cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enrichment or Acceleration

THERE has been much difference of opinion among secondary mathematics teachers during the last several decades as to just how the curriculum should be changed. There appears to have been, however, general agreement that changes were necessary. This agreement has given rise to the so-called accelerated programs in which students are enabled to study the usual (but modernized) high school courses at an earlier stage. In many cases this acceleration allows the student to be exposed to a full year of calculus while still in high school. Many of the students who have followed this route are unable to qualify for Advanced Placement credit and are required to repeat the first year of calculus as college freshmen. This indi cates that we have allowed some students to enter an accelerated program who are not really ready. When this happens, have we really done our students any good? Or, have we succeeded only in making the first-year college mathematics course repetitive? We are confronted with the task of ade quately preparing those students who are average or above in ability but not quite ready for the accelerated program. After some years of teaching at both the high school and college level, the author has reached the opinion that we, as teachers, can enrich the secondary program to such an extent that when a student reaches college he is ready for calculus but, except for the truly outstanding student, has not studied it. A competent secondary school math ematics teacher will encounter no diffi culty in enriching a course if he tries to introduce, at a simplified or intuitive level, topics that he knows will be studied at a later time. During the second year of algebra, for example, it is possible to in troduce parabolic interpolation at an extremely low level. This could lead to better understanding of Newton's formula for approximating roots of a polynomial equation, which is customarily introduced about the twelfth year, and eventually to LaGrange's formula, which is usually not encountered until a course in differential equations is taken. Many secondary teachers introduce Newton's method as a mechanical process that involves only the ability to find the first derivative of a polynomial and to compute algebraically. This is done by using the fact that, by starting with a fairly good estimate of a zero r (call it Xi), you may obtain successively closer ap proximations x2, ?3, Xiy . . . by using the recursion formula f(xn) . 100 \ Xn+i = Xn --? (fi = 1, 2, 3, ... ) J \%n)
NADPH Oxidase Regulates Cytarabine-Induced Apoptotic Death in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells

Abstract 4258 Background: Cellular metabolism and oxidative stress are important in the biology and pathophysiology of malignancies. Both increased reactive oxygen species [ROS] levels and induction of anti-oxidative pathways have been described in several malignancies, and may be modulate tumor biology and susceptibility to chemotherapy. Limited studies point to metabolic pathways, including ROS production, influencing pathogenesis and chemo-sensitivity of leukemia. NADPH oxidase is a critical enzyme in antimicrobial host defense and its activation results in ROS generation in myeloid leukemia cells. Our prior studies show that NADPH oxidase can activate Nrf2, a transcriptional factor that induces anti-oxidant and cytoprotective pathways. However the role of NADPH oxidase in chemotherapy-mediated apoptosis induction in leukemic cells is not well-known. Hypothesis: NADPH oxidase-derived ROS will increase sensitivity of AML cells to chemotherapy, whereas Nrf2 will be associated with chemotherapy resistance Methods: We evaluated the role of NADPH oxidase and Nrf2 in regulating cytarabine-induced cell death in wild-type [WT] and engineered PLB-985 cells, a human acute myelomonocytic leukemia cell line derivative. NADPH oxidase-deficient PLB-985 cells were generated by recombination with mutant gp91phox, a necessary component of NADPH oxidase. Nrf2-deficient cells were generated by shRNA (Nrf2shRNA) and depletion (>70%) of Nrf2 mRNA was confirmed by quantitative-PCR. WT and engineered PLB-985 cells were treated with cytarabine (12.5 to 750ng/ml for 24 – 48 hours) and cell death was determined by trypan blue exclusion and Annexin V/7-AAD staining. Results: NADPH oxidase-deficient PLB-985 cells were significantly more resistant to cytarabine compared to WT cells. Cytarabine (500 ng/ml for 48h) induced apoptotic cell death in 25% of NADPH oxidase-deficient vs. 53% of WT PLB-985 cells. Additional dose-response studies confirmed a significant effect of NADPH oxidase in potentiating cytarabine-induced cell death. Nrf2shRNA PLB-985 cells had either similar or modestly increased susceptibility to cytarabine-induced cell death compared to WT PLB-985 cells with empty vectors. NADPH-deficient/Nrf2shRNA PLB-985 cells had similar susceptibility to cytarabine as NADPH-deficient cells with empty vector. Conclusions: Our results show that NADPH oxidase potentiates apoptotic cell death by cytarabine in a myelomonocytic leukemia cell line. However, we did not observe a consistent effect of Nrf2 depletion on apoptotic cell death by cytarabine. These studies suggest that modulation of redox-stress may be a potential therapeutic approach in AML that merits further study. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Arid grassland bee communities: associated environmental variables and responses to restoration

