cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The economy of reproduction in dimorphic ferns

Background and aims Organisms often balance among reproduction, growth and survival. When these processes are in competition, selection may act to drive functional dimorphism. Unlike seed plants, ferns use their foliar surfaces for reproduction and carbon fixation. Across species, ferns exhibit a gradient of fertile-sterile dimorphy: from the production of highly reduced fertile fronds (holodimorphic) to no reduction (monomorphic) in laminar area between fronds. Here the physiological impacts of fertile-sterile dimorphy were investigated through a series of observational and experimental field manipulations. Methods Temporal shifts in photosynthesis, respiration and percent nitrogen (%N) were examined to evaluate changes in physiological behaviour over the growing season of two species of fern of similar ecological niche, yet of different degrees of fertile-sterile frond dimorphism: Osmundastrum cinnamomeum (holodimorphic) and Osmunda regalis (hemidimorphic). These data are combined with experimental fertile and sterile frond removal to evaluate relative costs of reproduction in both species. Finally, labelled δ13C gas was used to follow carbon allocation across the growing season. Key results The data demonstrate that reproductive structures in the holodimorphic O. cinnamomeum come at more significant carbon and nitrogen costs relative to those in the hemidimorphic O. regalis Excision experiments demonstrate that investment in fertile fronds strongly impacted future allocation to reproduction in the holodimorphic species but had a lesser effect on the hemidimorphic species. The labelling experiments showed that fixed carbon is translocated to the rhizomes only, but at different times in the two species. Investment in underground resources probably allows these plants to manage the costs of reproduction associated with increased dimorphy. Conclusions Fertile-sterile dimorphy has evolved multiple times in ferns in spite of the apparent physiological costs associated with a reduction in photosynthetically active tissues. These apparent costs may be offset by an increase in potential spore dispersal distance and/or increased spore production. The phenomenon may further influence species ecology as dimorphic taxa often occupy resource-rich environments.
Tools for Assessment of Communication Skills of Hospital Action Teams: A Systematic Review

Background Hospital action teams comprise interdisciplinary health care providers working simultaneously to treat critically ill patients. Assessments designed to evaluate communication effectiveness or "nontechnical" performance of these teams are essential to minimize medical errors and improve team productivity. Although multiple communication tools are available, the characteristics and psychometric validity of these instruments have yet to be systematically compared. Objective To identify assessments used to evaluate the communication or "nontechnical" performance of hospital action teams and summarize evidence to develop and validate these instruments. Method A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE/PubMed database to identify original articles related to assessment of communication skills in teams working in acute care medicine not exclusive to emergency room, operating room, prehospital air and ground transport, or code blue/rapid response resuscitations. Results Ten communication assessment tools were identified. Six tools (60%) were designed to measure communication performance of the whole team, whereas 4 tools (40%) were created to assess individual team member's communication skills. Regardless of the type of analysis, the most commonly assessed behavior domains were Leadership, Teamwork, Communication, and Situation awareness. Only 1 of 16 articles describing a particular communication assessment tool reported all the validation criteria, other authors underreported efforts to validate their instruments. Conclusion A number of tools designed to measure the communication or "nontechnical" performance of hospital action teams are available. Unfortunately, limited reported validity evidence may hamper the utility of these tools in actual clinical practice until further validation studies are performed.
The Reluctant Cosmographer: Johannes Stöffler (1452–1531) and the Discovery of the New World

This article examines passages in two works by Johannes Stoffler (1452–1531), namely his commentary on Ptolemy’s Geography and his commentary on pseudo-Proclus’s Sphaera, that reveal his ample knowledge of the discovery of the New World, and yet his reluctance to incorporate that knowledge into discussions and depictions of the world. This reluctance is interesting in light of Stoffler’s willingness to criticize Ptolemy in his other works. Evidence from Stoffler’s writings demonstrate that he was consulting Martin Waldseemuller’s 1507 world map, which both adds to the evidence for his knowledge of the cartography of the New World, and adds a new data point regarding the circulation of that map.
Using Experiential Techniques to Teach Interviewing Skills

Clinicians learn and perform the complex medical skill of interviewing best when they learn it experientially, not just read about it. Learning experientially means practicing the skills, receiving feedback, and using the feedback to improve. In this chapter, I will shift the focus to the topic of teaching, using experiential methods, because of their importance in producing effective clinical interviewers.
Are Women’s Lives (Fully) Grievable? Gendered Framing and Sexual Violence

This chapter begins by drawing upon Judith Butler’s work in order to analyze how gender frames women’s lives as not fully livable and, in doing so, differentially exposes women to sexual violence. It proceeds by presenting the ambivalent moral and emotional responses with which sexual violence against women is met within contemporary Western societies such as the United States as an effect of such framing. The chapter concludes by considering how the author’s own analysis is framed and to what effect, and reflects upon possibilities for countering the gendered framing that promotes ignoring, minimizing, and excusing sexual violence against women.
Click chemistry approaches to expand the repertoire of PEG-based fluorinated surfactants for droplet microfluidics

