in plasma values, but some patients showed elevation in urinary excretion of steroids, apparently related to the degree of stress incurred. 2. By these methods, we could observe no direct action of hyperglycemic factor on the adrenal cortex.
Poly(hydroxyalkanoate)s from Waste Biomass: A Combined Chemical–Biological Approach

The synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) utilizing methane and alkenoates derived from recycled PHAs is reported. Medium-chain length (C6 – C9) and short-chain length (C4 – C5) polyhydroxyalkanoates were catalytically pyrolyzed to generate a range of 2-alkenoates. The microbial copolymerization of the recovered alkenoates with methane in the presence of methanotrophic bacteria generated poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) homopolymers from even-numbered alkenoates and, significantly, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) copolymers with tunable compositions from odd-numbered alkenoates.
Zur Klinik und Histopathologie der Rubeosis Iridis

Sieht man von Enukleationen wegen eines Tumors ab, werden 50% aller Augen wegen sekundarer Glaukome (Naumann u. Portwich, 1976) enukleiert, und zwar meist wegen eines sekundaren Winkelblockglaukoms mit Rubeosis iridis.
Knowledge and Practice: Implications for Cash and Credit Management Behaviors

This study explored the relationships between subjective and objective financial knowledge with cash and credit behavior. A nationally representative sample of American consumers over the age of 18 were surveyed online in 2012 about four financial behaviors: (1) maintenance of an emergency account, (2) prompt payment of credit card balances, (3) checking credit reports, and (4) avoiding checking account overdrafts. The results of logistic regressions indicated that higher levels of both objective and subjective knowledge were significant indicators of positive financial behavior and avoidance of negative behavior. However, a “false-positive” condition of high subjective knowledge and low objective knowledge demonstrated questionable cash and credit behavior linked to overconfidence. This suggests that financial counselors and financial therapists could provide assistance in helping consumers improve their subjective and objective knowledge to reinforce positive cash and credit behavior, which should improve consumer decision making.
The influence of multimodal 3D visualizations on learning acquisition

The present research addressed a critical barrier constantly facing developers and instructors involved in interactive web-based teaching. Participants were assigned to different multimodal training conditions (visual-, auditory-, audiovisual-modality, or no training) to learn and free recall a list of 14 terms associated with construction of a wood-frame house. The audiovisual-and visual-modality training conditions displayed comparable accuracy rates, while the auditory-modality training condition revealed lower accuracy, and the no-training condition exhibited little or no learning acquisition. The process of simultaneously exposing learners to interactive dynamic visualizations and prompting them to attend to information through the pragmatic use of audio cues reduced memory load, and in turn facilitated memory recall. Findings provided constructive feedback on the efficacy and usability of three-dimensional (3D) dynamic visualizations in web-based distance education, and implementations for future development of human-computer user interfaces to optimize engineering design effectiveness.
Adaptation at the Crossroads: Cultural Syncretism and Multimodality in Performance (ZU-UK, Pansori Project ZA)

Cross-cultural negotiation and the rapprochement between the West and the non-West continues to be foregrounded as an urgent concern for theatre makers, and this takes place in multiple generic forms and via the fusion between interrelated modes. Rooted in an interest in embodied and situated communication, this chapter highlights examples whereby dialogues between performance and other disciplines, such as adaptation, translation and media studies, are embedded into the articulation of an ongoing need for a more focused and considerate process of cultural syncretism. Performances in which the source work is reinterpreted and remodelled through alternative discourses address questions of heritage and belonging in a multi-voiced and polyphonic fashion that invite interaction, and produce new, hybrid sites through which the boundaries of memory and history are actively reconfigured.
Postoperative complications of pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease treated with vedolizumab.

