cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Learning Hierarchies and the Marketing Curriculum: A Proposal for a Second Course in Marketing

This article proposes changes in the content and sequencing of the marketing curriculum, based on research findings in educational psychology. The marketing curriculum would benefit from a redesign based on the structures found in learning hierarchies. The authors propose a second course in marketing that bridges the gap in most marketing curricula between basic knowledge acquisition (marketing principles) and complex problem solving (upper-level and strategy courses). The proposed course provides a more ordered and logical learning sequence for marketing students that is based on a validated learning theory.
Reconstruction after pelvic resectionfor sarcomas of bone

Abstract Reconstruction of the pelvis after tumor resection requires careful preoperative planning, meticulous surgicaltechnique, and soft tissue coverage. The method of reconstruction depends on the type of pelvic resection and may involve autologous tissue, allografts, and metal. Often, a combination of bone grafts and metal constructs are needed to provide continuity between the axial and appendicular skeleton and to maximize function. Complications are frequent and can result in diminished function and occasional loss of limb. The goal of independent function without assistive devices is achieved in only a small number of patients.
Effect of Carboxamido N Coordination to Iron on the Redox Potential of Low-Spin Non-Heme Iron Centers with N,S Coordination: Relevance to the Iron Site of Nitrile Hydratase.

The redox parameters of [Fe(PyPepS)2]-, the first low-spin Fe(III) complex with both carboxamido N and thiolato S donors in the first coordination sphere, indicate significant stabilization of the ...
Evaluating Evidence-Based Practice in Teaching Science Content to Students with Severe Developmental Disabilities

A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted for articles published between 1985 and May 2009 to (a) examine the degree to which science content was taught to students with severe developmental disabilities and (b) and evaluate instructional procedures in science as evidence-based practices. The review was organized by a conceptual model developed for science content. Seventeen experiments were analyzed for research quality where science content was taught to this population; 14 of these studies were viewed to be of high or adequate quality. In general, we found systematic instruction as an overarching instructional package to be an evidence-based practice for teaching science content. Furthermore, components of systematic instruction (i.e., task analytic instruction and time delay) were analyzed. We discuss the outcomes to reflect how to teach science, what science content to teach, why to teach science, and recommendations for future research and practice.
Parent involvement in the academic adjustment of Latino middle and high school youth: Teacher expectations and school belonging as mediators

A path model based in a theory of social capital was tested with Latino middle school (n=195, 58% female, average 13.8 years of age) and high school students (n=129, 64% female, average 16.8 years of age). Most participants (77%) were immigrants (predominantly from Mexico). Questionnaires assessed student perceptions of parent involvement, school belonging, and academic competence. Teachers rated their expectations for student academic attainment and grades were obtained from school records. Perceived school belonging and teacher expectations mediated cross-sectional associations of parent involvement with academic adjustment. Links between parent involvement and academic adjustment were stronger for high school than middle school students. Middle school parent involvement was unrelated to teacher expectations and its indirect effect on school grades was non-significant. Future research should examine the link between middle school parent involvement and teacher expectations and its potential role in increasing Latino youths' school success.
Composition-Explicit Distillation Curves for Mixtures of Gasoline and Diesel Fuel with γ-Valerolactone

Interest in the domestic production of bioderived fuels, sparked by the high cost of petroleum crude oil, the potential of supply disruptions, and fears about climate change has led to consideration of fluids to replace or extend conventional petroleum derived fuels. While ethanol as a gasoline oxygenate and extender has received a great deal of attention, this fluid has numerous problems such as aggressive behavior toward engine components and a relatively low energy content. Many other fluids have been considered as oxygenates for gasoline, such as the butanols, ethers, and other alcohols. For diesel fuel, oxygenates have included glycol ethers, glycol esters, carbonates, acetates, and ethers. Some of these oxygenates and extenders can be made from biomass and are thus renewable and in some cases can decrease the overall carbon dioxide budget. One new renewable fluid being considered as both a gasoline and diesel fuel oxygenate is γ-valerolactone. In this paper, we present a characterization of selected...
Spectroscopy of Hydrothermal Reactions. 24. Kinetics of Alkyl Azide Decomposition Channels and N3- Behavior in Water above 200 °C at 275 Bar

The hydrothermolysis of the water-soluble alkyl azide dimethyl-2-azidoethylamine (2-DAMEZ) was studied at 200−250 °C and 275 bar in real time by flow reactor FTIR spectroscopy. The kinetics of 2-DA...
A Direct Regioselective Route to 6-Azido-6-deoxy Polysaccharides under Mild and Homogeneous Conditions

The use of PPh 3 /CBr 4 in DMF/LiN 3 was found to be a facile route to the preparation of C-6 azidodeoxy derivatives of amylose and pullulan. The reaction is regioselective to C-6 and proceeds readily under homogeneous conditions at room temperature
Classical conditioning of digital pulse volume in migraineurs and normal controls.

