cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Negotiating identity and science teaching in a high-stakes testing environment: an elementary teacher’s perceptions

This study draws upon a qualitative case study to investigate the impact of the high-stakes test environment on an elementary teacher’s identities and the influence of identity maintenance on science teaching. Drawing from social identity theory, I argue that we can gain deep insight into how and why urban elementary science teachers engage in defining and negotiating their identities in practice. In addition, we can further understand how and why science teachers of poor urban students engage in teaching decisions that accommodate school demands and students’ needs to succeed in high-stakes tests. This paper presents in-depth experiences of one elementary teacher as she negotiates her identities and teaching science in school settings that emphasize high-stakes testing. I found that a teacher’s identities generate tensions while teaching science when: (a) schools prioritize high-stakes tests as the benchmark of teacher success and student success; (b) activity-based and participatory science teaching is deemphasized; (c) science teacher of minority students identity is threatened or questioned; and (d) a teacher perceives a threat to one’s identities in the context of high stakes testing. Further, the results suggest that stronger links to identities generate more positive values in teachers, and greater possibilities for positive actions in science classrooms that support minority students’ success in science.
Switchgrass selection as a "model" bioenergy crop: A history of the process

A review of several publications of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Biofuels Feedstock Development Program and final reports from the herbaceous crop screening trials show that technology, environmental, and funding issues influenced the decision to focus on a single herbaceous “model” crop species. Screening trials funded by the U.S. Department of Energy in the late 1980s to early 1990s assessed thirty-four herbaceous species on a wide range of soil types at thirty-one different sites spread over seven states in crop producing regions of the U.S. Several species, including sorghums, reed canarygrass, wheatgrasses, and other crops, were identified as having merit for further development. Six of the seven institutions performing the screening included switchgrass among the species recommended for further development in their region and all recommended that perennial grasses be given high research priority. Reasons for the selection of switchgrass included demonstration of relatively high, reliable productivity across a wide geographical range, suitability for marginal quality land, low water and nutrient requirements, and other positive environmental attributes. Crop screening results, economic and environmental assessments by the Biofuels Feedstock Development Program staff, and Department of Energy funding limitations all contributed to the decision to further develop only switchgrass as a “model” or “prototype” species in 1991. The following ten year focus on development of switchgrass as a bioenergy crop proved the value of focusing on a single “model” herbaceous crop. The advancements and attention gained were sufficient to give government leaders, policymakers, farmers, and biofuel industry developers the confidence that lignocellulosic crops could support an economically viable and environmentally sustainable biofuel industry in the U.S.
Synthesis and antimicrobial applications of 5,5′-ethylenebis[5-methyl-3-(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)hydantoin]

Abstract A novel, durable, long lasting, N -halamine siloxane monomer precursor, 5,5′-ethylenebis[5-methyl-3-(3-triethoxysilylpropyl)hydantoin] has been prepared and characterized by 1 H-NMR and FTIR for the purpose of functionalizing the surfaces of various materials. In this work, the precursor N -halamine moiety was attached by siloxane covalent bonding to surfaces of cotton fibers. Simulated laundering tests indicated that the chlorinated N -halamine structure could survive many repeated home launderings. The materials were rendered biocidal after exposure to oxidative halogen solutions, i.e. dilute household bleach. Once chlorinated, these materials were biocidal against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli . Upon loss of the halogen from either long-term use or consumption by the microbes on the surfaces, they could be simply recharged by further exposure to dilute bleach to regain biocidal activity.
Multiplicity of positive and nodal solutions for an inhomogeneous nonlinear elliptic problem

Abstract In this paper, we show that there exist λ > 2 and C > 0 such that a ( x ) − 1 ≥ − C e − λ | x | for all x ∈ R N , the nonlinear elliptic problem − Δ u + u = a ( x ) | u | p − 2 u + f ( x ) in R N has a solution that changes sign in R N , in addition to two positive solutions.
A note on the algebraic matrix Riccati equation

The results in [1] and [2] for the matrix Lyapunov equation are extended to the case of an algebraic matrix Riccati equation. Some errors in [1] and [2] are pointed out by a counter example. The estimations obtained in this note are shown to be exact for certain cases. Similar results are possible for the discrete algebraic matrix Riccati equation.
CFD-aided cell settler design optimization and scale-up: effect of geometric design and operational variables on separation performance.