Abstract Background Vedolizumab is a biologic, which inhibits leukocyte adhesion in the gut and is used to treat ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). Little is known of the surgical outcomes in patients treated with vedolizumab. We reviewed the postoperative complications in a cohort of pediatric UC and CD patients treated with vedolizumab. Methods We identified pediatric UC and CD patients treated with vedolizumab at our institution from 2014 to 2016. We compared postoperative outcomes in the vedolizumab exposed group to a cohort of vedolizumab naive patients who required diverting ileostomy. Results Of the 31 patients who were treated with vedolizumab, 13 patients required surgery. Eight of 13 (62%) vedolizumab exposed patients had a postoperative complication, including mucocutaneous separation at the stoma (3), readmission for pain/dehydration (2), bowel obstruction at the ostomy, and intraoperative colonic perforation. In comparison, four of 16 (25%) vedolizumab naive patients had a postoperative complication, including readmission for ileus and for high stoma output with mucocutaneous separation. p =0.07. Conclusions At our institution, patients treated with vedolizumab prior to surgery have a high prevalence of postoperative complications, notably mucocutaneous separation of the stoma. A prospective, multicenter study is needed to determine if these observed complications are attributable to vedolizumab. Level of evidence Level III.
How Can a Majority Be Resilient? Critiquing the Utility of the Construct of Resilience Through a Focus on Youth in Contexts of Political Conflict

One of the fundamental limitations to the current understanding of the construct of “resilience” is the concern that in testing for the prevalence of resilient functioning (and thereby trying to validate the salience of the construct), researchers have not investigated populations at high enough risk to adequately establish a real test of whether the functioning they observe can properly be considered resilient (Vanderbilt-Adriance & Shaw, 2008). Given the dramatic and sustained adversity that accompanies war, the study of functioning within contexts of political conflict would seem a suitable, if not ideal, remedy for this limitation. That is, because the adversity of political conflict is so obvious, extreme, and often extended, assessing the functioning of youth in such acute and often chronic conditions should provide a rather clearer and more straightforward indication of how many, if any, function in a manner that should be considered resilient. In turn, thereby, the construct of resilience would be understood with more defined parameters.
The incremental evolution of gaits for hexapod robots

Gait control programs for hexapod robots are learned by incremental evolution. The first increment is used to learn the activations required to generate a single leg cycle. At this level the control program is required to produce the proper sequence of pulses needed to generate smooth movement by the servos. The learning program needs to take into account the peculiarities of the servo, its mounting and the capabilities of the leg. The second increment of the learning process is used to learn the best combination of individual leg cycles to produce a gait. This part requires the learning system to choose the best leg cycles for each leg and to coordinate their movement. In this paper, we describe an application of this method to learn gaits for an actual hexapod robot. A cyclic genetic algorithm is used to learn efficient gait cycles for each leg. A genetic algorithm is used to combine these leg cycles in such a way that coordinated gaits result. Tests are conducted on the actual robot to confirm the method's viability.
Audience Design in Meaning and Reference

We argue that the speaker designs each utterance for specific listeners, and they, in turn, make essential use of this fact in understanding that utterance. We call this property of utterances audience design. Often listeners can come to a unique interpretation for an utterance only if they assume that the speaker designed it just so that they could come to that interpretation uniquely. We illustrate reasoning from audience design in the understanding of definite reference, anaphora, and word meaning, and we offer evidence that listeners actually reason this way. We conclude that audience design must play a central role in any adequate theory of understanding.
Frequent euxinia in southern Neo-Tethys Ocean prior to the end-Permian biocrisis: Evidence from the Spiti region, India

Abstract In this study, we reconstruct water-column oxygen availability during the deposition of Late Permian shales (Wuchiapingian to approximately early Changhsingian) using the geochemistry and morphology of sedimentary pyrite (FeS2). Deposition of the shales occurred prior to the end-Permian mass extinction within the southern Neo-Tethys Ocean (Spiti region, Himachal Pradesh, India). We found that the variability of pyritic sulfur to organic carbon (Spyr/Corg) and the pyritic sulfur isotopic composition (δ34Spyr) did not record changes in oxygen availability at Spiti sections. This was due to the removal of original pyritic sulfur by modern oxidative weathering and diagenetic pyrite formation which overwhelmed the original δ34Spyr values. However, pyrite framboid size distributions was a reliable recorder of paleoredox conditions. The degree of oxygen limitation varied with multiple transient euxinic events interrupting a predominantly oxic-dysoxic trend near the top of the Gungri Formation upper member (approximately late Wuchiapingian to early Changhsingian). These transient euxinic intervals provide important insight and regional evidence of environmental stress and instability in the southern Neo-Tethys well prior to the end-Permian mass extinction.
Biogenic Iron Dust: A Novel Approach to Ocean Iron Fertilization as a Means of Large Scale Removal of Carbon Dioxide From the Atmosphere