SYNOPSIS Twenty–two pairs of migraine headache sufferers and normal controls were exposed to a differential classical conditioning paradigm. The migraineurs did not show differential conditioning of digital pulse volume. The normal controls, on the other hand, showed conditioned vasoconstriction to the CS+ (and vasodilation to the CS- ) during the second block of conditioning trials. These data support reports of response stereotypy in migraineurs and extend our earlier findings that migraineurs have a deficit in learning in the autonomic nervous system. The use of unmedicated subjects in studies of this type is suggested.
Effects of heavy ion radiation on the brain vascular system and embryonic development.

The present investigation is concerned with the effects of heavy-ion radiation on the vascular system and the embryonic development, taking into account the results of experiments with neonatal rats and mouse embryos. It is found that heavy ions can be highly effective in producing brain hemorrhages and in causing body deformities. Attention is given to aspects of methodology, the induction of brain hemorrhages by X-rays and heavy ions, and the effect of iron particles on embryonic development. Reported results suggest that high linear energy transfer (LET) heavy ions can be very effective in producing developmental abnormalities.
Stimulating Creativity and Innovation through Intelligent Fast Failure.

Abstract Literature on creativity and innovation has discussed the issue of failure in the light of its benefits and limitations for enhancing human potential in all domains of life, but in business, science, engineering, and industry more specifically. In this paper, the Intelligent Fast Failure (IFF) as a useful tool of creativity and innovation for maximizing personal and institutional productivity, relevance and value is reviewed. In particular, IFF is a useful teaching and learning tool for public and private educational contexts. IFF, a term coined by Jack V. Matson in late 1980s and early 1990s, demystifies the aversion from failure, encourages calculated and well-informed risk-taking and initiative, and whenever applied, either yields results that could benefit individuals, organizations and society at large or teaches lessons for future endeavors. IFF and some of its derivatives used by various authors and institutions are explored along with some examples of its applications, and its potential and limitations in the 21st century.
Multilineage development from adult bone marrow cells

The potential of hematopoietic stem cells to generate tissue-specific lineages varies with the criteria used to isolate such cells. New discoveries continue to refine our definition of what a hematopoietic stem cell is and what it can do.
Survey of Soybean Insect Pollinators: Community Identification and Sampling Method Analysis.

Soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, flowers can be a source of nectar and pollen for honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), wild social and solitary bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), and flower-visiting flies (Diptera). Our objectives were to describe the pollinator community in soybean fields, determine which sampling method is most appropriate for characterizing their abundance and diversity, and gain insight into which pollinator taxa may contact soybean pollen. We compared modified pan traps (i.e., bee bowls), yellow sticky traps, and sweep nets for trapping pollinators in Iowa soybean fields when soybeans were blooming (i.e., reproductive stages R1–R6) during 2011 and 2012. When all trap type captures were combined, we collected 5,368 individuals and at least 50 species. Per trap type, the most pollinators were captured in bee bowls (3,644 individuals, 44 species), yellow sticky traps (1,652 individuals, 32 species), and sweep nets (66 individuals, 10 species). The most abundant species collected include Agapostemon virescens F. and Lasioglossum (Dialictus) species (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), Melissodes bimaculata Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apidae), and Toxomerus marginatus Say (Diptera: Syrphidae). To determine if these pollinators were foraging on soybean flowers, we looked for soybean pollen on the most abundant bee species collected that had visible pollen loads. We found soybean pollen alone or intermixed with pollen grains from other plant species on 29 and 38% of the bees examined in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Our data suggest a diverse community of pollinators—composed of mostly native, solitary bees—visit soybean fields and forage on their flowers within Iowa.
Hemodynamic changes during complete umbilical cord occlusion in fetal sheep related to hippocampal neuronal damage

Abstract Objectives: The purpose of our study was to examine the physiologic changes caused by 10 minutes of umbilical cord occlusion in fetal sheep and to determine the correlation between fetal acidemia or cerebral ischemia and hippocampal neuronal damage. Study design: Thirteen fetal sheep were instrumented and catheterized. Carotid artery blood flow (CaF), fetal mean arterial blood pressure (FMABP), pH, PCO 2 , base excess, oxygen saturation (SatO 2 ), and PO 2 were monitored throughout the occlusion study. Brain sections were examined for the hippocampal neuronal damage. Results: Our data showed severe ischemia (CaF: 10 ± 7 mL/min; FMABP: 29 ± 8 mm Hg) and acidemia (pH: 7.0 ± 0.05; base excess: −9.9 ± 2.4 mEq/L) at the end of occlusion. The neuronal damage score had significant correlations with ischemia and also with reperfusion, but not with the acidemic or hypoxic parameters. Conclusion: We demonstrated that the degree of hippocampal damage was correlated with the degree of ischemia and reperfusion. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;188:413-8.)
Effects on post-prandial glucose and AGE precursors from two initial insulin strategies in patients with type 2 diabetes uncontrolled by oral agents.