We report the novel and simplified synthesis of fluorinated surfactants for droplet microfluidics. The range of applications of droplet microfluidics has greatly expanded during the last decade thanks to its ability to manipulate and process tiny amount of sample and reagents at high throughput in independent reactors. A critical component of the technology is the formulation of the immiscible oil phase that contains surfactants to stabilize droplets. The success of droplet microfluidics relies mostly on a single fluorinated formulation that uses a PFPE–PEG triblock surfactant. The synthesis of this surfactant is laborious and requires skills in synthetic chemistry preventing the wider community to explore the synthesis of surfactants with alternate structures. We sought to provide a simplified synthesis for novel PFPE–PEG surfactants based on click chemistry approaches such as copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) and UV-activated thiol–yne reactions. Our strategy is based on converting a moisture sensitive intermediate typically used in the synthesis of the triblock PFPE–PEG surfactant into a stable and click ready molecule. We successfully combined that fluorinated tail with differently functionalized PEG and glycerol ethoxylate molecules to generate surfactants with diverse structures via CuACC and thiol–yne reactions. We report the characterization, biocompatibility and ability to stabilize emulsions of those surfactants, as well as the unique advantages and challenges of the strategy.
[2+3] Carbo- and Hetero-Cyclic Annulation in the Design of Complex Molecules. 1

Vinylcyclopropanes, vinyloxiranes, and vinylaziridines were prepared by either a [2+3] protocol involving the additions of the dienolate of ethyl 2-bromocrotonate to enones, aldehydes, and some imines, or by a [4+1] protocol that utilized the intramolecular cycloadditions of diazoketones or azides to 1,3-dienes. The resulting strained 3-membered rings provided, through their energy contents, the necessary driving force for the corresponding rearrangments to annulated cyclopentenes, dihydrofurans, and pyrrolines respectively. The applications of these processes are highlighted in the syntheses of natural products containing five-membered rings. Retigeranic acid, ipomeamarone, and pyrrolizidine diols are the targets of these applications. An approach to the taxane skeleton is also advanced and is based on the ease with which endo vinylcyclopropanes undergo the divinylcyclopropane Cope rearrangement.
AN ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYER'S UNCERTAIN QUEST FOR LEGAL AND SCIENTIFIC CERTAINTY

Abstract: “Risk” is a mixture of probability and severity. What is an acceptable risk to you may be unacceptable to me, and a risk resulting from the actions of others is generally less acceptable than one of our own or of nature's making. Bureaucrats and legislators constantly make decisions which place the environment and human health at risk. Scientists and lawyers both have key roles to play in such decisions, despite differing concepts of causality and proof. Efforts to enhance the rationality of environmental decisionmaking should bear in mind the following principles: 1) unacceptable environmental risks cannot be avoided without placing limits on technological development and resource exploitation; 2) environmental risks cannot be properly assessed solely on the basis of cost-benefit analysis, because some costs are per se unacceptable, many costs cannot be adequately quantified, and because our ability to alter the environment surpasses our ability to predict the consequences of such alteration; 3) the burden of showing the absence of unacceptable risk should rest on those wishing to go forward with activities which may stress the environment, but in the case of existing activities, only after probable cause to expect such risk has been established; and 4) administrative standards and criteria represent an important, albeit imperfect, means of regulating existing risk-producing activities.
Distributionally Robust Chance Constrained Optimal Power Flow Assuming Log-Concave Distributions

Optimization formulations with chance constraints have been widely proposed to operate the power system under various uncertainties, such as renewable production and load consumption. Constraints like the system's physical limits are required to be satisfied at high confidence levels. Conventional solving methodologies either make assumptions on the underlying uncertainty distributions or give overly-conservative results. We develop a new distributionally robust (DR) chance constrained optimal power flow formulation in which the chance constraints are satisfied over a family of distributions with known first-order moments, ellipsoidal support, and an assumption that the probability distributions are log-concave. Since most practical uncertainties have log-concave probability distributions, including this assumption in the formulation reduces the objective costs as compared to traditional DR approaches without sacrificing reliability. We derive second-order cone approximations of the DR chance constraints, resulting in a tractable formulation that can be solved with commercial solvers. We evaluate the performance of our approach using a modified IEEE 9-bus system with uncertain wind power production and compare it to standard approaches. We find that our approach produces solutions that are sufficiently reliable and less costly than traditional DR approaches.
Credible Mechanisms

Consider an extensive-form mechanism, run by an auctioneer who communicates sequentially and privately with agents. Suppose the auctioneer can make any deviation that no single agent can detect. We study the mechanisms such that it is incentive-compatible for the auctioneer not to deviate - the credible mechanisms. Consider the optimal auctions in which only winners make transfers. The first-price auction is the unique credible static mechanism. The ascending auction is the unique credible strategy-proof mechanism.
Developmental trajectories of physical aggression and nonaggressive rule-breaking during late childhood and early adolescence