In recent years restoration project efforts in arid grasslands of the Pacific Northwest have increased; however, little is known about the bee communities in these areas or how restoration affects them. Native bees provide an essential ecosystem service through pollination of crops and native plants and understanding their response to restoration is a high priority. To address this issue, we conducted a three‐year study in an arid bunchgrass prairie with three objectives: (1) describe the bee community of this unique grassland type and its temporal variability; (2) investigate environmental variables influencing the community; and (3) examine effects of restoration on the community. We identified 62 bee species and found strong seasonal and inter‐annual variation in bee abundance, richness, diversity, and species composition. Unexpectedly, these temporal trends did not correspond with patterns in floral resources; however, several variables were associated with variation in bee abundance, richness, and diversity among sites. Sites with high levels of litter cover had more bees, while sites with taller vegetation or more blooming flowers had greater species richness but lower diversity. We found no detectable effect of restoration on bee abundance, richness, diversity, or composition. Species composition at native sites differed from those in actively and passively restored sites, which did not differ from each other. Restored sites also had fewer flowers and differing floral composition relative to native sites. These results suggest that if grassland restoration is to benefit bees, efforts should focus on both expanding floral resources and enhancing variables that influence nesting habitat.
The hidden biology of the human brain.

Sergiu Pașca is a faculty member at Stanford University, where he is also the Uytengsu Director of the Stanford Brain Organogenesis Program. He is a pioneer in developing 3D brain-region-specific organoids, assembloids and cellular models of neuropsychiatric disease from stem cells.
Dialectical behavior therapy for individuals with substance use problems: theoretical adaptations and empirical evidence

Abstract This chapter reviews 8 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 12 uncontrolled and quasiexperimental trials, as well as a variety of pilot and case studies that examine dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) with individuals with substance use problems, as well as DBT specifically targeting substance use disorders (i.e., DBT-SUDs). DBT-SUD is an efficacious treatment. Findings supporting its efficacy have been replicated in five well-controlled efficacy studies in three independent labs in the United States, The Netherlands, and Canada. Further, three RCTs have shown how modifications of DBT can be effective for individuals with substance use problems. Six uncontrolled and quasiexperimental trials of comprehensive DBT have demonstrated evidence of the effectiveness of the treatment and extended its relevance to populations, including adolescents and individuals from non-Western cultures. An additional six uncontrolled and quasiexperimental trials have demonstrated that modifications of DBT, particularly those using skills training outside of the context of comprehensive DBT, can be effective with individuals with substance use problems. The research literature on DBT for individuals with SUD may be sufficient for it to be formally evaluated as an empirically supported treatment by the American Psychological Association.
Critical Positive Youth Development: A Framework for Centering Critical Consciousness

While positive youth development (PYD) has proven beneficial in developing youth’s strengths, fomenting youth–adult partnerships, and cultivating leadership, missing from the framework is a critical understanding of the role and impact of power, privilege, and oppression on young people’s development and lived experiences. To address this absence, we developed a critical positive youth development (CPYD) framework. Bridging positive youth development (PYD) with critical theory, CPYD positions critical consciousness—consisting of critical reflection, political efficacy, and critical action—as the 7 th C of PYD and as integral to both the learning process and healthy socioemotional development. This paper introduces the CPYD framework and examines implications and applications for practitioners, including exploring the role of storytelling as an effective method through which to apply CPYD and highlighting one specific example.
Robotic Deep Brain Stimulation (R-DBS)-“Awake” Deep Brain Stimulation Using the Neuromate Robot and O-Arm

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective surgical technique used to ameliorate the motor symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease. One of the key elements that determine successful patient outcomes is the accurate positioning of the DBS electrode during surgery. Objective: To describe a robotic DBS (R-DBS) procedure using “awake” technique. Methods and Materials: This procedure was performed using a frame-based approach with the NeuroMate surgical robot and intraoperative image verification of DBS electrode placement using the O-arm mobile x-ray system. The procedure was performed “Awake” using microelectrode recording (MER), stimulation, and macro-electrode testing. Results: The accurate placement of DBS electrodes was confirmed with intraoperative image verification. This patient had good therapeutic response intraoperatively. No immediate postoperative complications related to DBS electrode placement were identified. Conclusions: R-DBS is a technique that can be used for the highly accurate placement of electrodes necessary for DBS.
Uncoupled: American Widows in Times of Uncertainty and Ambiguous Norms:

This study uses the concept of uncertainty in general, and specifically objective and subjective uncertainty, as a framework for understanding how a widow experiences grief and attempts to reestabl...
Pernicious executive order 13950 revoked, yet structural racism looms large

This commentary piece discusses the important and harmful outcomes that would have followed the recently signed United States’ Executive Order 13950—Combatting Race and Sex Stereotyping. Put simply...
Assessment of TMT Labeling Efficiency in Large-Scale Quantitative Proteomics: The Critical Effect of Sample pH.