Abstract Objective Progressive β-cell dysfunction in Type 2 diabetes results in the need for insulin therapy in many patients. Yet the best regimen to prescribe to patients transitioning from oral anti-hyperglycemic drugs (OADs) is not clear. We sought to compare the effects of two standard initial insulin strategies (basal insulin alone versus premixed insulin) on post-prandial glucose metabolism and precursors of advanced glycation end-products in patients with type 2 diabetes suboptimally controlled on OADs. Research Design and Methods This was a 6-month, open-label, single-center study using a cross-over design. 14 subjects were randomized to one of two protocols: once daily insulin glargine or twice-daily 75%/25% neutral protamine lispro/lispro mix. At 12 weeks, the subjects were crossed-over to the opposite protocol. During each period, insulin doses were titrated to target fasting blood glucose of 90–110mg/dL. At baseline and after the two 12-week treatment periods, subjects were studied in the Clinical Research Center; they consumed three liquid mixed isocaloric meals at 4-h intervals, and glucose, free fatty acids (FFA), lipids, and α-dicarbonyls (3-deoxyglucosone [3-DG] and methylglyoxal [MG]) were measured before and after each meal. Patient data were analyzed in the context of their assigned insulin strategy groups. Result Both insulin regimens led to a significant improvement in glycemic profiles, including fasting glucose and HbA1c, compared to baseline. However, mean post-prandial glucose was lower with lispro mix than with glargine (153 ± 36 vs. 199 ± 49 mg/dL, respectively; P = 0.001). Likewise, there was a reduction in both fasting (48 ± 13 vs. 57 ± 19, P = 0.047) and post-prandial (53 ± 19 vs. 63 ± 23; P = 0.007) 3DG levels with lispro mix as compared to glargine. No differences were noted in MG concentrations. Conclusion In type 2 diabetes patients failing OAD therapy, an initial insulin regimen of twice daily premixed insulin results in significantly improved post-prandial glucose levels as well as a reduction in a precursor of AGEs. The effect of these two initial insulin regimens on long-term diabetic complications requires further study.
Carbon monoxide adsorption and hydrogenation on Cu-Rh/SiO2 catalysts

Abstract The effects of copper on carbon monoxide adsorption and carbon monoxide hydrogenation over Rh/SiO 2 have been studied. Copper decreases the activity for carbon monoxide hydrogenation and the rate of formation of methane, C 2 and C 3+ hydrocarbons. The selectivity for C 2 oxygenate formation shows a slight variation with addition of copper. Cu-Rh/SiO 2 catalyst with copper-to-rhodium ratio of 1.0 exhibits a high initial methanol selectivity which decreases with reaction time. The use of ethylene hydroformylation as a probe reaction shows that addition of copper causes little variation in carbon monoxide insertion activity; the propionaldehyde selectivity at copper-to-rhodium ratio of 0.05 is higher than that for the other catalysts studied. In situ infrared study reveals that copper blocks the formation of bridged CO. However, blockage of bridged CO site does not lead to enhancement in carbon monoxide insertion as observed with Ag-Rh/SiO 2 and sulfided Rh/SiO 2 catalysts. The lack of effect of copper promotion on carbon monoxide insertion can be attributed to a high hydrogenation activity of copper and a possible electronic interaction between copper and rhodium leading to a reduced rhodium surface that is less active for carbon monoxide insertion than the oxidized rhodium. The difference observed in the infrared spectra of adsorbed carbon monoxide at 303 K and 513 K in the presence and absence of reactants shows that carbon monoxide induces surface reconstruction at 513 K. Results of catalyst characterization at 303 K can not be extrapolated to elucidate the state of catalyst surface under reaction conditions.
Acoustic filtration and sedimentation of soot particles

Removal of soot particles from a static chamber by an intense acoustic field is investigated. Combustion of a solid fuel fills a rectangular chamber with small soot particles, which sediment very slowly. The chamber is then irradiated by an intense acoustic source to produce a three dimensional standing wave field in the chamber. The acoustic excitation causes the soot particles to agglomerate, forming larger particles which sediment faster from the system. The soot also forms 1–2 cm disks, with axes parallel to the axis of the acoustic source, which are levitated by the sound field at half-wavelength spacing within the chamber. Laser extinction measurements are made to determine soot volume fractions as a function of exposure time within the chamber. The volume fraction is reduced over time by sedimentation and by particle migration to the disks. The soot disks are considered to be a novel mechanism for particle removal from the air stream, and this mechanism has been dubbed acoustic filtration. An experimental method is developed for comparing the rate of soot removal by sedimentation alone with the rate of soot removal by sedimentation and acoustic filtration. Results show that acoustic filtration increases the rate of soot removal by a factor of two over acoustically-induced sedimentation alone.
Natural resource information for economic development.