This is a proposal for ocean iron fertilization as a means to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. The idea is to take advantage of nanoparticulate, poorly crystalline Fe-oxides produced by chemosynthetic iron-oxidizing bacteria as an iron source to the ocean. Upon drying these oxides produce a fine powder that could be dispersed at altitude by aircraft to augment wind-driven Aeolian dust that is a primary iron source to the open ocean. Based on Fe-oxidation rates for natural populations of iron-oxidizing bacteria it is estimated 1,500 hectares of production ponds (1m x 100m x 100m) would be required to produce sufficient iron dust to supply the 30% of the global ocean that is iron-limited. In theory, iron replete conditions will stimulate the biological pump to quantitatively remove enough carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to partially mitigate anthropogenic inputs. Modifications to existing technologies would satisfy most of the technological challenges. Addition of biogenic iron to meso-scale eddies could provide an effective means of testing this process. Nonetheless, there are many unknowns, thus any such effort will require research and development integrated across oceanographic and Earth science disciplines to determine its long term efficacy.
Design and application of discontinuous resin distribution patterns for semi-pregs

Vacuum-bag-only (VBO) prepregs fabricated with discontinuous resin (semi-pregs) on a unidirectional fiber bed reportedly exhibit high through-thickness permeability and yield high-quality laminates...
SARS-CoV-2 infection of primary human lung epithelium for COVID-19 modeling and drug discovery.

Abstract Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the latest respiratory pandemic resulting from zoonotic transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Severe symptoms include viral pneumonia secondary to infection and inflammation of the lower respiratory tract, in some cases causing death. We developed primary human lung epithelial infection models to understand responses of proximal and distal lung epithelium to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Differentiated air-liquid interface cultures of proximal airway epithelium and 3D organoid cultures of alveolar epithelium were readily infected by SARS-CoV-2 leading to an epithelial cell-autonomous proinflammatory response. We validated the efficacy of selected candidate COVID-19 drugs confirming that Remdesivir strongly suppressed viral infection/replication. We provide a relevant platform for studying COVID-19 pathobiology and for rapid drug screening against SARS-CoV-2 and future emergent respiratory pathogens. One Sentence Summary A novel infection model of the adult human lung epithelium serves as a platform for COVID-19 studies and drug discovery.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TEACHER-FOCUSED TWITTER HASHTAGS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Twitter hashtags may serve as valuable means for teachers' professional development. However, given the diversity of hashtag spaces and teacher needs, teachers must assess a given hashtag and compare it to their learning needs and preferences before determining whether it would be helpful. To support this reflection, I examine data associated with 60 Regional Educational Twitter Hashtags (RETHs) during the first six months of 2016 to begin describing the variety of teacher learning-focused Twitter spaces and make distinctions between them. My results indicate that these RETHs vary according to their relative focus on sharing, intimacy of personal connection, and volume of activity, each of which has implications for professional development. The dimensions resulting from this study may prove helpful for teachers, teacher educators, and hashtag coordinators.
Colonic Conditions: Large Bowel Obstruction

Large-bowel obstruction is an emergency condition that requires early identification and intervention, with high morbidity and mortality if left untreated. Clinical presentation is often acute and includes abdominal distention, pain, constipation or obstipation, and nausea and vomiting. It is important to distinguish mechanical obstruction from ileus or pseudo-obstruction, as treatment differs. Ileus and pseudo-obstruction can often be treated non-operatively. Mechanical obstruction, which is most commonly due to a mass, stricture, or volvulus, requires prompt endoscopic or surgical intervention. Intussusception is a special case of mechanical obstruction treatable initially by contrast enema, though most adult cases still require operation.
Literary Devices: Teaching Social Contract Theory with A Short Story

Teaching the social contract tradition to students can be frustrating. Works by Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau may seem arcane, abstract, or irrelevant to students. Yet, it is important for students t...
Barriers to depository uses of derivatives: an empirical analysis

