cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predictive Validity of High School Rank and Sat Scores for Minority Students

It has been argued that the Scholastic Aptitude Test is a better predictor of academic success for minority students than is high school achievement. The relative predictive validities were examined for a sample of minority students with typical predictor variable truncations absent. Results confirmed that high school achievement is a less effective predictor for minority students than it is for nonminority students. However, contrary to previous findings for minority students, high school achievement appeared to be a better predictor than was the Scholastic Aptitude Test. The combination of predictors was superior to high school achievement alone as a predictor for both "overachievers" and "underachievers."
Does protein synthesis occur in the nucleus

Although it is universally accepted that protein synthesis occurs in the cytoplasm, the possibility that translation can also take place in the nucleus has been hotly debated. Reports have been published claiming to demonstrate nuclear translation, but alternative explanations for these results have not been excluded, and other experiments argue against it. Much of the appeal of nuclear translation is that functional proofreading of newly made mRNAs in the nucleus would provide an efficient way to monitor mRNAs for the presence of premature termination codons, thereby avoiding the synthesis of deleterious proteins. mRNAs that are still in the nucleus-associated fraction of cells are subject to translational proofreading resulting in nonsense-mediated mRNA decay and perhaps nonsense-associated alternate splicing. However, these mRNAs are likely to be in the perinuclear cytoplasm rather than within the nucleus. Therefore, in the absence of additional evidence, we conclude that nuclear translation is unlikely to occur.
Studies on the evolution of thioredoxins: Properties of thioredoxinsf andm in a phototrophically and heterotrophically grown green alga

Thioredoxins are proteins that serve as redox carriers in plants, animals, and bacteria and are reduced with either NADPH or reduced ferredoxin (Buchanan, 1984; Holmgren, 1985). The ferredoxin-linked thioredoxin system of oxygenic photosynthetic tissues seems to have evolved after the heterotrophic NADP-linked thioredoxin system (Crawford, et al, 1984). Determination of the relatedness of the thioredoxins from these two systems may provide clues to the evolution of the oxygenic photosynthetic system. To this end, we investigated the thioredoxins in Chlamydomonas reinhardii, a green alga that can grow both phototrophically and heterotrophically. We observed the presence of chloroplast thioredoxins ~ and ~ under both culture conditions. The heterotrophic NADP-linked thioredoxin system was not detected in abundance under either heterotrophic or phototrophic culture. Fractionation of the phototrophic cells revealed at least two m-type and two ~-type thioredoxins. The Chlamydomonas m thioredoxins were similar to their counterparts from higher plants. They reacted equally to antibodies raised against corn thioredoxin m and appeared as single bands of approximately 12 kDa on SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In contrast, the thioredoxins of Chlamydomonas were quite different from the thioredoxin ~ in higher plants. Unlike higher plant proteins, the Chlamydomonas ~ thioredoxins neither adhered to DEAE-cellulose columns nor showed cross reactivity with antibodies to the thioredoxin ~ of corn or spinach when tested in an enzyme-linked immunosorption assay (ELISA) or by Western blot. The Chlamydomonas thioredoxin ~ activity was separated into two peaks by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) on a Mono S column. These findings suggest that the ~ thioredoxins of oxygenic photosynthetic systems are conserved. The unique
The risk of large for gestational age across increasing categories of pregnancy glycemia.

Objective We sought to estimate the risk of large for gestational age (LGA) across categories of glucose tolerance. Study Design In a cohort of 89,141 participants, women without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) were categorized by their screening and diagnostic test results; those with GDM were categorized as meeting the National Diabetes Data Group or only the American Diabetes Association (ADA) criteria. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated the risk of LGA; screening values 5.5-6.0 mmol/L comprised the referent. Results In women without GDM, the odds ratio for LGA was 1.89 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45–2.45) for fasting, 1.57 (95% CI, 1.31–1.89) for 1-hour, 1.60 (95% CI, 1.33–1.93) for 2-hour, and 1.62 (95% CI, 1.23–2.14) for 3-hour values meeting the ADA time point–specific thresholds. Conclusion For GDM identified in a 2-step procedure, our findings support the use of isolated abnormal fasting values according to the ADA threshold in identifying women who could benefit from treatment.
Restoration of femoral offset during hip replacement. A radiographic cadaver study.