The inclined multiplate (lamella) gravity settler has proven to be an effective cell retention device in industrial perfusion cell culture applications. Investigations on the effects of geometric design and operational variables of the cell settler are crucial to understanding how to best improve the settler performance. Maximizing the harvest/perfusion flow rate while minimizing viable cell loss out of the harvest is the primary challenge for optimization of the settler design. This study demonstrated that computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can be utilized to accurately model and evaluate the settler separation performance for near-monodisperse suspensions and therefore aid in the design optimization of the settler under these baseline conditions. With the preferred geometric features that were identified from CFD modeling results, we proposed design guidelines for the scale-up of these multiplate settler systems. With these guidelines and performance verification using the CFD model, a new large-scale settler was designed and fabricated for a perfusion cell culture process using a minimally aggregating production cell line. Perfusion cell culture runs with this particular cell line were performed with this settler, and the CFD model was able to predict the initial ramp-up performance, proving it to be a valuable scale-up design tool for this production process. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2011
Laboratory Measurements of Contact Freezing by Dust and Bacteria at Temperatures of Mixed-Phase Clouds

AbstractLaboratory measurements of freezing by aerosol particles in contact mode are presented. The fraction of particles catalyzing freezing is quantified for three mineral dusts and three strains of bacteria. This is the most comprehensive such dataset to date for temperatures greater than −20°C, relevant for warm, mixed-phase clouds. For Arizona Test Dust, feldspar, or rhyolitic ash, more than 103 particles are required to initiate a freezing event at −20°C in the contact mode. At −15°C, more than 105 particles are required. An ice-negative strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens is an order of magnitude more effective than the mineral dusts at every temperature tested. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first measurement of contact-mode freezing by an ice-negative bacterium. An ice-positive strain of Pseudomonas syringae reaches its maximum nucleating efficiency, E = 0.1, 12°C higher than does Pseudomonas fluorescens. This is consistent with the behavior of ice-negative and ice-positive bact...
Monitoring of revascularized jejunal autografts.

• Free jejunal autografts have been widely used to reconstruct circumferential pharyngeal defects in a single stage. Close postoperative monitoring of the perfusion of the free jejunal autograft is extremely important in achieving a successful outcome. Presented herein is our method of postoperative monitoring of jejunal autografts in which a segment of jejunum pedicled on its connecting mesentery is exteriorized. This method of monitoring was performed in 17 cases, and there were no cases of late graft failure. Of three patients who had undergone this operation before the use of this monitoring technique, one had an unrecognized late graft failure. We present our experience with this simple and reliable method to monitor free jejunal autografts. ( Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1992;118:1042-1044)
Disasters, crises, and unique populations: Suggestions for survey research

Methodological and data-analysis challenges for evaluators working in disaster and crisis contexts are discussed. Crises are, by definition, unexpected, nonroutine occurrences that create conditions unfavorable to traditional methods of data collection. The inherently novel nature of disasters and large-scale crises, coupled with their unpredictability, often makes data collection difficult at best. Given the methodological limitations imposed by the conditions surrounding disasters, researchers and evaluators are often criticized for methodological decisions concerning data collection, randomization, and generalizability. This chapter addresses issues of data collection, randomization and data analysis in disaster research, outlining the difficulties of randomization, problems stemming from the absence of randomization, and potential solutions to these problems. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association.
A statewide population-based study of gender differences in trauma: validation of a prior single-institution study.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Women usually have lower mortality rates than men do at any age. This pattern is observed for most causes of death from chronic diseases. Significant controversy still exists about gender differences in outcomes in trauma. We previously reported no differences in in-hospital mortality based on gender in a large single-institution study (n = 18,892) that had a significant limitation in that it was not population based. This current study was performed to validate our earlier findings in a separate, statewide, population-based dataset of trauma victims. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective data were collected on 22,332 trauma patients (18,432 blunt, 3,900 penetrating) admitted to all trauma centers (n = 26) in Pennsylvania over 24 months (January 1996 to December 1997). Gender differences in in-hospital mortality were determined for the entire dataset and for the subsets of blunt and penetrating injury patients. A second analysis examined all blunt injury patients and excluded all patients with a hospital length of stay of less than 24 hours, eliminating patients who expired soon after admission. The null hypothesis was that female gender is protective in trauma outcomes. RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression analysis identified age (odds ratio [OR] 1.03, confidence interval [CI] 1.02 to 1.03), Injury Severity Score (OR 1.06, CI 1.05 to 1.06), non-Caucasian race (OR 1.72, CI 1.39 to 2.15), blunt injury type (OR 0.327, CI 0.26 to 0.41), and Revised Trauma Score (OR 0.44, CI 0.41 to 0.47) as independent predictors of in-hospital mortality in trauma. Preexisting diseases, including cardiac disease (OR 1.53, CI 1.12 to 2.09) and malignancy (OR 4.08, CI 1.64 to 10.17), were also identified as independent predictors of in-hospital mortality in trauma. Female gender was not associated with decreased mortality (OR 0.83, CI 0.67 to 1.03, p=0.093). A second multiple regression analysis in blunt trauma patients admitted for longer than 24 hours (which eliminated early deaths and patients with minor injuries) determined that in-hospital mortality was not significantly different in male or female blunt trauma patients stratified by Injury Severity Score and age. The same factors that were predictive of in-hospital mortality in the total dataset were also significant in this secondary analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These population-based data confirm that female gender does not adversely affect in-hospital mortality in trauma when patients are appropriately stratified for other variables, including Injury Severity Score and age, that do significantly affect outcomes.
The Effect of Age and Weight on Vancomycin Serum Trough Concentrations in Pediatric Patients