This book discusses the problems of developing quality information on the availability of natural resources. Originally published in 1969
A cryogenic broadband DC contact RF MEMS switch

A dielectric free DC contact RF microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switch is designed and tested under room temperature and cryogenic temperature. The switch demonstrates a 1 Ω contact resistance and 2 fF up-state capacitance, and thus has an insertion-loss less than 0.4 dB up to 50 GHz and less than 0.9 dB up to 75 GHz at room temperature. The isolation is better than 24 dB up to 50 GHz and 18 dB up to 75 GHz at room temperature. At cryogenic temperature (77.5K), the switch has an insertion-loss less than 0.6 dB with isolation better than 24 dB up to 50 GHz. The effects of cryogenic temperatures on actuation voltage and contact resistance have been noted. The theoretical and experimental results of the switch performance are presented and compared.
The use of phospholipid vesicles for in vitro studies on cholesteryl ester hydrolysis.

Radiolabeled cholesteryl oleate was incorporated into vesicles prepared from egg yolk lecithin and utilized as a substrate for studies of sterol ester hydrolases present in rat liver homogenates. The cholesteryl oleate was shown to be associated with vesicles (unilamellar liposomes) using Sepharose 4B chromatography. With this substrate, two different cholesteryl ester hydrolytic enzymes were demonstrated in subcellular fractions from the liver homogenates. In the lysosome-rich fraction an acid hy- drolase was present, while in the cytosol fraction (150,OOOg supernatant), hydrolytic activity was shown to occur with an optimum pH between 8 and 8.5. The substrate was characterized by Sepharose chromatog- raphy both before and after incubation with the liver fraction and was not dramatically altered even by rigorous incubation conditions. The lysosomal enzyme prepara- tion was capable of hydrolyzing almost all the cholesteryl oleate in the vesicles. Hydrolysis of the phospholipid was proportionately much less than that of the cholesteryl oleate. Comparisons were performed between the vesicle preparation and an alternate substrate preparation involv- ing the direct addition of cholesteryl oleate in acetone solution. The vesicles appeared to be a better substrate for the lysosomal enzyme whereas the activity in the cytosol fraction did not distinguish between the two substrate preparations. Unsonicated suspensions of cholesteryl oleate and lecithin did not serve as suitable substrates for the enzymes. These studies demonstrate the applicability of cholesteryl ester-containing vesicles as a useful substrate for studying cholesteryl ester hydrolysis in vitro.
Effects of Leadership Status and Performance Feedback on Self and other Attributions and Task Performance

Subjects' attributions of self and others were examined as a function of leadership status (supervisor vs subordinate) and feedback on performance (positive, negative, or no feedback). Each group had one supervisor and two subordinates (one confederate and one subordinate-subject). Bogus performance feedback was given to each group at random. In their attribution of success, subjects rated confederates as having more success on the task than themselves, so they presented themselves modestly in a social context. Supervisors assigned much less responsibility to themselves than to confederates and subordinates. However, subordinates' attributions of responsibility for self and others were not significantly different. Supervisors and subordinates performed equally well on “quantity” of performance, yet the former were able to maintain a significantly better “qualify” of performance than the latter. Generalization from a laboratory study to actual work situations is not appropriate until justified by appropria...
Validation of a carotid intima-media thickness border detection program for use in an office setting.

Background A unique semiautomated border detection program (BDP) designed for use on a personal computer was evaluated to determine whether: (1) carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurements were bioequivalent to a reference laboratory; and (2) it would allow a novice (NOV) reader with no medical training to accurately and reproducibly measure CIMT. Methods Far-wall CIMT was measured blindly and in duplicate by an experienced and NOV reader using BDP and by a reference laboratory. Results Mean CIMT using BDP was bioequivalent to the reference laboratory (two 1-sided T-test, P Conclusion CIMT measurements using BDP were accurate and reproducible. It was mastered easily by a NOV reader and appeared suitable for use in an office setting.
Infection: ultrasound-guided procedures.

Ultrasound of the musculoskeletal system can be used to diagnose infection and to localize and aspirate infected fluid (pus). The majority of fluid collections whether in subcutaneous tissue, bursa, tendon sheath, muscle, or joint can be localized and aspirated. Occasionally, aspiration can definitively treat the infection. The technique of aspiration and its utilization in musculoskeletal infection are discussed in this article.
Motion regularization for model-based head tracking

This paper describes a method for the robust tracking of rigid head motion from video. This method uses a 3D ellipsoidal model of the head and interprets the optical flow in terms of the possible rigid motions of the model. This method is robust to large angular and translational motions of the head and is not subject to the singularities of a 2D model. The method has been successfully applied to heads with a variety of shapes, hair styles, etc. This method also has the advantage of accurately capturing the 3D motion parameters of the head. This accuracy is shown through comparison with a ground truth synthetic sequence (a rendered 3D animation of a model head). In addition, the ellipsoidal model is robust to small variations in the initial fit, enabling the automation of the model initialization. Lastly, due to its consideration of the entire 3D aspect of the head, the tracking is very stable over a large number of frames. This robustness extends even to sequences with very low frame rates and noisy camera images.
Cascadia Community College: Finding the "Cascadia Way".