Restoration of femoral offset is an important part of total hip arthroplasty. Since radiographs showing the femur at a sufficient degree of internal rotation to allow direct measurement of femoral offset are not usually available, templates of the prosthesis at 25 and 45 degrees of rotation were created. Radiographs of 20 cadaver femurs with a mean offset of 44 ± 5 mm (r 36-56) were then obtained at different degrees of rotation. Simple guidelines to indicate the correct template for each projection of the femur were found. The system could be used to select a prosthesis with correct offset using radiographs obtained at angles of rotation between 20 degrees internally and 40 degrees externally.
Trisomy 18 associated with ectopia cordis and occipital meningocele

A premature infant presented with ectopia cordis, occipital meningocele, and manifestations of trisomy 18; cytogenetic analysis confirmed a 47,XX,+18 chromosome constitution. While most cases of ectopia cordis appear as isolated, sporadic defects, careful evaluation is warranted to detect evidence of an associated chromosome abnormality.
Impact of variations on I-D flow in gas turbine engines via Monte-Carlo simulations

The unsteady compressible inviscid flow is characterized by the conservations of mass, momentum, and energy; or simply the Euler equations. In this paper, a study of the subsonic one-dimensional Euler equations with local preconditioning is presented using a modal analysis approach. Specifically, this study investigates the behavior of airflow in a gas turbine engine using the specified conditions at the inflow and outflow boundaries of the compressor, combustion chamber, and turbine, to determine the impact of variations in pressure, velocity, temperature, and density at low Mach numbers. Two main questions motivate this research: 1) is there any aerodynamic problem with the existing gas turbine engines that could impact aircraft performance? 2) If yes, what aspect of a gas turbine engine could be improved via design to alleviate that impact and to optimize aircraft performance? This paper presents an initial attempt to model the flow behavior in terms of their eigenfrequencies subject to the assumption of the uncertainty or variation (perturbation). The flow behavior is explored using simulation outputs from a "customer-deck" model obtained from Pratt & Whitney. Variation of the main variables (i.e., pressure, temperature, velocity, density) about their mean states at the inflow and outflow boundaries of the compressor, combustion chamber, and turbine are modeled. Flow behavior is analyzed for the high-pressure compressor and combustion chamber utilizing the conditions on their left and right boundaries. In the same fashion, similar analyses are carried out for the high and low-pressure turbines. In each case, the eigenfrequencies that are obtained for different boundary conditions are examined closely based on their probabilistic distributions, a result of a Monte Carlo 10,000-sample simulation. Furthermore, the characteristic waves and wave response are analyzed and contrasted among different cases, with and without preconditioners. The results reveal the existence of flow instabilities due to the combined effect of variations and excessive pressures in the case of the combustion chamber and high-pressure turbine. Finally a discussion is presented on potential impacts of the instabilities and what can be improved via design to alleviate them for a better aircraft performance.
Longitudinal study of children with unilateral hearing loss

Objectives/Hypothesis: Children with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) have been found to have lower language scores,and increased rate of speech therapy, grade failures, or needing Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). The objective of thisstudy was to determine whether language skills and educational performance improved or worsened over time in a cohort ofchildren with UHL.Study Design: Prospective longitudinal cohort study.Methods: Forty-six children with permanent UHL, ages 6 to 12 years, were studied using standardized cognitive,achievement, and language testing at yearly intervals for 3 years. Using standardized test scores allowed implicit comparisonto norms established by national cross-sectional samples. Secondary outcomes included behavioral issues, IEPs, receipt ofspeech therapy, or teacher report of problems at school. Analysis utilized repeated measures analysis of variance and multile-vel random regression modeling.Results: Several cognitive and language mean standardized scores increased over time. Possible predictors of increasewith time included higher baseline cognitive levels and receipt of interventions through an IEP. However, standardizedachievement scores and indicators of school performance did not show concomitant improvements. Rates of IEPs remained>50% throughout, and rates of speech therapy were consistently about 20%.Conclusions: Children with UHL demonstrated improvement in oral language and verbal intelligence quota scores overtime, but not improvements in school performance. Parents and teachers reported persistent behavioral problems and aca-demic weaknesses or areas of concern in about 25%. The provision of IEPs for children with UHL, and acknowledging UHLas a hearing disability, may be an effective intervention to improve language skills over time.Key Words: Unilateral hearing loss, children, speech or language delay.Level of Evidence: 1b.Laryngoscope, 122:2088–2095, 2012
CMOS-MEMS Variable Capacitors Using Electrothermal Actuation

Microelectromechanical-systems variable capacitors which are monolithically integrated with CMOS using a post-CMOS fabrication process are presented. The variable capacitors use electrothermal actuation for lateral gap tuning. A mechanical latch is included to maintain the capacitance at different values without expending power. Measured tuning ratios up to 6.9 : 1 are reported with a Q of 95 at 1 GHz corresponding to the maximum capacitance and an electrical self-resonant frequency of 11 GHz. The capacitors can be reconfigured in 30 ms using no more than 3 V and 15 mW for actuation. The latched capacitance values are repeatable to within 1% of their nominal value and remain stable for ambient temperatures up to 65 ^C. Reliability testing shows that the capacitor is capable of millions of cycles and that the latched capacitance values remain stable after applying accelerations up to 40 g.
Methods for Developing Naturalized Monthly Flows at Gaged and Ungaged Sites