Research has consistently linked two forms of childhood antisocial behavior, physical aggression and nonaggressive rule-breaking, to adolescent delinquency. However, there is a lack of knowledge re...
A Call for Hope-Centered Work: A Preliminary Study of Oncology Social Workers’ Perceptions of the Role and Value of Hope at End-of-Life

This paper examines the role and value of hope in the experiences of people with cancer at end-of-life according to the social workers who counsel them. Despite discussion of hope’s value in social work literature, it continues to be de-emphasized in end-of-life (EOL) social work training and discourse in favor of theories of grief, loss and bereavement. In an online survey, social workers affiliated with a national oncology social work organization (n = 67) responded to closed-ended items. They assessed personal views on and experiences of hope, views on hope within the context of EOL and work experiences with EOL patients, felt competency in assessment of and engagement with hopefulness/hopelessness, and related training and support. Several open-ended items were also included and provided supplemental qualitative data. Participants recognized the value of hope hypothetically. However, their responses showed disagreement about the value of hope when it was considered within the context of EOL. They felt comfortable engaging in hope-centered discussion with EOL patients, yet did not routinely assess or encourage exploration of hope or hopelessness. There is a need for qualitative research to further explore social workers’ understanding of hope at EOL and therapeutic engagement related to it.
Cyclic AMP and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase in mouse skin. I. Systemic effects of retinoids and PUVA.

Skin from hairless mice was incubated with two synthetic retinoids, isotretinoin and etretinate, and the cAMP content as well as the activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase were determined. A crude plasma membrane preparation was used to measure adenylyl cyclase activity. Neither isotretinoin (10-6 and 10-5M) nor etretinate (10-6–10-4M) produced any siognificant changes in adenylyl cyclase activity. Tissue cAMP levels also remained unaltered after treatment with these retinoids. Although the protein kinase activity ratios remained constant over the concentration range of each retinoid absolute protein kinase activity was stimulated by treatment with etretinate. These data suggest that cAMP may not mediate the action of retinoids in skin, and that the stimulation of protein kinase activity caused by etretinate probably involves an alternative mechanism.
Characterizing opioid consumption in the 30-day post-operative period following shoulder surgery: are we over prescribing?

The primary aim of this study was to characterize opioid consumption in the first 30 days after shoulder surgery. Secondary aims were to assess patient expectations, pain tolerance, risk factors fo...
A Five-Star Guide for Achieving Replicability and Reproducibility When Working with GIS Software and Algorithms

The availability and use of geographic information technologies and data for describing the patterns and processes operating on or near the Earth’s surface have grown substantially during the past ...
A scalable exponential-DG approach for nonlinear conservation laws: With application to Burger and Euler equations

Abstract We propose an Exponential DG approach for numerically solving partial differential equations (PDEs). The idea is to decompose the governing PDE operators into linear (fast dynamics extracted by linearization) and nonlinear (the remaining after removing the former) parts, on which we apply the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) spatial discretization . The resulting semi-discrete system is then integrated using exponential time-integrators: exact for the former and approximate for the latter. By construction, our approach i) is stable with a large Courant number ( C r > 1 ); ii) supports high-order solutions both in time and space; iii) is computationally favorable compared to IMEX DG methods with no preconditioner ; iv) requires comparable computational time compared to explicit RKDG methods, while having time stepsizes orders magnitude larger than maximal stable time stepsizes for explicit RKDG methods; v) is scalable in a modern massively parallel computing architecture by exploiting Krylov-subspace matrix-free exponential time integrators and compact communication stencil of DG methods. Various numerical results for both Burgers and Euler equations are presented to showcase these expected properties . For Burgers equation, we present a detailed stability and convergence analyses for the exponential Euler DG scheme.
Assessment of Additive Manufacturing for Increasing Sustainability and Productivity of Smallholder Agriculture

The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) seeks to increase both the sustainability and the productivity of smallholder rice farms, but the adoption of this methodology is constrained by local acces...
GAMMA: automating the HW mapping of DNN models on accelerators via genetic algorithm

DNN layers are multi-dimensional loops that can be ordered, tiled, and scheduled in myriad ways across space and time on DNN accelerators. Each of these choices is called a mapping. It has been shown that the mapping plays an extremely crucial role in overall performance and efficiency, as it directly determines the amount of reuse that the accelerator can leverage from the DNN. Moreover, instead of using a fixed mapping for every DNN layer, research has revealed the benefit of optimizing per-layer mappings. However, determining the right mapping, given an accelerator and layer is still an open question. The immense space of mappings (or map-space) makes brute-forced exhaustive search methods unapproachable. In this paper, we propose a domain-specific genetic algorithm-based method, GAMMA, which is specially designed for this HW-mapping problem. In contrast to prior works that either target simple rigid accelerators with a limited map-space or choose from a restricted set of mappings, we construct an extremely flexible map-space and show that GAMMA can explore the space and determine an optimized mapping with high sample efficiency. We quantitatively compare GAMMA with many popular optimization methods and observe GAMMA consistently finds better solutions.
Omega-3 Use for the Treatment of Hypertriglyceridemia, Low High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels, and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Children with Obesity.