Few are challenged to create a general education curriculum for a new college, applying best practices while achieving articulation and accreditation of the program.
Professional Development Needs of Idaho Technology Teachers: Teaching and Learning

As a result of low achievement scores in academic subject matter by American students, policy makers at the federal and state levels have placed a priority on reforming the nation's educational system (Gordon, 2008). Federal legislation such asNo Child Left Behindand theCarl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006has placed an emphasis on higher standards of achievement, specifically in mathematics and science. Because of the reform effort, secondary teachers are being held to high levels of accountability in order to best prepare students for postsecondary education and the workforce.
Analysis and design of an omnidirectional platform for operation on non-ideal floors

An omnidirectional platform with an active offset split caster (ASOC) is described and its ability to operate on non-ideal floors is studied. It is shown that all of its driven wheels of the platform will remain in contact with an uneven floor at all times, a condition necessary to maintain good traction and dead-reckoning capabilities. It is shown that planning algorithms developed for an ideally flat floor perform adequately for a realistic uneven floor. Furthermore, it is shown that the ASOC design consumes less power than other conventional wheel omnidirectional designs and is more suitable for heavier loads. Analytical and experimental results are presented.
Dynamic mixed-mode I/II delamination fracture and energy release rate of unidirectional graphite/epoxy composites

Abstract Mixed-mode open-notch flexure (MONF), anti-symmetric loaded end-notched flexure (MENF) and center-notched flexure (MCNF) specimens were used to investigate dynamic mixed I/II mode delamination fracture using a fracturing split Hopkinson pressure bar (F-SHPB). An expression for dynamic energy release rate Gd is formulated and evaluated. The experimental results show that dynamic delamination increases linearly with mode mixing. At low input energy Ei ⩽ 4.0 J, the dynamic (Gd) and total (GT) energy rates are independent of mixed-mode ratio. At higher impact energy of 4.0 ⩽ Ei ⩽ 9.3 J, Gd decreases slowly with mixed I/II mode ratio while GT is observed to increase more rapidly. In general, Gd increases more rapidly with increasing delamination than with increasing energy absorbed. The results show that for the impact energy of 9.3 J before fragmentation of the plate, the effect of kinetic energy is not significant and should be neglected. For the same energy-absorption level, the delamination is greatest at low mixed-mode ratios corresponding to highest Mode II contribution. The results of energy release rates from MONF were compared with mixed-mode bending (MMB) formulation and show some agreement in Mode II but differences in prediction for Mode I. Hackle (Mode II) features on SEM photographs decrease as the impact energy is increased but increase as the Mode I/II ratio decreases. For the same loading conditions, more pure Mode II features are generated on the MCNF specimen fractured surfaces than the MENF and MONF specimens.
The Carter Neurocognitive Assessment for children with severely compromised expressive language and motor skills.

In this paper, different means of assessing cognitive development in children with severe impairments in both their expressive language and their motor skills are reviewed. A range of techniques are considered, including traditional cognitive tests and behavioral and physiological measures, but these techniques are generally impractical and minimally informative when it comes to assessing children with both motor and speech impairments. Electrophysiological measures show some promise for the future, but are currently inadequate for wide-ranging cognitive assessment. Development of the Carter Neurocognitive Assessment (CNA) is described. The CNA is appropriate for use in clinical and research settings and was designed to minimalize the impact of severely impaired motor skills and expressive language on performance. The CNA is intended to itemize and quantify a range of skills reflecting a cognitive level up to approximately 18 to 24 months in four areas: Social Awareness, Visual Attention, Auditory Comprehension and Vocal Communication. The use of the CNA to assess the performance and developmental growth of eight children with Holoprosencephaly (HPE), a midline developmental brain malformation, is described. The CNA is a useful tool for the assessment of children with severely compromised motor and verbal skills and has provided a more positive view of the cognitive potential of children with severe handicaps, such as the sample of children with HPE, than that presented in the past. Keywords: Cognitive assessment, language impairment, motor impairment, holoprosencephaly. Abbreviations: HPE: holoprosencephaly; BSID‐II: Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition; CNA: Carter Neurocognitive Assessment; ERP: Event Related Brain Potentials; IAR: Item Age Range; IAL: Item Age Level; ANOVA: Analysis of Variance; MIHV: Middle Interhemispheric Variant.
Hardware 3D graphics acceleration for mobile devices