The state of Texas recently implemented a water availability modeling (WAM) system to support water management activities in its 23 river basins. Hydrology is represented in the modeling system by sequences of naturalized streamflows at all pertinent locations for each month of a several decade long period of analysis. Flows at stream gaging stations are adjusted to remove the effects of historical water resources development and use. The resulting naturalized flows are distributed to numerous ungaged sites of interest in modeling water management. Methods are incorporated into the WAM system for converting gaged flows to naturalized flows and transferring the flows from gaged to ungaged locations. Flow naturalization adjustments consist primarily of removing the effects of historical reservoir storage and evaporation, water supply diversions, and return flows from surface and groundwater supplies, and in some cases other considerations. The WAM system includes several alternative methods for distributing sequences of monthly naturalized flows from gaged to ungaged locations. The option most often used is based on the Natural Resource Conservation Service curve-number-based rainfall-runoff relationship. The methodologies for developing naturalized flows at gaged and ungaged sites incorporated in the Texas WAM system are generally applicable for similar modeling applications in other places.
METHODOLOGY TO EVALUATE THE FLAIL SPACE MODEL BY USING EVENT DATA RECORDER TECHNOLOGY

The flail space model, which was developed in the 1980s, has become the standard method for estimating occupant risk in full-scale crash tests involving roadside safety features. The widespread availability of air bags and increased seat belt usage rates in today's vehicle fleet, however, raise serious questions concerning the validity of the model. Recent installation of event data recorders (EDRs) in a number of late-model vehicles presents a different perspective on the assessment of the validity of occupant risk based on the flail space model. EDRs are capable of electronically recording data such as vehicle speed, brake status, and throttle position just before and during an accident. Of particular interest is the EDR's ability to document the deceleration of a vehicle during a collision event. A methodology using EDR data to investigate the capability of the flail space model to predict injury to air bag-restrained occupants and results of a preliminary analysis based on implementation of the developed methodology on a limited data set are presented. Most of the analysis is limited to the occupant impact velocity because of insufficient data for evaluation of the occupant ridedown acceleration. The longitudinal occupant impact velocity was found to be a good predictor of overall injury, chest injury, and, to a lesser extent, lower extremity injury. For the head and upper extremity body region, the longitudinal occupant impact velocity is a weak predictor of injury.
Effectiveness of pilot-scale wetland designs in removing estrogenic compounds from municipal wastewater plant effluent

Discharge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a point source for 17-estradiol (E2) and estrone (E1) into surface water systems. This work examines the potential of three pilot-scale wetland designs, a subsurface flow (SSF), a surface flow (SF), and a floating aquatic plant (FAP), to remove E2 and E1 from effluent of a WWTP. None of the three designs completely removed E1 or E2 from the wastewater effluent. Mean E2 and E1 concentrations in the effluent ranged from 32.80 to 55.54 ng/L and 73.60 to 74.80 ng/L, respectively. The SSF design reduced E2 by 27% and the FAP design reduced E2 by 13%. The surface-flow design failed to reduce E2. Effluent E1 concentrations from the different systems were not statistically different from the influent E1 concentration. Adsorption of E2 and chemical transformation of E2 to E1 appears to be the removal mechanisms. An increase in E2 concentrations in the surface-flow system and a decrease of E2 in the FAP system suggest that plants are a factor in the removal of E2. However, evapotranspiration effects complicate the ability to discern the removal mechanism.
The Drosophila kekkon genes: novel members of both the leucine-rich repeat and immunoglobulin superfamilies expressed in the CNS.

We have identified two members of a novel class of genes in Drosophila that encode putative transmembrane proteins with six leucine-rich repeats and a single immunoglobulin loop. These two molecules, Kek1 and Kek2, show striking conservation in their extracellular domains and have large and more divergent intracellular regions. Both genes are expressed in neurons as they differentiate in the embryonic central nervous system (CNS). kek1 is also expressed in other patterned epithelia, such as the follicle cells of the developing egg chamber, where it is found in a dorsal‐ ventral gradient around the oocyte. The homology of the kek genes to other known adhesion and signaling molecules, together with their expression patterns, suggests that both genes are involved in interactions at the cell surface. Genetic analysis reveals that deletion of the kek1 gene causes no obvious developmental defects. The coexpression of kek2 in the CNS leads us to suggest that
CMOS implementation of static threshold gates with hysteresis: A new approach

This paper develops a new approach to design static threshold gates with hysteresis, based on integrating each pair of pull-up and pull-down transistor networks into one composite transistor network. The new static gates are then compared to the original ones in terms of delay, area, and energy consumption. In order to compare the new gate style with the original one at the circuit level, a delay-insensitive NULL Convention Logic (NCL) 4×4 pipelined multiplier is developed and simulated with each gate style. The results show that the new gate style offers 27% speed-up with only a 5% increase in area and almost the same energy consumption.
Management of acute cardiac failure with mechanical assist: experience with the ABIOMED BVS 5000