Background: Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation has been investigated in treating elevated triglycerides (TGs), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol...
Continuum dynamics and statistical correction of compositional heterogeneity in multivalent IDP oligomers resolved by single-particle EM

Abstract Multivalent intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) complexes are prevalent in biology and control diverse cellular functions, including tuning levels of transcription, coordinating cell-signaling events, and regulating the assembly and disassembly of complex macromolecular architectures. These systems pose a significant challenge to structural investigation, due to the continuum dynamics imparted by the IDP and compositional heterogeneity resulting from characteristic low-affinity interactions. Traditional single-particle electron microscopy (EM) is a powerful tool for visualizing IDP complexes. However, the IDPs themselves are typically “invisible” by EM, undermining methods of image analysis and structural interpretation. To overcome these challenges, we developed a pipeline for automated analysis of common ‘beads-on-a-string’ type of assemblies, composed of IDPs bound at multivalent sites to the ubiquitous ~20 kDa cross-linking hub protein LC8. This approach quantifies conformational and compositional heterogeneity on a single-particle basis, and statistically corrects spurious observations arising from random proximity of bound and unbound LC8. After careful validation of the methodology, the approach was applied to the nuclear pore IDP Nup159 and the transcription factor ASCIZ. The analysis unveiled significant compositional and conformational diversity in both systems that could not be obtained from traditional single particle EM class-averaging strategies, and shed new light on how these architectural properties contribute to their physiological roles in supramolecular assembly and transcriptional regulation. Ultimately, we expect that this approach may be adopted to many other intrinsically disordered systems that have evaded traditional methods of structural characterization. Significance Statement Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) or protein regions (IDRs) represent >30% of the human proteome, but mechanistically remain some of the most poorly understood classes of proteins in biology. This dearth in understanding stems from these very same intrinsic and dynamic properties, which make them difficult targets for quantitative and structural characterization. Here, we present an automated approach for extracting quantitative descriptions of conformational and compositional heterogeneity present in a common ‘beads-on-a-string’ type of multivalent IDP system from single-particle images in electron micrographs. This promising approach may be adopted to many other intrinsically disordered systems that have evaded traditional ensemble methods of characterization.
Do Patients with Paget's Disease Have Worse Outcomes following Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty?

Well-powered studies evaluating the effects of Paget's disease on patient outcomes following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are limited. The objective of this study was to determine whether Paget's disease patients undergoing primary TKA have higher rates of complications. A query of an administrative database was performed identifying Paget's disease patients undergoing primary TKA as the study cohort. Patients who did not have Paget's disease served as a matching cohort. Study group patients were matched in a 1:5 ratio by age, sex, and comorbidities. The query yielded 34,284 patients in the study (n = 5,714) and matched (n = 28,570) cohorts. Outcomes analyzed included length of stay (LOS), costs of care, 90-day medical and surgical complications, and 2-year implant-related complications. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) of complications. Paget's disease patients undergoing primary TKA were found to have significantly longer in-hospital LOS (4 vs. 3 days, p < 0.0001). Study group patients incurred significantly higher 90-day episode-of-care costs ($15,124.55 vs. $14,610.01, p < 0.0001). Additionally, Paget's disease patients were found to have higher incidences and odds of medical/surgical (25.93 vs. 13.58%; OR: 1.64, p < 0.0001) and implant-related complications (8.97 vs. 5.02%; OR: 1.71, p < 0.0001). Specifically, Paget's disease patients were more likely to have periprosthetic fractures, mechanical loosening, and revision TKAs (p < 0.0001). This study demonstrated that Paget's disease was associated with longer in-hospital LOS, increased costs, and higher rates of complications. The study can be utilized by physicians to adequately educate patients with Paget's disease concerning potential complications following their primary TKA.
Titan occultations of Orion's belt observed with Cassini/UVIS