Abstract We examine the relationship between derivatives use of US savings associations during 1993–1997. The advantage of examining thrifts is that they are only end-users of derivatives. We find that: (1) firm size positively correlated with derivatives use generally and to OTC derivatives use in particular; (2) the dominant underlying reason for the effect of firm size upon derivatives usage appears to be transactions cost, not the cost of acquiring the expertise to manage portfolio interest rate risk; and (3) the use of derivatives, especially OTC derivatives, is a least cost method of controlling interest rate risk. The lack of usage by smaller institutions, while consistent with profit-maximization, suggests that a significant segment of the industry is limited in its ability to manage interest rate risk.
Comparison of Residual Strength of Composite and Metal Structures after Ballistic Damage

The residual static and impact fracture strengths of boron/epoxy laminates were obtained from tests using .30 and .50-caliber AP and 23-mm API projectiles. These strengths were compared to the static fracture and impact fracture strengths of 6A1-4V titanium, 7075-T6 aluminum, and 2024-T81 aluminum. Results have shown that the boron/epoxy system possesses residual and impact fracture tension strengths as high or higher than those exhibited by metals of similar strength, when maximum structural damage envelopes are considered. All testing was performed using composite panel thicknesses and projectile diameters which resulted in thickness to diameter ratios in the range, 0.051 < T/D < 0.153.
Patterns of frequency distribution of woody plant heights: a response to Scheffer et al.

Scheffer et al. [1] observed a bimodal pattern in the frequency distribution of woody plant heights, with peaks located at 2.8 m and 26 m. McGlone et al. [2] and Qian and Ricklefs [3] analyzed an additional ten datasets from across the world but they failed to find the pattern reported in [1]. They suggested that the pattern observed in [1] might have been an artifact resulting from biases in the dataset used in [1]. In response, Scheffer et al. [4] analyzed a dataset for Chinese woody plants, again revealing a bimodal distribution.
Dispersion and gain in generic slow-wave structures

The dielectric-lined waveguide or Cerenkov maser and the metal-grating-based planar orotron have been operational for several years. Recently a segmented grating resonator, the planar-grating klystron, has also been introduced. A generic theory which is capable of predicting their tuning, gain, saturation, relative efficiency and sensitivity to electron beam quality has been developed. The theory will handle a wide range of coupling structures. The principle effects of resonator design on device performance are captured by a modal capacitance. This function, which has the dimensions of ordinary capacitance, is a measure of the energy storage capacity of a resonator. The beam dynamics enter through a modal conductance that is relatively insensitive to the structural details of the resonator. In the nonlinear regime, this function, together with the capacitance, determines the coefficients of the equation that governs the evolution of the mode amplitude. The limit cycle amplitude and relative efficiency can be determined from this equation. In addition, the nonlinear locking and pulling characteristics of the source can be examined. >
A Review of: “Elliot S. Valenstein. The War of the Soups and the Sparks: The Discovery of Neurotransmitters and the Dispute over How Nerves Communicate”

Elliot Valenstein provides an engaging reconstruction of the twentieth century debate over synaptic transmission. He begins with the establishment of the neuron doctrine and of the synapse concept ...
Molecular and immunological analysis of a polymorphic periplasmic protein of Borrelia burgdorferi.

Abstract Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of Lyme disease, a tick-borne spirochetosis with a worldwide prevalence. To assist the categorization and typing of fresh isolates from global foci, we have identified a unique species-specific periplasmic protein (P22-A) conserved among all North American and European isolates examined. The gene encoding this antigen was cloned, and the recombinant was used to screen serum collected from experimentally infected animals. Although antibodies were detected in all infected animals at 21 days after inoculation with live, low-passage spirochetes, the response was stronger in other animals that were inoculated with inactivated and lysed bacteria. This result, along with the immune electron microscopy data, suggests P22-A is concentrated in the periplasmic space. The P22-A antigens exhibited size heterogeneity among different isolates, ranging between 20 and 23 kDa, but as a group the P22-A antigens appeared to retain antigenic homogeneity. Thus, P22-A can serve as a structural marker for characterizing new isolates of B. burgdorferi and may prove useful in future serological assays with a mixture of B. burgdorferi-specific antigens.
The evolution of test methodologies for high-speed digital communications components

Varied system architectures, strong competition, and a weak marketplace have made the process of Gbit/s component evaluation and verification far more complicated than simply making accurate measurements. While compliance to industry standards is essential, cost is becoming increasingly important, with test being a significant portion of overall cost. This paper compares and contrasts Ethernet and SONET/SDH test strategies for 10 Gbit/s transmission, and takes a forward look to 40 Gbit/s devices.
Crystal structure of the Nogo-receptor-2.