Abstract Background . Mechanical circulatory assist industries have developed ventricular assist devices (VAD) for short-, intermediate-, and long-term use. The purpose of this report is to describe the progress made with the ABIOMED Biventricular System (BVS) 5000 (ABIOMED, Inc, Danvers, MA) short-term VAD. Methods . From June 1994 through August 2000, all cardiogenic shock patients who required short-term mechanical assist were supported with the ABIOMED BVS 5000. Insertion criteria included any condition that may potentially result in cardiac recovery. A formal algorithm for timing of insertion was established to standardize implantation criteria. Results . A total of 45 patients were supported at Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. There were 26 male and 19 female patients, with a mean age of 57.9 years (range 33 to 80 years). Devices were inserted for postcardiotomy shock in 36 patients (80%) and precardiotomy shock in 9 patients (20%). The average duration of support was 8.3 days (range 1 to 31 days). Overall, there were 22 (49%) patients weaned from support and 14 (31%) discharged from the hospital. For patients in whom the device was implanted in accordance with an established protocol (group A), the wean and discharge rates were 60% and 43%, respectively. The most common morbidities included bleeding and adverse neurologic events. Conclusions . The ABIOMED BVS 5000 VAD continues to be a valuable form of short-term mechanical assist for acute cardiogenic shock. The formation of a uniform VAD insertion algorithm has helped to standardize protocols in management.
Phase Equilibria in Complex Solder Systems

Ternary solder alloys have come into wide use in chip bonding, printed circuit board connection, and in ceramic package sealing applications. Little is known concerning phase equilibria in many of these systems. Methods for predicting phase equilibria in the ternary (Pb+Sn)+Ag system using CAD (computer aided design) are described, and a predicted value for the ternary eutectic temperature is compared with values obtained by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for this system.
Attitude Changes toward the Elderly

This study investigates attitude change toward older people by patient educators and inservice trainers of patient educators who attended national training programs in which the instructional design was affectively as well as cognitively oriented. The subjects represented nursing, physical and occupational therapy, social work, and health education. Using the mean ratings, comparisons were made between the positive and negative scores on the pre and post-administrations of the Kogan Old People Scales. Results indicate positive attitude scores increased at all programs and negative . attitudes decreased at four of the five programs. The conclusion is that programs designed for health care providers who work with the elderly can achieve positive shifts in attitudes toward the elderly if that is one of the instructional design considerations.
An inducible morphological defence is a passive by-product of behaviour in a marine snail

Many organisms have evolved inducible defences in response to spatial and temporal variability in predation risk. These defences are assumed to incur large costs to prey; however, few studies have investigated the mechanisms and costs underlying these adaptive responses. I examined the proximate cause of predator-induced shell thickening in a marine snail (Nucella lamellosa) and tested whether induced thickening leads to an increase in structural strength. Results indicate that although predators (crabs) induce thicker shells, the response is a passive by-product of reduced feeding and somatic growth rather than an active physiological response to predation risk. Physical tests indicate that although the shells of predator-induced snails are significantly stronger, the increase in performance is no different than that of snails with limited access to food. Increased shell strength is attributable to an increase in the energetically inexpensive microstructural layer rather than to material property changes in the shell. This mechanism suggests that predator-induced shell defences may be neither energetically nor developmentally costly. Positive correlations between antipredator behaviour and morphological defences may explain commonly observed associations between growth reduction and defence production in other systems and could have implications for the evolutionary potential of these plastic traits.
The Camel and the Watermill

Consider the data from the painstaking economic analysis of contemporary camel transport in Pakistan done by Alan Heston and several Pakistani associates in 1985 (see Table 1). It shows the typical annual costs and income in rupees of someone earning his livelihood by renting out a pack camel.
Results of a 90-day inhalation study of dicyclopentadiene in B6C3F1 mice.

The objective of this inhalation study was to determine and evaluate the potential toxic effects of dicyclopentadiene vapor in mice exposed for 13-weeks of repeated inhalation. Four groups, each co...
Bivalent Ligands with Rigid Double-Stranded DNA Spacers Reveal Structural Constraints on Signaling by FcεRI.

Degranulation of mast cells and basophils during the allergic response is initiated by Ag-induced cross-linking of cell surface IgE-Fc epsilon RI receptor complexes. To investigate how separation distances between cross-linked receptors affect the competency of signal transduction, we synthesized and characterized bivalent dinitrophenyl (DNP)-modified dsDNA oligomers with rigid spacing lengths of approximately 40-100 A. All of these bivalent ligands effectively bind and cross-link anti-DNP IgE with similar affinities in the nanomolar range. The 13-mer (dsDNA length of 44 A), 15-mer (51 A), and flexible 30-mer ligands stimulate similar amounts of cellular degranulation, about one-third of that with multivalent Ag, whereas the 20-mer (68 A) ligand is less effective and the rigid 30-mer (102 A) ligand is ineffective. Surprisingly, all stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation of Fc epsilon RI beta, Syk, and linker for activation of T cells to similar extents as multivalent Ag at optimal ligand concentrations. The magnitudes of Ca(2+) responses stimulated by these bivalent DNP-dsDNA ligands are small, implicating activation of Ca(2+) mobilization by stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation as a limiting process. The results indicate that structural constraints on cross-linked IgE-Fc epsilon RI complexes imposed by these rigid DNP-dsDNA ligands prevent robust activation of signaling immediately downstream of early tyrosine phosphorylation events. To account for these results, we propose that activation of a key downstream target is limited by the spacing between cross-linked, phosphorylated receptors and their associated components.
When it Rains, it Pours: The Greater Impact of Resource Loss Compared to Gain on Psychological Distress