Mobile phone handsets are evolving rapidly from simple voice communications terminals into portable multimedia computers. Applications of these devices include photo and video capture and display, stored or streaming media playback, Web access, and 3D video games. These applications, together with attendant improvements in display quality and processing power, have created a need for hardware graphics accelerators optimized for mobile devices. This paper reviews the state of mobile 3D graphics, focusing on factors driving adoption, standards, and opportunities. It also discusses technical and practical challenges that must be met to enable a lively and successful content industry.
Bearing damage detection via wavelet packet

Bearing faults are one of the major causes of motor failures. The bearing defects induce vibration resulting in the modulation of the stator current. In this paper, the stator current is analyzed via wavelet packet decomposition to detect beating defects. The proposed method enables the analysis of frequency bands that can accommodate the rotational speed dependence of the beating-defect frequencies. The wavelet packet decomposition also provides a better treatment of nonstationary stator current than currently used Fourier techniques.
SIMULTANEOUS CONSTRAINTS ON THE SPECTRUM OF THE EXTRAGALACTIC BACKGROUND LIGHT AND THE INTRINSIC TeV SPECTRA OF MARKARIAN 421, MARKARIAN 501, AND H1426+428

Very high energy ( � TeV) � -rays from blazars are attenuated by photons from the extragalactic background light (EBL).ObservationsofblazarscanthereforeprovideanidealopportunityfordeterminingtheEBLintensityiftheir intrinsic spectrum is known. Conversely, knowledge of the EBL intensity can be used to determine the intrinsic blazar spectrum. Unfortunately, neither the EBL intensity nor the intrinsic blazar spectrum is known with high enough precision to accurately derive one quantity from the other. In this paper we use the most recent data on the EBL to construct 12 different realizations representing all possible permutations between EBL limits and the detections in the different wavelength regions. These realizations explore a significantly larger range of allowable EBLspectrathananypreviousstudies.WeshowthattheserealizationscanbeusedtoexploretheeffectsoftheEBL on the inferred spectra of blazars. Concentrating on the two relatively nearby (z � 0:03) blazars Mrk 421 and 501, we derive their intrinsic spectra and peak � -ray energies for the different EBL realizations. Some EBL spectra give rise to ‘‘unphysical’’ intrinsic blazar spectra, characterized by an exponential rise at high TeVenergies. We use the F-test to show that some of these exponential rises are statistically insignificant. Consequently, statements regardingtheexistenceofan‘‘IRbackground-TeV � -raycrisis’’areunfoundedonthebasisofourpresentknowledge of the EBL. EBL spectra that do give rise to unphysical blazar spectra are regarded as invalid realizations of the EBL. Those that do not thus define new constraints on the EBL spectrum and are used to derive new limits on the intensityandthepeak � -rayenergyofthesetwoblazars.Inparticular,wederiveanupperlimitof � 15nWm � 2 sr � 1 on the 60 � m EBL intensity and find the peak energies of the Mrk 421 and Mrk 501 sources to be very similar, between 0.5‐1.2 and 0.8‐2.5 TeV, respectively. We also show that the intrinsic spectrum of Mrk 421 during a periodofintense flaringactivity has apeak energy that seems to shiftto higher energies athigher fluxstates. For the most distant blazar H1426+428 (z ¼ 0:129), most EBL realizations give rise to spectra that peak between � 1a nd 5TeV,withsomesuggestingpeaksbelow400GeVandabove � 10TeV.Theseresultsprovideimportantconstraints on the different particle acceleration mechanisms and the generation of the � -ray emission. Finally, we also show that uncertainties in the absolute calibration of the � -ray energies with atmospheric Cerenkov telescopes have an important impact on the intrinsic blazar spectra. These systematic uncertainties will be improved with the next generations of telescopes that will also cover a wider range of � -ray energies, providing further insights into the intrinsic spectrum of TeV blazars.
Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome: a pathologic study.

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome is an extremely rare condition with features of premature and accelerated aging. The pattern of inheritance is unclear, although both autosomal recessive and au...
Primary Epithelial Malignancies

This chapter has been updated according to the newly proposed classification of lung carcinomas and its application to small biopsies and cytology specimens which provides uniform terminology and criteria for diagnosing subtypes of lung carcinomas, specifically adenocarcinomas and poorly differentiated carcinomas.
Exploring the patient perspective regarding community pharmacists' educational roles in diabetes medication and blood glucose management

Objective Applying role theory, we studied patients' beliefs about community pharmacists' roles and corresponding unaddressed educational needs in the area of diabetes medication and blood glucose management. Setting United States, nationwide sample. Method Persons with diabetes were surveyed by mail. Inclusion criteria required individuals to be non-institutionalised adults (≥18 years old) with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and taking at least one prescription diabetes medication. Key findings The most-frequent role beliefs for pharmacists included teaching patients about how to reduce the cost of their medications and about side-effects and symptom management. The most common unaddressed need reported by patients was reducing their drug costs, and those who reported at least one unaddressed need were more likely to be younger, female and black. Ten per cent of patients believed that only a pharmacist is able to educate them about medication and blood glucose management. Compared with the remainder of the study sample, these patients were on average more-highly educated, more-recently diagnosed, and visited their pharmacy more often in the last 30 days seeking advice from a pharmacist and non-prescription medications. Notably, they also reported fewer unaddressed needs overall. Conclusion Knowing the beliefs of a person with diabetes regarding who is capable of educating them about medication and blood glucose management, and knowing their related unaddressed educational needs is useful to community pharmacists who serve these patients as well as to pharmacy management as the profession continues to move forward to provide advanced care to patients with diabetes.
Beyond consensus: Statistical free energies reveal hidden interactions in the design of a TPR motif