Abstract On 1 February 2016 Titan occulted the three stars in Orion’s belt, as seen from the Casssini spacecraft. The ultraviolet spectrometer on Cassini observed this event with the stars arranged along the instrument’s entrance slit. These three stellar occultations probed different latitudes in Titan’s northern hemisphere but similar longitudes. The occultations were also observed simultaneously in the extreme ultraviolet and far ultraviolet regions of the spectrum. Analysis of these measurements provides information on the atmospheric composition and thermal structure. We determine altitude profiles of N 2 , CH 4 , C 2 H 2 , C 2 H 4 , C 2 H 6 , C 4 H 2 , C 6 H 6 , HCN, and HC 3 N densities along with aerosol extinction. We infer significant variations in latitude for C 2 H 2 , C 2 H 4 , C 4 H 2 , aerosols, and temperature, providing clues to global circulations patterns. The inferred mole fractions of C 2 H 2 , C 2 H 4 , C 4 H 2 , C 6 H 6 , HCN, and HC 3 N are roughly consistent with photochemical model predictions, but C 2 H 2 and C 2 H 4 are over predicted by tens of percent at pressures greater than 10−5 hPa, C 4 H 2 is under predicted by ∼ x2 at most levels, and C 6 H 6 is under predicted by ∼ x2 at pressures less than 10−5 hPa.
Reducing stiffness of shock-absorbing pylon amplifies prosthesis energy loss and redistributes joint mechanical work during walking

A shock-absorbing pylon (SAP) is a modular prosthetic component designed to attenuate impact forces, which unlike traditional pylons that are rigid, can compress to absorb, return, or dissipate energy. Previous studies found that walking with a SAP improved lower-limb prosthesis users’ comfort and residual limb pain. While longitudinal stiffness of a SAP has been shown to affect gait kinematics, kinetics, and work done by the entire lower limb, the energetic contributions from the prosthesis and the intact joints have not been examined. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of SAP stiffness and walking speed on the mechanical work contributions of the prosthesis (i.e., all components distal to socket), knee, and hip in individuals with a transtibial amputation. Twelve participants with unilateral transtibial amputation walked overground at their customary (1.22 ± 0.18 ms−1) and fast speeds (1.53 ± 0.29 ms−1) under four different levels of SAP stiffness. Power and mechanical work profiles of the leg joints and components distal to the socket were quantified. The effects of SAP stiffness and walking speed on positive and negative work were analyzed using two-factor (stiffness and speed) repeated-measure ANOVAs (α = 0.05). Faster walking significantly increased mechanical work from the SAP-integrated prosthesis (p < 0.001). Reducing SAP stiffness increased the magnitude of prosthesis negative work (energy absorption) during early stance (p = 0.045) by as much as 0.027 Jkg−1, without affecting the positive work (energy return) during late stance (p = 0.159), suggesting a damping effect. This energy loss was partially offset by an increase in residual hip positive work (as much as 0.012 Jkg−1) during late stance (p = 0.045). Reducing SAP stiffness also reduced the magnitude of negative work on the contralateral sound limb during early stance by 11–17% (p = 0.001). Reducing SAP stiffness and faster walking amplified the prostheses damping effect, which redistributed the mechanical work, both in magnitude and timing, within the residual joints and sound limb. With its capacity to absorb and dissipate energy, future studies are warranted to determine whether SAPs can provide additional user benefit for locomotor tasks that require greater attenuation of impact forces (e.g., load carriage) or energy dissipation (e.g., downhill walking).
The Interactive Effects of Education and Social Support on Blood Pressure in African Americans.

BACKGROUND This study examined whether the effects of received and provided social support on blood pressure (BP) would differ by education. METHODS Data from 602 African American adults (48-95 years) enrolled in the Baltimore Study of Black Aging-Patterns of Cognitive Aging were analyzed using multiple linear regression. RESULTS We found no main effects of received and provided social support on BP. However, a significant moderation effect was observed for systolic BP, such that greater received social support was positively associated with higher systolic BP among individuals with low levels of education, adjusting for age, sex, chronic health conditions, and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The findings demonstrate that social support and education have joint effects on blood pressure, which highlights the importance of considering psychosocial determinants of adverse cardiovascular health outcomes that disproportionately affect African Americans.
Retroviral expression of a kinase-defective IGF-I receptor suppresses growth and causes apoptosis of CHO and U87 cells in-vivo.

Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate (PtdInsP3) signaling is elevated in many tumors due to loss of the tumor suppressor PTEN, and leads to constitutive activation of Akt, a kinase involved in cell survival. Reintroduction of PTEN in cells suppresses transformation and tumorigenicity. While this approach works in-vitro, it may prove difficult to achieve in-vivo. In this study, we investigated whether inhibition of growth factor signaling would have the same effect as re-expression of PTEN. Dominant negative IGF-I receptors were expressed in CHO and U87 cells by retroviral infection. Cell proliferation, transformation and tumor formation in athymic nude mice were assessed. Inhibition of IGF-IR signaling in a CHO cell model system by expression of a kinase-defective IGF-IR impairs proliferation, transformation and tumor growth. Reduction in tumor growth is associated with an increase in apoptosis in-vivo. The dominant-negative IGF-IRs also prevented growth of U87 PTEN-negative glioblastoma cells when injected into nude mice. Injection of an IGF-IR blocking antibody αIR3 into mice harboring parental U87 tumors inhibits tumor growth and increases apoptosis. Inhibition of an upstream growth factor signal prevents tumor growth of the U87 PTEN-deficient glioma to the same extent as re-introduction of PTEN. This result suggests that growth factor receptor inhibition may be an effective alternative therapy for PTEN-deficient tumors.
Creating a Comprehensive Plan for Computer Based Instruction in a Local Education Agency.