The inhibition of axon regeneration upon mechanical injury is dependent on interactions between Nogo receptors (NgRs) and their myelin-derived ligands. NgRs are composed of a leucine-rich repeat (LRR) region, thought to be structurally similar among the different isoforms of the receptor, and a divergent “stalk” region. It has been shown by others that the LRR and stalk regions of NgR1 and NgR2 have distinct roles in conferring binding affinity to the myelin associated glycoprotein (MAG) in vivo. Here, we show that purified recombinant full length NgR1 and NgR2 maintain significantly higher binding affinity for purified MAG as compared to the isolated LRR region of either NgR1 or NgR2. We also present the crystal structure of the LRR and part of the stalk regions of NgR2 and compare it to the previously reported NgR1 structure with respect to the distinct signaling properties of the two receptor isoforms.
Immunity to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). I. Development of virus-specific lymphoproliferative and leukocyte migration inhibition factor responses in HSV-2-infected guinea pigs.

Abstract The development of virus-specific cell-mediated immune (CMI) memory and effector response was studied in strain 13/N guinea pigs infected with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) (G). The indirect leukocyte migration inhibition factor (LIF) and the lymphocyte transformation (LT) assays, chosen as probable indicators of effector and memory responses, respectively, were performed simultaneously on spleen cells (SC) obtained at varying times after infection and cultured in the presence of uv-inactivated HSV-2 (G) antigen. Kinetic and dose-response analyses revealed: (i) a time-dependent increase in the magnitude and antigen sensitivity of the LT response as well as a time-dependent decrease in the in vitro “doubling time,” both suggestive of immune maturation, and (ii) a biphasic pattern of LIF production in vitro consisting of an “early” component generated within the first 24 hr in culture, and a “late” component detected between 3 and 6 days in culture. “Late” LIF production correlated well with the lymphoproliferative response and appeared to require the presence of glass-adherent cells and active cell division.
How students and faculty interact with a searchable online database of the medical curriculum.

Many medical schools currently provide electronic access to their medical curriculum. In order to better develop and evaluate online curricular databases, knowledge of the interaction of students and faculty with such systems is required. The KnowledeMap application provides a web interface for students, faculty and administrators to perform NLP-assisted searches for documents from the entire medical curriculum. The pilot implementation of KM in a first year anatomy course was evaluated. Data were collected from the web-server log files over two years, a paper survey at the end of the course, and structured interviews with students and faculty members. The data showed complete adoption of KM. Analysis of usage patterns showed that most of the students chose to browse for current course material rather than to search for related medical concepts in future courses. Analysis of the interviews identified key concepts relating to the students’ utilization of KM for their learning tasks. The impact of KM on medical pedagogy is discussed in light of our results.
Quantitative measurement of calcium flux through muscle and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

A new approach was developed to determine quantitatively the fraction of current carried by Ca2+ through an ion channel under physiological conditions. This approach entails the simultaneous measurement of membrane current and intracellular Ca2+ for single cells. Whole-cell patch-clamp techniques were used to measure current, and intracellular Ca2+ was monitored with the fluorescent indicator fura-2. To obtain a quantitative measure of the fraction of current carried by Ca2+, a cell- by-cell calibration method was devised to account for differences among cells in such factors as cellular volume and Ca2+ buffering. The method was used to evaluate the Ca2+ flux through muscle and neuronal nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs). In a solution containing 2.5 mM Ca2+ at a holding potential of -50 mV, Ca2+ carries 2.0% of the inward current through muscle nAChRs from BC3H1 cells and 4.1% of the inward current through neuronal nAChRs from adrenal chromaffin cells. The Ca2+ flux through neuronal nAChRs of adrenal chromaffin cells is insensitive to alpha-bungarotoxin. The influx of Ca2+ is voltage dependent, and because of the Ca2+ concentration difference across the cellular membrane, there is Ca2+ influx into the cell even when there is a large net outward current. At both muscle and neuronal cholinergic synapses, activity-dependent Ca2+ influx through nicotinic receptors produces intracellular signals that may have important roles in synaptic development, maintenance, and plasticity.
Dosimetric analysis of radiation dose to latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap in women undergoing adjuvant radiotherapy for early breast cancer-short report: Radiation dose to latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap

Breast reconstruction following mastectomy often involves the use of regional myocutaneous flaps such as the latissimus dorsi (LDM) and transverse rectus abdominus flaps. A history of previous radiation to the skin paddle of the myocutaneous flap planned for breast reconstruction may cause the plastic surgeon to consider using an alternative muscle flap which has not received radiation. To aid decision-making in the setting of previous radiation, we prospectively assessed the dose given to the latissimus myocutaneous flap of a small series of seven women who were to undergo adjuvant 3-D conformal radiation therapy after breast conservation surgery (four) or mastectomy (three). The skin paddles of this flap were marked using wires prior to the planning CT scan required for 3-D conformal therapy. Radiation dose to the skin paddles was minimal but the LD muscle dose averaged 888 cGy. The thoracodorsal artery received the highest doses of radiation averaging 2,750 cGy with 55.5% of the artery receiving at least 2,500 cGy and 25.3% of the artery receiving at least 4,500 cGy which was almost a prescription radiation dose to the whole breast. The clinical implications of this level of radiation dose to the arterial pedicle are likely minimal because it is a peripheral small blood vessel. The surgeon and the radiation oncologist should be aware of this as a potential factor and its possible effects on breast reconstruction outcome particularly in the midst of other predictors of poor vascularity such as smoking, diabetes, or peripheral vascular disease. We plan to study further the dose to LDM flap in a larger series of women. However, information about dose to planned myocutaneous flap in the setting of history of previous breast radiation can be easily obtained from the radiation plan and should be ascertained prior to breast reconstruction.
Limited English Proficiency and Latinos’ Use of Physician Services:

Many Latinos have limited English proficiency and this may negatively affect their use of health care services. To examine this, the authors interviewed 465 Spanish-speaking Latinos and 259 English speakers of various ethnicities who presented to a public hospital emergency department with non-urgent medical problems to assess previous physician visits, sociodemographic characteristics, and level of English proficiency. The proportion of patients who reported no physician visit during the 3 months before study enrollment was not related to English proficiency. However, among the 414 patients who saw a physician at least once, Latinos with fair and poor English proficiency reported approximately 22 percent fewer physician visits (p = 0.020 and p = 0.015, respectively) than non-Latinos whose native language was English, even after adjusting for other determinants of physician visits. The magnitude of the association between limited English proficiency and number of physician visits was similar to that for having poor health, no health insurance, or no regular source of care.
Design exploration of hybrid caches with disparate memory technologies

Traditional multilevel SRAM-based cache hierarchies, especially in the context of chip multiprocessors (CMPs), present many challenges in area requirements, core--to--cache balance, power consumption, and design complexity. New advancements in technology enable caches to be built from other technologies, such as Embedded DRAM (EDRAM), Magnetic RAM (MRAM), and Phase-change RAM (PRAM), in both 2D chips or 3D stacked chips. Caches fabricated in these technologies offer dramatically different power-performance characteristics when compared with SRAM-based caches, particularly in the areas of access latency, cell density, and overall power consumption. In this article, we propose to take advantage of the best characteristics that each technology has to offer through the use of Hybrid Cache Architecture (HCA) designs.We discuss and evaluate two types of hybrid cache architectures: intercache-Level HCA (LHCA), in which the levels in a cache hierarchy can be made of disparate memory technologies; and intracache-level or cache-Region-based HCA (RHCA), where a single level of cache can be partitioned into multiple regions, each of a different memory technology. We have studied a number of different HCA architectures and explored the potential of hardware support for intracache data movement and power consumption management within HCA caches. Utilizing a full-system simulator that has been validated against real hardware, we demonstrate that an LHCA design can provide a geometric mean 6p IPC improvement over a baseline 3-level SRAM cache design under the same area constraint across a collection of 30 workloads. A more aggressive RHCA-based design provides 10p IPC improvement over the baseline. A 2-layer 3D cache stack (3DHCA) of high density memory technology within the same chip footprint gives 16p IPC improvement over the baseline. We also achieve up to a 72p reduction in power consumption over a baseline SRAM-only design. Energy-delay and thermal evaluation for 3DHCA are also presented. In addition to the fast-slow region based RHCA, we further evaluate read-write region based RHCA designs.
Auditory brainstem response findings in Rett syndrome.