Background Vancomycin treatment failure has been associated with low serum vancomycin trough concentrations, prompting recommendations to increase the daily doses in adults and children. Despite more aggressive vancomycin dosing, there continues to be significant variability in vancomycin trough concentrations in pediatric patients.
Inflammatory and injury signals released from the post-stenotic human kidney

Aims The mechanisms mediating kidney injury and repair in humans with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that the stenotic kidney releases inflammatory mediators and recruits progenitor cells to promote regeneration. Methods and results Essential hypertensive (EH) and ARAS patients ( n = 24 each) were studied during controlled sodium intake and antihypertensive treatment. Inferior vena cava (IVC) and renal vein (RV) levels of CD34+/KDR+ progenitor cells, cell adhesion molecules, inflammatory biomarkers, progenitor cell homing signals, and pro-angiogenic factors were measured in EH and ARAS, and their gradient and net release compared with systemic levels in matched normotensive controls ( n = 24). Blood pressure in ARAS was similar to EH, but the glomerular filtration rate was lower. Renal vein levels of soluble E-Selectin, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, and several inflammatory markers were higher in the stenotic kidney RV vs. normal and EH RV ( P < 0.05), and their net release increased. Similarly, stem-cell homing factor levels increased in the stenotic kidney RV. Systemic CD34+/KDR+ progenitor cell levels were lower in both EH and ARAS and correlated with cytokine levels. Moreover, CD34+/KDR+ progenitor cells developed a negative gradient across the ARAS kidney, suggesting progenitor cell retention. The non-stenotic kidney also showed signs of inflammatory processes, which were more subtle than in the stenotic kidney. Conclusion Renal vein blood from post-stenotic human kidneys has multiple markers reflecting active inflammation that portends kidney injury and reduced function. CD34+/KDR+ progenitor cells sequestered within these kidneys may participate in reparative processes. These inflammation-related pathways and limited circulating progenitor cells may serve as novel therapeutic targets to repair the stenotic kidney.
Effect of forager-deposited odors on the intra-patch accuracy of recruitment of the stingless bees Melipona panamica and Partamona peckolti (Apidae, Meliponini)*

We show that the stingless bees Melipona panamica and Partamona peckolti have ah igh pre- cision of intra-patch recruitment that is influenced by forager-deposited odor marks in the field. We trained foragers to a 2.5 M sucrose feeder in the center of an array of five identical feeders (20 cm between feeders) at different distances and directions from the nest and measured the distribution of recruit visitations. In the free-foraging phase foragers could odor mark a filter paper around the experimental feeder, and in the odor-removal phase we substituted it each five minutes by a clean one. Significantly more recruits in both species chose the experimental feeder over the controls in the distance and directional arrays (P 0.034) and odor removal significantly decreased precision of recruitment in both species (P 0.034). Scent marks in both species thus play a significant role in orienting recruits to already known profitable food sources. odor marking / recruitment / stingless bees / intra-patch precision / Meliponini
Measurement of Coronary Blood Flow Velocity During Handgrip Exercise Using Breath-Hold Velocity Encoded Cine Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Abstract Coronary blood flow velocity was measured during handgrip exercise using breath-hold velocity encoded cine magnetic resonance imaging. Peak diastolic coronary flow velocity in the left anterior descending artery was 20.6 ± 9.3 cm/s (mean ± SD) at baseline and increased significantly to 31.1 ± 16.4 cm/s after exercise (50.7 ± 31.3% increase, p
COPI Recruitment Is Modulated by a Rab1b-dependent Mechanism

The small GTPase Rab1b is essential for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to Golgi transport, but its exact function remains unclear. We have examined the effects of wild-type and three mutant forms of Rab1b in vivo. We show that the inactive form of Rab1b (the N121I mutant with impaired guanine nucleotide binding) blocks forward transport of cargo and induces Golgi disruption. The phenotype is analogous to that induced by brefeldin A (BFA): it causes resident Golgi proteins to relocate to the ER and induces redistribution of ER-Golgi intermediate compartment proteins to punctate structures. The COPII exit machinery seems to be functional in cells expressing the N121I mutant, but COPI is compromised, as shown by the release of beta-COP into the cytosol. Our results suggest that Rab1b function influences COPI recruitment. In support of this, we show that the disruptive effects of N121I can be reversed by expressing known mediators of COPI recruitment, the GTPase ARF1 and its guanine nucleotide exchange factor GBF1. Further evidence is provided by the finding that cells expressing the active form of Rab1b (the Q67L mutant with impaired GTPase activity) are resistant to BFA. Our data suggest a novel role for Rab1b in ARF1- and GBF1-mediated COPI recruitment pathway.
Retrosternal epiphyseal disruption of medial clavicle: Case and review in children