The authors prospectively investigated stress in 71, mostly European American, pregnant women. Conservation of Resources (COR) theory was applied to assess the impact of resource losses and gains that occur in women’s lives. Resources were defined as those things that people value or that act as a means to obtaining that which they value and include social, personal, object, and condition resources. The authors hypothesized that women’s resource losses would better predict postpartum anger and depression than their resource gains (in the opposite direction). They also predicted that earlier resource loss would accelerate the negative impact of later resource loss on postpartum distress. Resource gain was expected to be most salient when resource losses co-occurred, such that resource gains buffered the negative impact of resource loss. The hypotheses were generally supported and argue for the primacy of resource loss in the stress process.
Nonlinearities for parametric pumping of quartz UHF oscillators

The feasibility of a parametric amplification method for improving the Q of UHF quartz oscillators is considered. A fundamental thickness shear resonator operating at about 500 MHz was studied for estimating the magnitude of fractional change in stiffness, Δk/k that could be obtained at resonance and off-resonance. The Δk/k is employed in a parametric pumping of the thickness shear mode of vibration. A relationship between the Δk/k at resonance and Δk/k at off-resonance was derived. For a 532 MHz fundamental thickness shear resonator, a Δk/k = 3.8×10−4 /V at resonance, and a Δk/k = 1.6×10−7 /V at off-resonance was found. The off-resonance data compares well with measured data of Δk/k = 1.7×10−7 /V. Our off-resonance study of Δk/k established that it is independent of the sign of electric potential drive that is Δk/k is a rectified excitation and therefore appears at twice the excitation frequency. The parametric amplification phenomenon is governed by the Mathieu equation. MATLAB Simulink models of the Mathieu equation were developed to establish the baseline criteria for parametric amplification to improve the resonator Q. The resonator model was excited at a frequency ω A over a range that included the natural frequency ω 0 and the third overtone ω 3 . The parametric drive frequency ω P was set equal to 2ω A /n (n=1, 2, 3, ….). The model results showed that for parametric drive frequencies of ω P = ω A (for fundamental mode operation), and ω P = ω A /3 (for third overtone operation), the Δk/k needed for parametric amplification is in the range of 0.001 to 0.003 for a resonator Q of 9,000 to 15,000. It was observed that there was shift of the resonance frequency with the parametric amplification resulting from the change in dc stiffness Δk/k of the thickness shear mode.
A comparison of depression prevalence estimates measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire with two administration modes: computer-assisted telephone interviewing versus computer-assisted personal interviewing

To compare depression prevalence estimates measured by the 8-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) with two administration modes in two national surveys. Data on adults aged 18 years and older who participated in the 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (n = 198,678) and those who participated in the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (n = 4,800) were analyzed. The crude PHQ-8 depression prevalence estimate using the diagnostic algorithm was higher in BRFSS with computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) (9.16%, SE 0.15) than in NHANES with computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) (6.28%, SE 0.59) (P < 0.001). After adjustment for demographic characteristics, the difference in the prevalence estimates remained (9.68% in BRFSS vs. 6.13% in NHANES, P < 0.001). Similar differences in the depression prevalence estimates using the PHQ-8 cutoff score ≥10 were detected (9.22% in BRFSS vs. 5.15% in NHANES, P < 0.001). Significant differences in the depression prevalence persisted in subgroups stratified by demographic characteristics and major health risk factors and outcomes. The PHQ-8 administered by CATI yielded about 3.5% higher depression prevalence estimate than that by CAPI.
Goniometric Measurements Of Light Scattered in the Principal Plane From Leaves

A laboratory goniometer was designed and built by NASA for acquiring bidirectional scattering data in the principal plane from leaves. Goniometric measurements were taken on individual tree leaves of yellow poplar, red maple, and red oak. Reflectance measurements were taken every 5* and transmittance measurements every 10 in the principal plane. The results indicate that light reflected from leaves usually has a significant specular component. Reflectances measured for 60 incident angle were the most specular. The most isotropic scattering occurred with transmitted light and with 0 incident light reflected from the abaxial surface. The most significant difference observed between the species was due to the heavy wax layer found on the abaxial surface of red oak, which caused the abaxial reflectance to be more specular than it was in the other two species.
Negotiating domination and resistance: English language learners and Foucault’s Care of the Self in the context of English-only education