The ABR findings for 11 subjects with Rett syndrome were compared with two normal control groups, one female and the other male. Measurements were made for ipsilateral and contralateral recorded responses. Significant findings were noted for the latency of Wave V and for the III–V interval between the Rett subjects and the normal female controls on ipsilateral recording and between the Rett group and both control groups for the difference obtained between ipsilateral and contralateral recorded III–V intervals. While the basis for these observations is not clear, the findings provide evidence for some degree of involvement within the auditory brainstem pathway of this group and further support for the rather diffuse nature of the CNS pathology within the syndrome. Suggestions are made for further ABR study of this clinical entity.
The Association of American University Presses : The AAUP's Internet presence

The Association of American University Presses has long been the collective voice for University Presses. With the advent of the Internet, new possibilities have arisen that allow these presses, large and small, to make their presence and publications known to both libraries and the general public. The AAUP has developed a website that brings together catalogs from a variety of different presses, and has made them searchable in a variety of ways. It is now possible to search and browse by key subject word, title, or author of all the participating presses at once or to search individual presses. The search engine offers expanded access points into their catalogs, aiding in collection development and acquisitions. Online ordering information discusses options the buyer has to purchase the materials.
The Myth of Venice in Nineteenth-Century Opera

Nineteenth-century operas reflected the changing views of Venice before its fall. Early in the century, depictions of a tyrannical political system, derived from French revolutionary and Napoleonic propaganda, dominated operatic plots. Later, when gothic melodrama was in full swing, the spy, the bravo, and the prostitute assumed central roles. During the fin-de-siecle, when the prevailing view of republican Venice's politics, as well as literary convention, had profoundly changed, operatic settings of eighteenth-century Venice tended to emphasize the liberating, sensual pleasures of Carnival.
African-American Autobiography: A Collection of Critical Essays

Introduction. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., James Bronniosaw and the Trope of the Talking Book. Robert B. Stepto, Narration, Authentication, and Authorial Control in Frederick Douglass's Narrative of 1845. Deborah E. McDowell, In the First Place: Making Frederick Douglass and the Afro-American Narrative Tradition. Hazel V. Carby, "Hear My Voice, Ye Careless Daughters" : Narratives of Slave and Free Women before Emancipation. William L. Andrews, The Representation of Slavery and the Rise of Afro-American Literary Realism, 1865-1920. Joanne M. Braxton, Crusader for Justice: Ida B. Wells. Francoise Lionnet, Autoethnography: The An-Archic Style of Dust Tracks on a Road. Charles T. Davis, From Experience to Eloquence: Richard Wright's Black Boy as Art. Paul John Eakin, Malcolm X and the Limits of Autobiography. George E. Kent, Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Black Autobiographical Tradition. Albert E. Stone, After Black Boy and Dusk of Dawn: Patterns in Recent Black Autobiography. Sandra Pouquet Paquet, West Indian Autobiography. James Olney, The Value of Autobiography for Comparative Studies: African vs. Western Autobiography. Chronology of Important Dates. Notes on Contributors. Bibliography.
Measuring Self‐Esteem in Context: The Importance of Stability of Self‐Esteem in Psychological Functioning

In this article, I report on a research program that has focused on the joint roles of stability and level of self-esteem in various aspects of psychological functioning. Stability of self-esteem refers to the magnitude of short-term fluctuations that people experience in their current, contextually based feelings of self-worth. In contrast, level of self-esteem refers to representations of people's general, or typical, feelings of self-worth. A considerable amount of research reveals that self-esteem stability has predictive value beyond the predictive value of self-esteem level. Moreover, considering self-esteem stability provides one way to distinguish fragile from secure forms of high self-esteem. Results from a number of studies are presented and theoretical implications are discussed.
Finite Element Studies of Asphalt Concrete Pavement Reinforced with Geogrid