Retrosternal dislocations of the clavicle have been reported previously in adults throughout the orthopedic literature. However, in children few cases have been noted in either the pediatric, emergency, or orthopedic literature. The potential for great vessel injury as well as acute airway compromise makes the retrosternal disruption of the sternoclavicular joint a surgical emergency that must be diagnosed quickly. Diagnosis is enhanced by the cephalic tilt view and by computed tomography (CT scan), as planar x-ray and tomography do not always reveal this potentially life-threatening condition. Surgical consultation must be sought acutely; however, management may need to begin prior to definitive repair. Emergency management begins by suspecting the injury, and with immediate airway and circulatory support for the patient.
Glucocerebrosidase is shaking up the synucleinopathies

The lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase, encoded by the glucocerebrosidase gene, is involved in the breakdown of glucocerebroside into glucose and ceramide. Lysosomal build-up of the substrate glucocerebroside occurs in cells of the reticulo-endothelial system in patients with Gaucher disease, a rare lysosomal storage disorder caused by the recessively inherited deficiency of glucocerebrosidase. Gaucher disease has a broad clinical phenotypic spectrum, divided into non-neuronopathic and neuronopathic forms. Like many monogenic diseases, the correlation between clinical manifestations and molecular genotype is not straightforward. There is now a well-established clinical association between mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene and the development of more prevalent multifactorial disorders including Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies. In this review we discuss recent studies advancing our understanding of the cellular relationship between glucocerebrosidase and α-synuclein, the potential impact of established and emerging therapeutics for Gaucher disease for the treatment of the synucleinopathies, and the role of lysosomal pathways in the pathogenesis of these neurodegenerative disorders.
A Reply to “New Product Diffusion Decisions Under Supply Constraints”

In our prior work on product diffusions in presence of a capacity constraint, we postulated that a firm operating in such an environment should always attempt to fulfill as much of the present demand as is possible with the capacity constraint. In other words, the firm would never have demand backlogged while accumulating inventory. In this note, we derive a sufficient condition for the optimality of such fulfillment policy. This paper was accepted by Candace A. Yano, operations management.
The electromagnetic Darwin model for intense charged particle beams

Abstract The theoretical and numerical properties of the electromagnetic Darwin model for intense charged particle beams are investigated. The model neglects the transverse displacement current in Ampere's law and results in the elimination of high-frequency transverse electromagnetic waves and the associated retardation effects in the Vlasov–Maxwell equations. In this paper, two numerical schemes are presented for the purpose of circumventing the numerical instabilities associated with the presence of E T [ ≡ - ( 1 / c ) ∂ A / ∂ t ] in the equations of motion for particle codes, where A is the vector potential. The first relies on higher-order velocity moments for closure, and the other replaces the mechanical momentum, p = γ m v , by the canonical momentum, P = p + ( q / c ) A , as the phase-space variable. The properties of these simulations schemes in the laboratory frame as well as in the beam frame are also discussed. These new numerical methods are most suitable for studying Weibel and two-stream instabilities in heavy ion fusion research.
Radiofrequency Ablation of a Posteroseptal Accessory Pathway Via the Middle Cardiac Vein in a Six-Year-Old Child

Although radiofrequency ablation is highly successful in patients with the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, certain patbways remain refractory to ablation. In particular, subepicardial pathways often fail ablation via an endocardial approach. In adult patients, left-sided subepicardial pathways bave been treated successfully using energy delivery within the coronary sinus. To document the safety and efficacy of this approach in children, we present the case of a 6-year-old boy who underwent radiofrequency ablation of a posteroseptal pathway via energy delivery within tbe middle cardiac vein. Follow-up study showed no evidence of recurrence or gross coronary vascular injury.
Stochastic approximation with averaging and feedback: rapidly convergent "on-line" algorithms

Consider the stochastic approximation X/sub n+1/=X/sub n/+a/sub n/g(X/sub n/, /spl xi//sub n/), where 0 0. The averaging method is essentially "off line" in the sense that the actual SA iterate X/sub n/ is not influenced by the averaging. In many applications, X/sub n/ itself is of greatest interest, since that is the "operating parameter". This paper deals with the problem of stochastic approximation with averaging and with appropriate feedback of the averages into the original algorithm. It is shown both mathematically and via simulation that it works very well and has numerous advantages. It is a clear improvement over the system X/sub n/ by itself. It is fairly robust, and quite often it is much preferable to the use of the above averages without feedback. The authors deal, in particular, with "linear" algorithms of the type appearing in parameter estimators, adaptive noise cancellers, channel equalizers, adaptive control, and similar applications. The main development is for the constant parameter case because of its importance in applications. But analogous results hold for the case where a/sub n//spl rarr/0. >
The Human Papillomavirus 16 E6 Protein Binds to Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) R1 and Protects Cells from TNF-induced Apoptosis

High risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), such as HPV 16, cause human cervical carcinoma. The E6 protein of HPV 16 mediates the rapid degradation of p53, although this is not the only function of E6 and cannot completely explain its transforming potential. Previous work in our laboratory has demonstrated that transfection of HPV 16 E6 into the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-sensitive LM cell line protects expressing cells from TNF-induced apoptosis in a p53-independent manner, and the purpose of this study was to determine the molecular mechanism underlying this protection. Caspase 3 and caspase 8 activation were significantly reduced in E6-expressing cells, indicating that E6 acts early in the TNF apoptotic pathway. In fact, E6 binds directly to TNF R1, as shown both by co-immunoprecipitation and mammalian two-hybrid approaches. E6 requires the same C-terminal portion of TNF R1 for binding as does TNF R1-associated death domain, and TNF R1/TNF R1-associated death domain interactions are decreased in the presence of E6. HA-E6 also blocked cell death triggered by transfection of the death domain of TNF R1. Together, these results provide strong support for a model in which HPV E6 binding to TNF R1 interferes with formation of the death-inducing signaling complex and thus with transduction of proapoptotic signals. They also demonstrate that HPV, like several other viruses, has developed a method for evading the TNF-mediated host immune response.
Breeding birds associated with seasonal pools in the northeastern United States

Seasonal pools in the northeastern United States provide habitat for amphibians and invertebrates, but little is known about their importance as habitat for birds. We examined avian community composition at seasonal pools in Rhode Island to test the hypothesis that seasonal pools would support a greater abundance and diversity of birds than nearby upland sites. From mid-May to June 2008, we conducted point counts at 33 paired sets of seasonal pools and upland sites that were 150 m apart. Bird abundance and diversity was significantly higher at seasonal pools than upland sites, whereas community composition as measured by evenness was similar. We also found that the mean abundance of birds was significantly greater at urban pools than rural pools. Our results suggest that birds preferentially use seasonal pools, particularly in more urban settings, adding to the body of evidence that supports the protection and restoration of small isolated wetlands in urban landscapes. RESUMEN Los charcos de agua estacionales en el noreste de los Estados Unidos proveen habitat para anfibios e invertebrados, pero poco se conoce sobre su importancia como habitat para las aves. Examinamos la composicion de la comunidad de aves en charcos estacionales en el estado de Rhode Island para probar el hipotesis que los charcos estacionales soportarian una mayor abundancia y diversidad de aves en comparacion a sitios cercanos de mayor elevacion. Desde mediados de Mayo hasta Junio del 2008, realizamos conteos por punto de 33 pares de charcos estacionales y sitios de mayor elevacion que estaban a 150 m de distancia uno del otro. La abundancia y diversidad de las aves fue significativamente mas alta en charcos estacionales que en sitios de mayor elevacion, mientras que la composicion de la comunidad medida mediante la uniformidad fue similar. Tambien encontramos que la abundancia promedio de las aves fue significativamente mayor en charcos urbanos que en charcos rurales. Nuestros resultados sugieren que las aves prefieren usar charcos estacionales, particularmente en sitios mas urbanos. Esto respalda la evidencia que ya existe que apoya a la proteccion y restauracion de humedales pequenos y aislados en paisajes urbanos.
Judicial Control of Official Discretion

When men reflect about government, whether practically or academically, they always turn up, if they think deeply enough, two central problems: first, how to ensure that government shall do what it is supposed to do, and secondly, how to ensure that it shall not do other things. One is the problem of efficiency, the other the problem of control; and around the two is built most, perhaps all, of the so-called science of politics. At some periods the need for control seems the more vital and pressing. It seemed so to Englishmen, for example, during the two centuries following the accession of the Stuarts. At other times and places the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction, and in fifteenth century Europe, as in contemporary Italy, the dominant desire was for government strong enough and untrammelled enough to stem successfully a rising tide of disorder. Each age strikes its own balance in favor of one principle or the other, and thereby touches the opposite principle into action to redress the balance at some new point of readjustment. The competing claims of efficiency and control have often expressed themselves in the form of controversy concerning the comparative merits of government by discretion and govern-ment by law—or, in Harrington's phrase, a government of laws and a government of men. In this form the conflict has left its mark everywhere on political thought since Aristotle. Discretion means freedom for government to choose among possible alternatives of action. As one judge has said, “In honest plain language it means ‘Do as you like.’” It is thus a condition of efficiency, but it is very apt to exact the price of arbitrariness. Law, on the other hand, requires that government shall act by set rule, shall limit itself to a particular way of acting in each particular situation. It seeks to eliminate choice in favor of certainty; it narrows the possible range of governmental action in order that such action may be predicted and controlled in advance.
Folate–vitamin B-12 interaction in relation to cognitive impairment, anemia, and biochemical indicators of vitamin B-12 deficiency