This article explores the basis for resistance to the normalizing technologies associated with English-only legislation and resulting educational practices. The dominance of English-only education in US public schools has normalized English first language speakers and English language learning by appropriating the technology of language in order to become ‘Americanized.’ Because of the growing number of English language learners (ELL) in US public schools, it is important to understand how the normalizing educational practices and disciplinary power associated with English-only education also cultivate possibilities for resistance. I draw upon Foucault’s analytic care of the self to explore the space of English-only education by asking: ‘What alternatives to the normalization of ELL students might be mobilized for resistance?’ This analysis suggests that to shift from a normalized ‘American’ identity requires questioning the racist and nativist discourse on English-only education, and focusing attention o...
Dynamic Scene Classification Using Redundant Spatial Scenelets

Dynamic scene classification started drawing an increasing amount of research efforts recently. While existing arts mainly rely on low-level features, little work addresses the need of exploring the rich spatial layout information in dynamic scene. Motivated by the fact that dynamic scenes are characterized by both dynamic and static parts with spatial layout priors, we propose to use redundant spatial grouping of a large number of spatiotemporal patches, named scenelet, to represent a dynamic scene. Specifically, each scenelet is associated with a category-dependent scenelet model to encode the likelihood of a specific scene category. All scenelet models for a scene category are jointly learned to encode the spatial interactions and redundancies among them. Subsequently, a dynamic scene sequence is represented as a collection of category likelihoods estimated by these scenelet models. Such presentation effectively encodes the spatial layout prior together with associated semantic information, and can be used for classifying dynamic scenes in combination with a standard learning algorithm such as ${k}$ -nearest neighbor or linear support vector machine. The effectiveness of our approach is clearly demonstrated using two dynamic scene benchmarks and a related application for violence video classification. In the nearest neighbor classification framework, for dynamic scene classification, our method outperforms previous state-of-the-arts on both Maryland “in the wild” dataset and “stabilized” dynamic scene dataset. For violence video classification on a benchmark dataset, our method achieves a promising classification rate of 87.08%, which significantly improves previous best result of 81.30%.
Analysis of readability and quality of web pages addressing both common and uncommon topics in pediatric surgery.

Introduction The quality medical information on Internet is highly variable. The aim of this study is to determine if Web pages addressing four common pediatric surgical topics (CT) and four uncommon pediatric surgical topics (UT) differ significantly in terms of quality and/or characteristics. Materials and Methods We performed an Internet search regarding four CT, addressing more frequent clinical conditions with an incidence ≤1:1.500 children (inguinal hernia, varicocele, umbilical hernia, and phimosis) and four UT addressing less frequent clinical conditions with an incidence ≥1:1.500 children (anorectal malformation, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, and omphalocele), using a popular search engine (Google). We evaluated readability with the Flesch reading ease (FRE) and the Flesch–Kincaid grade (FKG) and quality of content using the site checker of the HON Code of Conduct (HON code) for each website. Results In this study, 30/40 websites addressing CT versus 33/50 addressing UT responded to our criteria. No differences statistically significant in advertisements between the two groups were found (15 vs. 16%) ( p > 0.05). No differences were found in terms of time from last update, owner/author type, financial disclosure, accreditation, or advertising. CT had higher quality level according to the HON code (6.54 ± 1.38 vs. 5.05 ± 1.82) ( p p > 0.05). The mean FKG was 8.1 ± 1.9 for CT versus 8 ± 1.9 for UT ( p > 0.05). Conclusions Websites devoted to pediatric surgical topics have higher readability and quality information for disease diagnosis and natural history. Otherwise, the quality of pediatric surgical information on the Internet is high for CT and UT. A high reading level is required to use these resources.
Computational Metabolic Energy Expenditure Model With Novel Heat Dissipation Formulation

The limitations of empirical models for human metabolic energy expenditure (MEE) have motivated the search for general-purpose models based on investigations of heat dissipation. As opposed to the muscle-space approach to MEE modeling, the study outlined here adopts a joint-space MEE model developed from thermodynamics and multibody system dynamics principles. The MEE is formulated as a function of joint-space kinematic and kinetic variables and commonly measured system kinetic and kinematic parameters. This study builds on previous work by introducing an updated heat dissipation formulation that contains additional kinetic variables and accounts for the different energetic costs of negative and positive work. A multiple regression analysis is used to develop a 12 parameter MEE model with experimental MEE data obtained from human steady-state walking experiments. The resulting model was able to reliably predict the MEE of different subjects walking over a large range of speeds.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Conspecific Scavenging by a Young Domestic Dog

No corollaries could be found among the other species for the whine, whine-cry, and eep vocalizations reported by Belan et al. (1978) for Martes americana, and the only correlative vocalization for its growl is mentioned by Clark et al. (in press) for Mustela nigripes. The bark occurs in all seven species, and the scream occurs for all species except M. erminea and M. nigripes. Table 1 indicates some strong similarities and commonalities in vocalizations between several species, although it probably reflects an incomplete catalog of mustelid vocalizations and possibly includes misinterpretations of some author's descriptions of vocalizations. Based on the number of vocalizations shared by the species (Table 1), we suggest a possible association between M. eversmanni, M. nivalis, and Martes americana. This relationship is not reflected in the intrageneric structure proposed by Youngman (1982), which is based on cranial measurements and karyotypes. He places Mustela erminea, M. frenata, and M. nivalis in one group and M. eversmanni, M. nigripes, and Martes putorius in another.
Combination chemoradiotherapy with gemcitabine: potential applications.