AbstractA systematic plan for developing a district-wide approach to computer based instruction (CBI) is described in this manuscript. Procedures are summarized that provide local education agencies (LEAs) with direction related to planning, managing, administering, operating and evaluating a CBI system. Planning strategies address critical aspects such as a philosophy or mission statement, goals, objectives, personnel, equipment purchases, materials selection, staff development, budget considerations, timelines, and evaluation. Efforts related to these systematic planning procedures can assist LEAs in their quest for accountability, quality, and excellence in education. Subsequently, LEAs can support the old axiom referred to as the 5 P’s: Prior Planning Precludes Poor Performance.”
Forced-Circulation Cooling System for the Argonne Superconducting Heavy-Ion Linac

The Argonne superconducting heavy-ion linac is a prototype heavy-ion accelerator used to increase the energy of an ion beam from a tandem electrostatic accelerator [1,2]. The accelerating elements are split-ring-type resonators with hollow niobium drift tubes mounted in cylindrical housings. The housings are made of explosively bonded niobium clad copper [3,4]. The resonators, along with superconducting solenoid focusing magnets are positioned axially in cryostats on support structures which also serve as helium supply and return manifolds, as shown in Fig. 1. The resonators and magnets are cooled by a continuous forced-flow circulation of liquid helium directly from a refrigerator.
Comparative cytologic studies of vagina, urinary sediment, and buccal mucous membrane in newborn infants☆

Abstract It has long been known that the newborn infant has a high concentration of estrogenic hormone in the blood as a result of transmission of estrogen from the mother and the placenta to the fetus. The high estrogen level rapidly decreases from approximately 80 mouse units per 100 c.c. of blood at birth to almost zero within 10 days from birth. 10 In response to the falling estrogenic titer, the epithelial lining of the vagina of the newborn girl undergoes, during the first few days of life, a series of modifications which have been demonstrated by daily smears of the vagina. 5 The mucosa is at first relatively thick with abundant layers of epithelial cells, and then becomes quite thin because of desquamation of most of these cells. More recently, a correlation has been shown in adults between smears of urinary sediment and of the vagina, as well as between oral and vaginal smears. Papanicolaou, 8 in examining urine of men receiving estrogen therapy for prostatic carcinoma, noted changes in the cytology of the urinary sediment quite similar to changes in vaginal cytology that take place during estrogenic stimulation. The parallelism of the cytologic cycle of the urinary sediment and vaginal epithelium was clearly demonstrated by Del Castillo 3 in 1948. A similar relation has also been demonstrated to exist during pregnancy. 6, 9 Ziskin and Moulton 12 have recently observed that oral and vaginal epithelia show parallel changes in the degree of cornification accompanying the menstrual cycle, during estrogen treatment, and in deprivation states. Although the studies cited show that the epithelium of the vagina, urinary tract, and buccal mucous membrane are all sensitive to alterations in the estrogenic level, it is generally agreed that the vagina is the most responsive and the buccal mucous membrane the least sensitive.
Are the extent, location, and score of segmental wall motion abnormalities related to cardiac resynchronization therapy response?

Background: We hypothesized that segmental wall motion abnormalities (WMAs) are related to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) response. Methods: We studied 108 patients who received CRT, 69 with ischemic and 39 with nonischemic heart disease. A wall motion score index (WMSI) was analyzed using a 17-segment model and calculated by the total score/number of segments analyzed. A decrease of left ventricular end systolic volume ≥15% after CRT was defined as a positive response to CRT. Results: Of 108 patients, 1,054/1,836 segments (57%) had WMAs. The mean WMSI was 2.06 in patients with ischemic heart disease and 1.04 in patients with nonischemic heart disease (P 2 was significantly higher (82%) compared to patients with a WMSI ≤2 (47%, P = 0.005) and nonischemic heart disease (36%, P 2, ≤2, and nonischemic heart disease were 53% (8 of 15), 16% (3 of 19) and 0% (0 of 25), respectively (P 2 predicted a poorer CRT response. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 26, November 2009)
Celebrating NASA's Voyages

When We Left Earth . The NASA Missions. Richard Dale and Bill Howard, Executive Producers . Dangerous Films, London, for the Discovery Channel. Six 1-hour episodes, 8, 15, and 22 June 2008. DVD, 6 episodes plus 5 additional hours of NASA film highlights, mission clips, and astronaut interviews. $69.95. This six-hour television series on the Discovery network celebrating the first 50 years of NASA focuses on the crewed missions.
Compiling IOA without global synchronization