Previous reports on pernicious anemia treatment suggested that high folic acid intake adversely influences the natural history of vitamin B-12 deficiency, which affects many elderly individuals. However, experimental investigation of this hypothesis is unethical, and the few existing observational data are inconclusive. With the use of data from the 1999–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we evaluated the interaction between high serum folate and low vitamin B-12 status [ie, plasma vitamin B-12 210 nmol/L] with respect to anemia and cognitive impairment. With subjects having both plasma folate ≤ 59 nmol/L and normal vitamin B-12 status as the referent category, odds ratios for the prevalence of anemia compared with normal hemoglobin concentration and impaired compared with unimpaired cognitive function were 2.1 (95% CI: 1.1, 3.7) and 1.7 (95% CI: 1.01, 2.9), respectively, for those with low vitamin B-12 status but normal serum folate and 4.9 (95% CI: 2.3, 10.6) and 5.0 (95% CI: 2.7, 9.5), respectively, for those with low vitamin B-12 status and plasma folate >59 nmol/L. Among subjects with low vitamin B-12 status, mean circulating vitamin B-12 was 228 pmol/L for the normal-folate subgroup and 354 pmol/L for the high-folate subgroup. We subsequently showed increases in circulating homocysteine and MMA concentrations with increasing serum folate among NHANES participants with serum vitamin B-12 < 148 pmol/L, whereas the opposite trends occurred among subjects with serum vitamin B-12 ≥ 148 pmol/L. These interactions, which were not seen in NHANES III before fortification, imply that, in vitamin B-12 deficiency, high folate status is associated with impaired activity of the 2 vitamin B-12–dependent enzymes, methionine synthase and MMA–coenzyme A mutase.
Considerations for Planning a DSP Hardware Class

DSP theory courses have been standard fare in electrical engineering departments for many years, however DSP hardware courses are less common, and designing a course syllabus is not so straightforward. Two syllabus decisions involve course emphasis and course structure. For example, should the course focus on low-level DSP programming topics such as pipelining, or is the goal to enhance student understanding of important DSP concepts? Secondly, should the class use traditional lectures, or should class time be devoted largely to hands-on laboratory experiences with minimal lecture time? This paper attempts to summarize the most important course decisions, in order to begin a discussion of what format works best for these classes.
Persuasion in Politics

We present a model of the creation of social networks, such as political parties, trade unions, religious coalitions, or political action committees, through discussion and mutual persuasion among their members. The key idea is that people are influenced by those inside their network, but not by those outside. Once created, networks can be rented out to politicians who seek votes and support for their initiatives and ideas, which may have little to do with network members' core beliefs. In this framework, political competition does not lead to convergence of party platforms to the views of the median voter. Rather, parties separate their messages and try to isolate their members to prevent personal influence from those in the opposition.
Rapid Dissociation of HIV-1 from Cultured Cells Severely Limits Infectivity Assays, Causes the Inactivation Ascribed to Entry Inhibitors, and Masks the Inherently High Level of Infectivity of Virions

By using immunofluorescence microscopy to observe and analyze freshly made HIV-1 virions adsorbed onto cells, we found that they are inherently highly infectious, rather than predominantly defective as previously suggested. Surprisingly, polycations enhance titers 20- to 30-fold by stabilizing adsorption and preventing a previously undescribed process of rapid dissociation, strongly implying that infectivity assays for many viruses are limited not only by inefficient virus diffusion onto cells but also by a postattachment race between entry and dissociation. This kinetic competition underlies inhibitory effects of CCR5 antagonists and explains why adaptive HIV-1 mutations overcome many cell entry limitations by accelerating entry.
Production by Aeromonas of Common Enterobacterial Antigen and Its Possible Taxonomic Significance

In a study of production of the common enterobacterial antigen (CA) by members of the Aeromonas group, ten strains of A. shigelloides, nine strains of A. hydrophila, and nine strains of A. salmonicida were used. Passive hemagglutination and hemolysis tests as well as the hemagglutination-inhibition procedure revealed that all strains of A. shigelloides, in contrast to the strains of the other two species, produce this antigenic determinant. The antigen of A. shigelloides was demonstrated even when the supernatant fluids of agar-grown cultures were used in a dilution of 1:1,000, whereas 10-times concentrated supernatant fluids obtained from the other two species were negative. Supernatant liquids of cultures of A. shigelloides failed to induce a significant CA immune response in rabbits; nonetheless, the animals were primed immunologically and responded with prompt production of CA antibodies in significant titers to a booster injection of a subeffective dose of CA obtained from Salmonella typhimurium. Strains of A. hydrophila and A. salmonicida neither induced CA antibody formation nor primed the animals. It is concluded that of the three species of the Aeromonas group only A. shigelloides, which may produce O antigen cross-reacting with Shigella sonnei and which has been isolated from patients with dysentery or gastroenteritis, produces CA. Production of this antigen, therefore, may help to characterize microorganisms belonging or related to the family Enterobacteriaceae.
Uncoupling the mitochondria facilitates alternans formation in the isolated rabbit heart

Alternans of action potential duration (APD) and intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) transients in the whole heart are thought to be markers of increased propensity to ventricular fibrillation during i...
Early ductal decompression prevents the progression of biliary pancreatitis: An experimental study in the opossum