Consensus design methods have been used successfully to engineer proteins with a particular fold, and moreover to engineer thermostable exemplars of particular folds. Here, we consider how a statistical free energy approach can expand upon current methods of phylogenetic design. As an example, we have analyzed the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) motif, using multiple sequence alignment to identify the significance of each position in the TPR. The results provide information above and beyond that revealed by consensus design alone, especially at poorly conserved positions. A particularly striking finding is that certain residues, which TPR-peptide co-crystal structures show are in direct contact with the ligand, display a marked hypervariability. This suggests a novel means of identifying ligand-binding sites, and also implies that TPRs generally function as ligand-binding domains. Using perturbation analysis (or statistical coupling analysis), we examined site-site interactions within the TPR motif. Correlated occurrences of amino acid residues at poorly conserved positions explain how TPRs achieve their near-neutral surface charge distributions, and why a TPR designed from straight consensus has an unusually high net charge. Networks of interacting sites revealed that TPRs fall into two unrecognized families with distinct sets of interactions related to the identity of position 7 (Leu or Lys/Arg). Statistical free energy analysis provides a more complete description of "What makes a TPR a TPR?" than consensus alone, and it suggests general approaches to extend and improve the phylogenetic design of proteins.
Differential localization of ion transporters suggests distinct cellular mechanisms for calcification and photosynthesis between two coral species

Ion transport is fundamental for multiple physiological processes, including but not limited to pH regulation, calcification, and photosynthesis. Here, we investigated ion-transporting processes in tissues from the corals Acropora yongei and Stylophora pistillata, representatives of the complex and robust clades that diverged over 250 million years ago. Antibodies against complex IV revealed that mitochondria, an essential source of ATP for energetically costly ion transporters, were abundant throughout the tissues of A. yongei. Additionally, transmission electron microscopy revealed septate junctions in all cell layers of A. yongei, as previously reported for S. pistillata, as well as evidence for transcellular vesicular transport in calicoblastic cells. Antibodies against the alpha subunit of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase (NKA) and plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase (PMCA) immunolabeled cells in the calicoblastic epithelium of both species, suggesting conserved roles in calcification. However, NKA was abundant in the apical membrane of the oral epithelium in A. yongei but not S. pistillata, while PMCA was abundant in the gastroderm of S. pistillata but not A. yongei. These differences indicate that these two coral species utilize distinct pathways to deliver ions to the sites of calcification and photosynthesis. Finally, antibodies against mammalian sodium bicarbonate cotransporters (NBC; SLC4 family) resulted in strong immunostaining in the apical membrane of oral epithelial cells and in calicoblastic cells in A. yongei, a pattern identical to NKA. Characterization of ion transport mechanisms is an essential step toward understanding the cellular mechanisms of coral physiology and will help predict how different coral species respond to environmental stress.
Microglia in Alzheimer's disease and transgenic models : How close the fit?

Research on microglia has grown nearly exponentially over the last two decades, 1 fueled in part by the recognition that inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). 2 Whereas their existence as a distinct central nervous system (CNS) cell type was once debated, it is now widely accepted that microglia are monocyte-derived cells that enter the CNS at early stages of development as highly mobile, ameboid cells that are distributed widely throughout the brain and spinal cord, developing a highly ramified phenotype that eventually forms a uniform reticular array in both gray and white matter. Being related to other cells of the mononuclear phagocytic system they are considered to be poised for activation, each cell policing a discrete and nonoverlapping domain and acting as a sentinel to disruption of the normal homeostasis of the neural tissue. 3 Microglia respond rapidly to subtle alterations not associated with any apparent tissue damage such as spreading electrical depression 4 as well as more severe insults such as anoxic-ischemic injury and neuronal loss associated with a host of degenerative disorders with a sequence of antigenic and morphological changes. The latter form is less ramified, with more abundant cytoplasm in soma and cell processes. It has cell markers, such as class II major histocompatibility antigen, that are barely detectable in the ramified form and is referred to as activated. The full repertoire of ramified microglia is not known, but they appear to be long-lived cells with a limited potential to divide, which contrasts with perivascular macrophages. 5 The latter have a more dynamic life cycle and enter and leave the CNS compartment more readily throughout the life of the individual. The perivascular macrophage, which constitutively express class II major histocompatibility antigen (HLA-DR) participates in the immune response and is fully capable of antigen presentation. 6 The phagocytic potential of the perivascular macrophage is not disputed, but whether ramified microglia are phagocytic cells is debated. Progressive transformation of ramified microglia to macrophages has been shown in a limited number of demyelinating conditions, where it appears that at least some microglia may differentiate into brain macrophages. 3,7
Elastic Stability of Rubber Products