Gemcitabine (Gemzar) is a novel deoxycitidine drug that has demonstrated promising single-agent activity in non–small-cell lung cancer and has been proven to be a potent radiosensitizer. Although the exact mechanism of the
Hardware Trojan Attacks and Countermeasures

Modern designs like system-on-chips and network-on-chips are equipped with variety of resources such as memory blocks in different sizes and types, interfaces with different characteristics, and several processors and co-processors to realize high performance and reliable computing systems, often with tight design restrictions in terms of power and area. The high complexity of modern designs, the constraint of time-to-market window, and the cost restriction of final product highly drive the horizontal integrated circuit design process. Practicing the horizontal integrated circuit design process, however, exposes a design to various types of malicious modifications that shall cause malfunctions under very rare circumstances. This chapter discusses integrated circuit supply chain globalization and threats across the integrated circuit design flow. In the following, existing techniques for hardware Trojan detection based on side-channel analyses, logic values, and without golden model are reviewed. Circuit vulnerabilities at different levels are studied and techniques for design-for-hardware-trust are presented. The chapter concludes with a discussion on hardware Trojans in complex designs and existing challenges on the path for hardware Trojan detection and prevention.
Impact of task modality on collaborative dialogue among plurilingual learners: a classroom-based study

Despite a growing amount of research on collaborative dialogue during task performance, little attention has been given to the occurrence of collaborative dialogue across task modality and its impa...
Would You Like to Know More? Selection, Socialization, and the Political Attitudes of Military Veterans

Although research during the Vietnam era suggested that the political attitudes of American veterans were not significantly different from those of the public at large, more recent studies argue that this may not be the case for veterans of the all-volunteer military. Thus far, however, the reason for this difference has gone unexplored: are veterans from the volunteer era different because a certain type of person is drawn to military life (selection), or are their attitudes shaped by their service (socialization)? Using new survey data on the political attitudes of Americans, and statistical techniques designed to tease out the difference between selection and socialization effects, we examine this question, assessing the extent to which the two factors play a role in this attitudinal difference. Our results have implications for political representation, civil-military relations, and the role of formative experiences in political and psychological development more generally.
Frequency and Duration of Fecal Shedding of Salmonella Enteritidis by Experimentally Infected Laying Hens Housed in Enriched Colony Cages at Different Stocking Densities.

Human infections with Salmonella Enteritidis are often attributed to the consumption of contaminated eggs, so the prevalence of this pathogen in egg-laying poultry is an important public health risk factor. Numerous and complex environmental influences on Salmonella persistence and transmission are exerted by management practices and housing facilities used in commercial egg production. In recent years, the animal welfare implications of poultry housing systems have guided the development of alternatives to traditional cage-based housing, but their food safety consequences are not yet fully understood. The present study assessed the effects of different bird stocking densities on the frequency and duration of fecal shedding of S. Enteritidis in groups of experimentally infected laying hens housed in colony cages enriched with perching and nesting areas. In two trials, groups of laying hens were distributed at two stocking densities (648 and 973 sq cm/bird) into enriched colony cages and (along with a group housed in conventional cages at 648 sq cm/bird) orally inoculated with doses of 1.0 × 10e8 cfu of S. Enteritidis. At 10 weekly post-inoculation intervals, samples of voided feces were collected from beneath each cage and cultured to detect S. Enteritidis. Fecal shedding of S. Enteritidis was detected for up to 10 wk post-inoculation by hens housed in all three housing treatment groups. The overall frequency of positive fecal cultures was significantly (P < 0.05) greater from conventional cages than from enriched colony cages (at the lower stocking density) for the total of all sampling dates (45.0% vs. 33.3%) and also for samples collected at 4-9 wk post-infection. Likewise, the frequency of S. Enteritidis isolation from feces from conventional cages was significantly greater than from enriched colony cages (at the higher hen stocking density) for the sum of all samples (45.0% vs. 36.7%) and at 6 wk post-inoculation. However, no significant differences in S. Enteritidis recovery from feces were observed between samples taken from enriched colony cages at the higher and lower stocking densities. These results suggest that stocking density is not the only housing-associated influence on the susceptibility of hens to intestinal colonization by S. Enteritidis.
When Is an Election Verifiable

Verifiable elections currently require voter-verifiable paper ballots, demonstrably adequate custody of those ballots, and well-designed audits of the results based on manual inspection of those ballots.
Phenocopy frontotemporal dementia: A case series from a national memory clinic and a review of the literature