Many geotechnical applications are becoming more sophisticated and solutions derived from simplistic procedure are no longer reasonable or solutions do not exist. This paper describes two-dimensional finite element studies that analyzed the behavior of reinforced asphalt pavement under plane strain conditions and subject to monotonic loading. The asphalt material and soils were expressed using triangular elements of elastoplastic behavior that obeys Mohr–Coulomb criteria with associated and nonassociated flow rules. The geogrid was modeled using a one-dimensional linear elastic bar element. The finite element procedure was validated by comparing the results of analysis with the results obtained from a series of model tests. The load–settlement relationships, settlement profile, and strains in the geogrid were compared. The failure load obtained by assuming subgrade foundation with nonassociated flow rule was smaller than that of associated flow rule. There was only minor difference between the results obtained from the associated and nonassociated plastic models. The finite element procedure was capable of determining most measured quantities satisfactorily except the tensile strain in the geogrid, which was assumed linear elastic. The effects of the stiffness of geogrid reinforcement, thickness of asphalt layer, and strength of subgrade foundation were also investigated. The finite element procedure is a versatile tool for enhanced design of reinforced pavement systems.
Children with behavioral, non-behavioral, and multiple disabilities, and the risk of out-of-home placement disruption

Abstract Objective This study examined the relative risk of placement disruption for 3–10 year-old children placed in out-of-home care based on the biological relatedness of the placement caregiver and child disability status: no disability, a non-behavioral disability only, a behavioral disability only, or both a non-behavioral and behavioral disability. Methods Data were used from the baseline and 36 month follow-up of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, a national probability study of children investigated for child abuse and neglect in the United States. Disability status was derived using several different nationally-normed measures of language development, daily-living skills, social skills, and behavioral problems. Results Around 1 in 4 children placed in out-of-home care experienced a disruption. Placement with kin decreased the likelihood of disruption for a majority of children, and children with different types of disabilities were no more or less likely to disrupt in kinship care compared to children with no disability. Older children with a behavioral disability only or both a non-behavioral and behavioral disability were more likely to disrupt compared to younger regardless of placement. Conclusion The study findings suggest that maltreated children placed with kin will be afforded the same stability provided to children without a disability.
A SIMPLE IMMUNOASSAY FOR INSULIN: APPLICATION TO HUMAN AND DOG PLASMA.

A rapid and convenient radio immunoassay for insulin is presented, using iodine131-labeled insulin of intermediate specific activity (20–30 mc/mg). The method is based on the in vitro system of Skom and Talmage for detection of insulin antibody, and involves precipitation of insulin-antibody complex by a second antibody against gamma globulin. The use of moderately labeled insulin is made possible by the relatively large volume of plasma conveniently handled in a test tube system. Application of the method to human and dog plasma is described.
Duration of the Electromyographic Silent Period Following the Jaw-Jerk Reflex in Human Subjects

During voluntary jaw clenching, a sharp tap to the menton of the mandible resulted in a transitory silent period (pause) in the electromyographic activity of the masseter and anterior temporalis muscles. Factors that could influence the duration of the silent period were studied, including direction and magnitude of the stimulus applied by the operator, the amount of muscular effort exerted by the subjects, and varying occlusal vertical dimensions. Decreased isometric muscle force resulted in statistically significant increases in silent period durations.
Governing Sustainability Transitions: Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives and Regime Change in United States Agriculture

Using a case study of US agriculture, this paper examines how governance affects sustainability transitions in socio-technical systems. The multi-level perspective (MLP) has become a leading framework for theorizing sustainability transitions in socio-technical systems. It posits that transitions to more sustainable socio-technical systems are an outcome of external pressure at the landscape level and internal pressure emanating from niches. While the MLP is a robust analytical framework, it under-theorizes the role that governance plays in sustainability transitions. This paper addresses this research gap through examining three multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) that have developed sustainability metrics and standards for US agriculture: Field to Market; LEO-4000; and the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops. Applying a governance analytical framework, membership selection, decision-making procedures, and access to resources are found to affect the kinds of sustainability metrics developed, as well as their likely implementation. Specifically, the governance processes functioned to channel sustainability metrics towards ones that were congruent with the existing agrifood regime, and marginalize metrics that had the potential to disrupt regime processes. Thus, this article proposes that governance is a key component of sustainability transitions, and that current usage of MSIs in much of environmental governance may function to moderate sustainability transitions.
UNIVERSAL BARYON-MESON COUPLING

A universal baryon-meson coupling which allows for only those particles which are presently known to exist and which depends upon only one bare coupling constant is discussed.