Abstract Due to severe nonlinearities, inherent in the finite-element elasticity, uniquely defined boundary-value problems of rubber elasticity may have multiple stable and unstable solutions. An early example was given by Rivlin, who considered the problem of a Neo-Hookean cube, in a state of pure homogeneous deformations, and subjected to three pairs of equal and opposite forces acting normally on the faces of the cube and distributed uniformly over them. He found that, for forces below a certain value, the only possible solution is the symmetric solution, as might be expected. Beyond that certain value, however, there are seven possible equilibrium solutions. One of these seven solutions is the symmetric solution. It is interesting to notice that the symmetric solution, which is initially stable, becomes unstable when loads have reached a certain threshold. The stability problems of homogeneous deformations of Mooney-Rivlin type of materials, under symmetric loading, for triaxial loading and for the pl...
Accelerating I/O Performance of Big Data Analytics on HPC Clusters through RDMA-Based Key-Value Store

Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS) is the underlying storage engine of many Big Data processing frameworks such as Hadoop MapReduce, HBase, Hive, and Spark. Even though HDFS is well-known for its scalability and reliability, the requirement of large amount of local storage space makes HDFS deployment challenging on HPC clusters. Moreover, HPC clusters usually have large installation of parallel file system like Lustre. In this study, we propose a novel design to integrate HDFS with Lustre through a high performance key-value store. We design a burst buffer system using RDMA-based Mem cached and present three schemes to integrate HDFS with Lustre through this buffer layer, considering different aspects of I/O, data-locality, and fault-tolerance. Our proposed schemes can ensure performance improvement for Big Data applications on HPC clusters. At the same time, they lead to reduced local storage requirement. Performance evaluations show that, our design can improve the write performance of Test DFSIO by up to 2.6x over HDFS and 1.5x over Lustre. The gain in read throughput is up to 8x. Sort execution time is reduced by up to 28% over Lustre and 19% over HDFS. Our design can also significantly benefit I/O-intensive workloads compared to both HDFS and Lustre.
Radiographic size of retroperitoneal lymph nodes predicts pathological nodal involvement for patients with renal cell carcinoma: development of a risk prediction model.

Objectives To evaluate the ability of clinical and radiographic features to predict lymph node (pN1) disease among patients with renal cell carcinoma undergoing radical nephrectomy (RN), and to develop a preoperative risk prediction model. Patients and Methods In all, 220 patients with preoperative computed tomography scans available for review underwent RN with lymph node dissection (LND) from 2000 to 2010. Radiographic features were assessed by one genitourinary radiologist blinded to pN status. Associations of features with pN1 disease were evaluated using logistic regression to develop predictive models. Model performance was assessed using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and decision curve analysis. Results The median (interquartile range) lymph node yield was 10 (5–18). In all, 55 patients (25%) had pN1 disease at RN. On univariable analysis, the maximum lymph node (LN) short axis diameter [odds ratio (OR) 1.17; P < 0.001] predicted pN1 disease with an AUC of 0.84. Although several clinical and radiographic features were associated with pN1 disease, only two were retained in the multivariable model: maximum LN short axis diameter (OR 1.19; P <0.001) and radiographic perinephric/sinus fat invasion (OR 44.64; P = 0.01), with an AUC of 0.85. On decision curve analysis, the single variable and multivariable models showed similar net benefit. Conclusion Two radiographic features, maximum LN short axis diameter and perinephric/sinus fat invasion, outperformed traditional clinical variables in predicting pN1 disease. Maximum LN short axis diameter alone showed excellent predictive performance, and, if validated externally, would provide for a simple model to guide patient selection for LND.
Baroclinic Torque and Implications for Subgrid-Scale Modeling

Baroclinic torque plays an important role in the dynamics of variable-density flows. Large eddy simulations using Favre-filtered resolved-scale velocities mask the explicit dependence of resolved-scale dynamics on subgrid-scale pressure-gradient-density interactions. The effect of subgrid-scale baroclinic torque on resolved scales is implicitly included in the subgrid-scale stress and subgrid-scale scalar fluxes through the resolved-scale vorticity it generates. LES closure models must therefore incorporate this effect in the computations. We explore the physics of subgrid-scale baroclinic torque within the structural framework of the Stretched-Vortex model. Fine-scale simulations of supersonic flows and direct numerical simulations of variable-density turbulence are investigated. Such flows have regions of active baroclinic torque and serve to set up flow configurations to assess the model.