This work presents a strategy for compiling distributed systems specified in IOA, a formal language for describing such systems as I/O automata, into Java programs running on a group of networked workstations. The translation works node-by-node, translating IOA programs into Java classes that communicate using the message passing interface. The resulting system runs without any global synchronization. We prove that, subject to certain restrictions on the program to be compiled, assumptions on the correctness of hand-coded datatype implementations, and basic assumptions about the behavior of the network, the compilation method preserves safety properties of the IOA program in the generated Java code. We model the generated Java code itself as a threaded, low-level I/O automaton and use a refinement mapping to show that the external behavior of the system is preserved by the translation. The IOA compiler is part of the IOA toolkit which supports algorithm design, development, testing, and formal verification using automated tools.
From Snail Mail to E-Mail: The Traditional Legal Memorandum in the Twenty-First Century

Traditional legal memoranda have been used to teach objective analysis since the inception of legal writing programs in the 1970's. The continued use of these memoranda in the legal writing classroom leads law students to believe that traditional memoranda are still the primary form of communication between attorney and client. A 2006 survey of Georgetown University Law Center graduates, however, suggests that the traditional legal memorandum is all but dead in law practice. Seventy-five percent of the graduates surveyed said they write no more than three traditional memoranda per year. Instead, these graduates are more likely to communicate with clients about their research results by e-mail, telephone, face-to-face discussion, informal memorandum, or a letter, and in that order of preference. Ninety-two percent of the graduates indicated they use "substantive e-mail" to communicate with clients. The e-mail formats differ, but the goal is always the same: simplicity. E-mail gives attorneys the flexibility to compose their messages based on the particular issues presented and not some predetermined format. Whether or not legal writing courses continue to teach objective legal analysis through the traditional memorandum format, the survey suggests that, at a minimum, they acknowledge newer modes of composition being used by practicing attorneys.
Linking legal sources in a shared web environment

The functionality of the Portal to legal literature, which is under development at ITTIG, is described, focusing on a linking mechanism created to allow navigation between statutory rules, judicial cases and legal literature pieces of work. Reference is made to previous works carried out by Italian institutions for the identification of legislation and case law resources through URN identifiers. The design of a URN for legal literature material is planned to ensure cross-access to legal sources on the basis of user surveys carried out for the purpose of better customize the Portal's services. The main features of the proposed URN for legal literature material are described as well as tools developed for the Portal based on an OpenURL resolver mechanism in order for users to start from the examination of a law (legislation) to its interpretation (legal literature) and further to analyse the enforcement of that law in judicial cases (case law).
Calcium and Vitamin D for Bone Health in Adults

Low calcium and vitamin D intakes are established nutritional risk factors for osteoporosis. This chapter reviews the impact of these nutrients on calcium homeostasis and fracture risk and their role in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. It also reviews the impact of vitamin D on risk of falling. The calcium intake requirement is challenging to determine, and the IOM recommendations are based largely on calcium balance studies. The IOM recommends a calcium intake of 1,000–1,200 mg per day for older adults to support the preservation of bone mass. Food sources of calcium are preferred because higher intakes of calcium in supplement form have been associated with increased risk of kidney stones, and possibly also with increased risk of myocardial infarction and of death from heart disease. Vitamin D lowers fracture risk as a result of combined favorable effects on BMD, muscle performance, balance, and risk of falling. The magnitude of the risk reduction for falls and fractures with vitamin D supplementation is approximately 20 %. Daily, weekly, or monthly dosing of vitamin D3 is recommended, and high, infrequent dosing should be avoided because it increases risk of falls and fractures.
Diagnostics for near-term warm dense matter experiments

Abstract We describe near-term ion beam-driven warm dense matter (WDM) experiments. Initial experiments are at low beam velocity, below the Bragg peak, increasing toward the Bragg peak in subsequent versions of the accelerator. The WDM conditions are envisioned to be achieved by combined longitudinal and transverse neutralized drift compression to provide a hot spot on the target with a beam spot size of about 1 mm and pulse length about 1–2 ns. The range of the beams in solid matter targets is about 1 μm, which can be lengthened by using porous targets at reduced density. Initial candidate experiments include an experiment to study transient darkening in the WDM regime; and a thin target dE/dx experiment to study beam energy and charge state distribution in a heated target. Further experiments will explore target temperature and other properties such as electrical conductivity to investigate phase transitions and the critical point. Initial diagnostics will be relatively simple or extensions of existing capabilities. These include electrical resistivity and optical absorption measurements to provide information on target temperature and electronic phase transitions. Beam energy and charge state after passing through thin targets can be measured using time of flight and the existing electrostatic energy analyzer. Ion beam current and profile diagnostics will be improved to diagnose the small spot sizes to be achieved in these experiments. Other diagnostics of interest may monitor optical emission (e.g. fast optical pyrometer, streak cameras), and utilize laser reflectometry, polarimetry, or shadowgraphy.
Organization of microfilaments in sea urchin (Arbacia punctulata) eggs at fertilization: Effects of cytochalasin B