Abstract Background: The value of early endoscopic or surgical interventions to remove bile duct stones and decompress the biliopancreatic ductal system in gallstone pancreatitis is controversial. Methods: To evaluate this issue, acute hemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis was induced in opossums by obstructing the biliopancreatic ductal system with a balloon catheter for 1, 3, or 5 days. Results: A progressive increase in the severity of pancreatitis, as manifested by inflammation, fat necrosis, hemorrhage, acinar cell vacuolization, in vitro lactate dehydrogenase release, and acinar cell necrosis, was noted in these obstructed animals. In contrast, decompression of the obstructed ductal system by removal of the balloon catheter after 1 or 3 days prevented the increase in severity of these parameters of pancreatic injury. Conclusions: We conclude that the severity of biliary pancreatitis in this model is dependent upon the duration of ductal obstruction and that decompression of the ductal system can prevent progression of the disease. These observations support the practice of early attempts to remove obstructing stones in clinical gallstone pancreatitis.
Teacher Explorations of Science and Science Learning Generate Insights Into Inquiry and Teaching

Education and science faculty describe explorations introduced into a multi-year professional development program to promote teachers’ abilities to create environments for the elementary and middle school students they teach which elicit learners’ exploratory behavior and sustain them in authentic scientific inquiry. Experiences, which were informed by the teaching-learning research pedagogy of critical exploration (Duckworth, 2006a), involved teachers as co-collaborators and explorers of scientific phenomena and students’ science learning.1
Pathways to Results: How Practitioners Address Student Access, Outcomes, and Equity in an Associate Degree Nursing Program

At a time when the nation is focusing so much attention on college completion, what [is known] about how students are completing their community college programs? Does the open-access mission of community colleges translate into equitable outcomes? Pathways to Results (PTR) engages practitioners in using data to close equity gaps for student groups historically underserved by postsecondary education. This chapter describes the experiences of practitioners at Richland Community College who implemented PTR to improve student access, outcomes, and equity in an associate degree nursing program.
FDA-Sponsored Project to Promote Physician Reporting of Adverse Drug Events in Maryland 1985–1988

AbstractThe FDA's Spontaneous Reporting System (SRS) has unique public health utility in monitoring drug safety but its functioning requires attention to encourage physician participation. The State of Maryland undertook an FDA-sponsored project to promote direct physician reporting in 1985. During the first year, intervention consisted of education and a telephone reporting service. The effect of the intervention was evaluated by survey. Knowledge of the FDA-SRS increased (p<.001) but no statistically significant difference in reporting between study and control groups was observed. However, overall state reporting increased four-fold over the previous year's performance (p<.001). In the project's second year, a hospital network was added before funding for the Maryland project was unexpectedly discontinued. The project concludes that physician reporting can be encouraged but that any program directed at accomplishing this objective must have long range planning, a guaranteed source of funding, and emplo...
Genome Sequence of "Candidatus Thioglobus autotrophica" Strain EF1, a Chemoautotroph from the SUP05 Clade of Marine Gammaproteobacteria.

ABSTRACT Chemoautotrophic marine bacteria from the SUP05 clade of marine gammaproteobacteria often dominate low-oxygen waters in upwelling regions, fjords, and hydrothermal systems. Here, we announce the complete genome sequence of “Candidatus Thioglobus autotrophica” strain EF1, the first cultured chemoautotrophic representative from the SUP05 clade.
Viral-mimicking protein nanoparticle vaccine for eliciting anti-tumor responses

The immune system is a powerful resource for the eradication of cancer, but to overcome the low immunogenicity of tumor cells, a sufficiently strong CD8(+) T cell-mediated adaptive immune response is required. Nanoparticulate biomaterials represent a potentially effective delivery system for cancer vaccines, as they can be designed to mimic viruses, which are potent inducers of cellular immunity. We have been exploring the non-viral pyruvate dehydrogenase E2 protein nanoparticle as a biomimetic platform for cancer vaccine delivery. Simultaneous conjugation of a melanoma-associated gp100 epitope and CpG to the E2 nanoparticle (CpG-gp-E2) yielded an antigen-specific increase in the CD8(+) T cell proliferation index and IFN-γ secretion by 1.5-fold and 5-fold, respectively, compared to an unbound peptide and CpG formulation. Remarkably, a single nanoparticle immunization resulted in a 120-fold increase in the frequency of melanoma epitope-specific CD8(+) T cells in draining lymph nodes and a 30-fold increase in the spleen, relative to free peptide with free CpG. Furthermore, in the very aggressive B16 melanoma murine tumor model, prophylactic immunization with CpG-gp-E2 delayed the onset of tumor growth by approximately 5.5 days and increased animal survival time by approximately 40%, compared to PBS-treated animals. These results show that by combining optimal particle size and simultaneous co-delivery of molecular vaccine components, antigen-specific anti-tumor immune responses can be significantly increased.
Communication with Partial Noiseless Feedback