Introduction The existence of a frontotemporal dementia phenocopy (phFTD) syndrome remains controversial. Opinions differ on whether the phenocopy presentation represents the neuropsychological manifestation of a mid-life decompensation in vulnerable pre-morbid personalities or an indolent prodrome of behavioral-variant FTD (bvFTD). Literature on this topic is sparse and clinicians and patients have little guidance around prognosis and management. Objectives To describe the demographic, neuropsychological and biomarker profiles of a case series of phFTD patients, attending the memory clinic and review relevant literature. Methods Retrospective review of all cases diagnosed with phFTD. Results Eleven cases were identified (male = 9, female = 2). Mean age 55.8 years. Subjective complaints comprised memory and language difficulties. Collateral reports described apathy, aggression, impulsivity, disinhibition, hyperorality. Function was relatively preserved though motivation or supervision for higher-level tasks was sometimes required. All had non-neurodegenerative MRI and PET scans. Neuropsychological test (NPT) findings predominantly showed executive dysfunction and fluency impairment. A total of 3/11 had non-amnestic memory impairment. Follow-up imaging and NPT were invariably unchanged; 1/11 had a pre-morbid psychiatric diagnosis; 5/11 had unusual personality traits pre-morbidly. Major psychosocial stressors were documented in 7/11. Management consisted of psychosocial interventions to support function and interpersonal relationships. Conclusions The literature describes the phFTD syndrome as predominantly affecting males though we include 2 females who meet the criteria. In keeping with our findings, personality traits and psychosocial stressors may be more common in phFTD than bvFTD. More severe symptoms, memory impairment at presentation and C9ORF72 gene mutation may predict eventual progression. Those who do not progress have minimal long-term functional impairment though behavioral symptoms persist.
Failure of Isoflurane Cardiac Preconditioning in Obese Type 2 Diabetic Mice Involves Aberrant Regulation of MicroRNA-21, Endothelial Nitric-oxide Synthase, and Mitochondrial Complex I

BACKGROUND Diabetes impairs the cardioprotective effect of volatile anesthetics, yet the mechanisms are still murky. We examined the regulatory effect of isoflurane on microRNA-21, endothelial nitric-oxide synthase, and mitochondrial respiratory complex I in type 2 diabetic mice. METHODS Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury was produced in obese type 2 diabetic (db/db) and C57BL/6 control mice ex vivo in the presence or absence of isoflurane administered before ischemia. Cardiac microRNA-21 was quantified by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptional-polymerase chain reaction. The dimers and monomers of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase were measured by Western blot analysis. Mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide fluorescence was determined in Langendorff-perfused hearts. RESULTS Body weight and fasting blood glucose were greater in db/db than C57BL/6 mice. Isoflurane decreased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure from 35 ± 8 mmHg in control to 23 ± 9 mmHg (P = 0.019, n = 8 mice/group, mean ± SD) and elevated ±dP/dt 2 h after post-ischemic reperfusion in C57BL/6 mice. These beneficial effects of isoflurane were lost in db/db mice. Isoflurane elevated microRNA-21 and the ratio of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase dimers/monomers and decreased mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide levels 5 min after ischemia in C57BL/6 but not db/db mice. MicroRNA-21 knockout blocked these favorable effects of isoflurane, whereas endothelial nitric-oxide synthase knockout had no effect on the expression of microRNA-21 but blocked the inhibitory effect of isoflurane preconditioning on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. CONCLUSIONS Failure of isoflurane cardiac preconditioning in obese type 2 diabetic db/db mice is associated with aberrant regulation of microRNA-21, endothelial nitric-oxide synthase, and mitochondrial respiratory complex I.
Microneedling for the treatment of hair loss

Microneedling is a minimally invasive dermatological procedure in which fine needles are rolled over the skin to puncture the stratum corneum. This therapy is used to induce collagen formation, neovascularization and growth factor production of treated areas. It has been used in a wide range of dermatologic conditions, including androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and alopecia areata, among others. While there are a limited number of studies examining this therapy in the use of hair loss, microneedling has been successfully paired with other hair growth promoting therapies, such as minoxidil, platelet-rich plasma and topical steroids, and shown to stimulate hair follicle growth. It is thought that microneedling facilitates penetration of such first-line medications, and this is one mechanism by which it promotes hair growth. To date, the area most studied and with the most success has been microneedling treatment of AGA. While the current evidence does not allow one to conclude superiority of microneedling over existing standard therapies for hair loss, microneedling shows some promise in improving hair growth, especially in combination with existing techniques. This review summarizes the current literature regarding microneedling in the treatment of alopecia and calls for further studies to define a standard treatment protocol.
I'm the One Who's Here: An Experienced Music Teacher, a Low-Income School, and Arts Participation as a Reform Strategy.

According to Duncan and Murnane (2011. “Introduction: The American Dream, Then and Now.” In Whither Opportunity?: Rising Inequality, Schools, and Children’s Life Chances, edited by Greg J. Duncan, ...
Equipping Kids for Ministry

Most children's ministries focus their creative energies on the evangelization and discipleship of children. They offer excellent, well-planned events and programs that encourage children to form s...