Abstract Investigations were carried out to examine more closely the aggregations of microfilaments associated with the elongation of microvilli and formation of fertilization cones and the effects of cytochalasin B (CB) on these processes in Arbacia eggs following insemination. At 1 to 5 min postinsemination fertilized eggs were treated with 1–10 μg/ml CB and then prepared for electron microscopy at periodic intervals. Examination of CB-treated and untreated specimens demonstrated that: (1) Reorganization of the egg's microvilli took place soon after insemination; this process, as well as formation of fertilization cones, was correlated with the appearance of fascicles of microfilaments. (2) CB inhibited the formation of fertilization cones and the elongation of microvilli. Bundles of microfilaments were not observed in CB-treated zygotes. (3) CB prevented the normal movements (rotation) of the incorporating spermatozoon into the egg cortex but did not inhibit the migration or fusion of the male and female pronuclei.
Natural Abudance 17O NMR Studies of Thiol Esters and Related Analogs

Abstract Natural abundance 17O NMR data for a series of thiol esters and related analogs are reported. The carbonyl signal of the thiol esters range from 463 ppm to 514 ppm; these values are downfield of their oxygen analogs by ca. 150 ppm. A linear relationship between the 17O NMR chemical shift of the thio-compounds and their oxo-analogs is observed.
Variation of spread of ovarian malignancy according to site of origin.

Abstract Two-hundred-thirty-two cases of ovarian carcinoma were reviewed. They were divided into three groups according to the origin of the primary ovarian malignancy. The degree of spread of the malignant process at time of presentation was studied and compared in each group. Extensive disease was noticed in 30% of cases with right ovarian malignancy compared to 15% when the left ovary was the site of primary tumor. Widespread metastases follow the same pattern with 20% in right side tumors and 9% in left side. It seems that the site of origin of ovarian carcinoma is an important factor in the prognosis.
Wage subsidies in developing countries as a tool to build human capital: design and implementation issues

This paper reviews international experiences with the implementation of wage subsidies and develops a policy framework to guide their design in developing countries. The evidence suggests that, if the goal is only to create jobs, wage subsidies are unlikely to be an effective instrument. Wage subsidies, however, could have a role in helping first-time job seekers or those who have gone through long-periods of unemployment or inactivity, to gain some work experience and in the process build skills and improve their employability. If these “learning” effects are large enough, the social benefits of wage subsidies could outweigh their cost. When wage subsidies are designed with these objectives in mind, there are important implications in terms of eligibility and targeting, how the subsidy is set, its duration, and the types of conditionalities on employers and beneficiaries. Given uncertainty regarding their impact, in all cases, programs should be piloted and evaluated prior to full scale implementation. J2, J3, J6
Measurement of low energy neutrino absorption probability in thallium 205

A major aspect of the P-P solar neutrino flux determination using 205Tl is the very difficult problem of experimentally demonstrating the neutrino reaction cross section with about 10% accuracy. Based on an idea of P. Kienle, such measurements now become possible. Moreover, the proposed measurements of weak interaction rates are in the isotopic states of interest; hence they will be much more readily acceptable than would indirect measurements via strong or electromagnetic interactions or theoretical calculations. One will soon be able to completely strip the electrons from atomic 205Tl and to maintain the bare nucleus in this state in the heavy ion storage ring to be built at GSI Darmstadt. This nucleus can decay by emitting a beta-minus particle into the bound K-level of the daughter 82205Pb12−81+ ion as the only energetically open decay channel (plus, of course, an antineut This single channel beta decay explores the same nuclear wave functions of initial and final states as does the neutrino capture in atomic 205Tl, and thus its probability or rate is governed by the same nuclear matrix elements that affect both weak interactions: 81205Tl12+81+→ 82205Pb12−81++ν ν81205Tl12+0→ 82205Pb12−1++e− Measuring the rate of accumulation of 205Pb81+ ions in the circulating beam of 205Tl81+ ions gives directly the cross section of reaction (b). The calculations of the expected rates under realistic experimental conditions will be shown to be very favorable for the measurement, e.g., ∼104 ions per hour in a 100 mA beam. The great sensitivity of the rate to the 205Pb-205Tl mass difference will appear (12%/keV), showing the need to materially improve the uncertainty in this value, and several experiments will be proposed. A special calibration experiment to verify the method and check the theoretical calculations will be suggested. Finally the neutrino cross section calculation based on the observed rate of reaction (a) will be shown. Demonstrating bound state beta decay may be the first verification of the theory of this very important process that influences beta decay rates of several isotopes in stellar interiors, e.g., 187Re, that play important roles in geologic and cosmologic dating and nucleosynthesis.