We introduce the notion of one-way communication schemes with partial noiseless feedback. In this setting, Alice wishes to communicate a message to Bob by using a communication scheme that involves sending a sequence of bits over a channel while receiving feedback bits from Bob for delta fraction of the transmissions. An adversary is allowed to corrupt up to a constant fraction of Alice's transmissions, while the feedback is always uncorrupted. Motivated by questions related to coding for interactive communication, we seek to determine the maximum error rate, as a function of 0 <= delta <= 1, such that Alice can send a message to Bob via some protocol with delta fraction of noiseless feedback. The case delta = 1 corresponds to full feedback, in which the result of Berlekamp ['64] implies that the maximum tolerable error rate is 1/3, while the case delta = 0 corresponds to no feedback, in which the maximum tolerable error rate is 1/4, achievable by use of a binary error-correcting code. In this work, we show that for any delta in (0,1] and gamma in [0, 1/3), there exists a randomized communication scheme with noiseless delta-feedback, such that the probability of miscommunication is low, as long as no more than a gamma fraction of the rounds are corrupted. Moreover, we show that for any delta in (0, 1] and gamma < f(delta), there exists a deterministic communication scheme with noiseless delta-feedback that always decodes correctly as long as no more than a gamma fraction of rounds are corrupted. Here f is a monotonically increasing, piecewise linear, continuous function with f(0) = 1/4 and f(1) = 1/3. Also, the rate of communication in both cases is constant (dependent on delta and gamma but independent of the input length).
Break it Down Again: Evaluating the Small Schools' Reform

A consulting firm has been hired to determine why the results of the first stage of the small schools’ initiative begun four years earlier were so inconsistent. The main metric for determining success was the high-school graduation rate. Two of the district’s high schools, Langston Hughes High School and Julia Alvarez High School, had been converted from single large high schools to multiple small schools within the original buildings. While Langston Hughes experienced an increase in graduation rates under the new school-within-a-school (SWS) model, the graduation rates at Julia Alvarez were worse. Both high schools had undergone the transition to small schools at the same time and had implemented the same SWS format, so it is up to the consulting team to find out why Langston Hughes was thriving and Julia Alvarez was not.
Minimising makespan for a two-machine, flow shop, single-wafer-processing, multiple-jobs-per-carrier scheduling problem

In this paper, we address a two-machine flow shop scheduling problem in which a given set of jobs, each consisting of a number of wafers, is to be configured in the given number of carriers of limited capacity for transferring the wafers, and then, processing the wafers one-at-a-time on the machines, in order to minimise the makespan. First, we consider a relaxation of this problem by converting it to a two-machine flow shop lot streaming problem, in which the lot consists of all the jobs, and it is split into continuous-sized sublots for transferring in uncapacitated carriers. We separately address instances in which all the wafers of a job require either identical or different ratios of processing times on the machines. Several methods are developed for the solution of this problem. Results of our numerical experimentation reveal the efficacy of these methods in obtaining almost-optimal solutions within a few seconds of CPU time for the testbed of problem instances used.
Moving emotional labor beyond surface and deep acting A discordance–congruence perspective

Emotional labor (EL) is the process by which employees manage their true feelings in order to express organizationally desired emotional displays. We develop and test components of an organizing framework for emotional labor wherein various aspects of emotional labor are understood through the underlying discordance versus congruence in felt versus displayed emotions. Meta-analytic results from 109 independent studies (total N = 36,619) demonstrate that discordant emotional labor states are associated with a range of harmful consequences (health-, attitudinal-, and performance-related), whereas congruent emotional labor states do not incur these harmful consequences. We identify different patterns of worker- and work-related correlates on the basis of emotional discordance–congruence, as well as interesting occupational differences in these relationships. Lastly, we find discordant forms of emotional labor partially mediate the effects of organizational display rules on burnout, whereas congruent states d...
EVOLUTION OF RIBOSOMAL DNA: FIFTY MILLION YEARS OF RECORDED HISTORY IN THE FROG GENUS RANA

Evolution of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) arrays of frogs of the genus Rana was examined among 32 species that last shared a common ancestor approximately 50 million years ago. Extensive variation in restriction sites exists within the transcribed and nontranscribed rDNA spacer regions among the species, whereas rDNA coding regions exhibit comparatively little interspecific variation in restriction sites. The most parsimonious phylogenetic hypothesis for the evolution of the group was constructed based on variation in restriction sites and internal spacer lengths among the 32 species of Rana and one species of Pyxicephalus (examined for outgroup comparison). This analysis suggests that R. sylvatica of North America is more closely related to the R. temporaria group of Eurasia than to other North American Rana. The hypothesized phylogeny also supports the monophyly of the R. boylii group, the R. catesbeiana group, the R. palmipes group, the R. tarahumarae group, and the R. pipiens complex. Furthermore, the restriction site data provide information about the evolution within and among these species groups. This demonstrates that restriction site mapping of rDNA arrays provides a useful molecular technique for the examination of historical evolutionary questions across considerable periods of time.