Isobaric labeling via tandem mass tag (TMT) reagents enables sample multiplexing prior to LC-MS/MS, facilitating high-throughput large-scale quantitative proteomics. Consistent and efficient labeling reactions are essential to achieve robust quantification; therefore, embedded in our clinical proteomic protocol is a quality control (QC) sample that contains a small aliquot from each sample within a TMT set, referred to as "Mixing QC." This Mixing QC enables the detection of TMT labeling issues by LC-MS/MS before combining the full samples to allow for salvaging of poor TMT labeling reactions. While TMT labeling is a valuable tool, factors leading to poor reactions are not fully studied. We observed that relabeling does not necessarily rescue TMT reactions and that peptide samples sometimes remained acidic after resuspending in 50 mM HEPES buffer (pH 8.5), which coincided with low labeling efficiency (LE) and relatively low median reporter ion intensities (MRIIs). To obtain a more resilient TMT labeling procedure, we investigated LE, reporter ion missingness, the ratio of mean TMT set MRII to individual channel MRII, and the distribution of log 2 reporter ion ratios of Mixing QC samples. We discovered that sample pH is a critical factor in LE, and increasing the buffer concentration in poorly labeled samples before relabeling resulted in the successful rescue of TMT labeling reactions. Moreover, resuspending peptides in 500 mM HEPES buffer for TMT labeling resulted in consistently higher LE and lower missing data. By better controlling the sample pH for labeling and implementing multiple methods for assessing labeling quality before combining samples, we demonstrate that robust TMT labeling for large-scale quantitative studies is achievable.
Vulnerable Research: Competencies for Trauma and Justice-Informed Ethnography:

Ethnographers often work with individuals who are physically, psychologically, spiritually, and/or structurally vulnerable. The article introduces six competencies for ethnographers to be trained i...
Effect of income on patient decision-making in localized prostate cancer.

6552Background: Socioeconomic status affects goals of care and treatment choices. We investigated the impact of low household income on diagnosis, goals of care, and treatment choice in patients wi...
High-value laboratory testing for hospitalized COVID-19 patients: a review.

We present here an evidence-based review of the utility, timing, and indications for laboratory test use in the domains of inflammation, cardiology, hematology, nephrology and co-infection for clinicians managing the care of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Levels of IL-6, CRP, absolute lymphocyte count, neutrophils and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio obtained upon admission may help predict the severity of COVID-19. Elevated LDH, ferritin, AST, and d-dimer are associated with severe illness and mortality. Elevated cardiac troponin at hospital admission can alert clinicians to patients at risk for cardiac complications. Elevated proBNP may help distinguish a cardiac complication from noncardiac etiologies. Evaluation for co-infection is typically unnecessary in nonsevere cases but is essential in severe COVID-19, intensive care unit patients, and immunocompromised patients.
Matchmaking Strategies for Maximizing Player Engagement in Video Games

Managing player engagement is an important problem in the video game industry, as many games generate revenue via subscription models and microtransactions. We consider a class of online video games whereby players are repeatedly matched by the game to compete against one another. Players have different skill levels which affect the outcomes of matches, and the win-loss record influence their willingness to remain engaged. The goal is to maximize the overall player engagement over time by optimizing the dynamic matchmaking strategy. We propose a general but tractable framework to solve this problem, which can be formulated as an infinite linear program. We then focus on a stylized model where there are two skill levels and players churn only when they experience a losing streak. The optimal policy always matches as many low-skilled players who are not at risk of churning to high-skilled players who are one loss away from churning. In some scenarios when there are too many low-skilled players, high-skilled players are also matched to low-skilled players that are at risk of churning. Regarding the power of the optimal policy, we compare it to the industry status quo that matches players with the same skill level together (skill-based matchmaking). We prove the benefit of optimizing the matchmaking system grows linearly with the number of skill levels. We then use our framework to analyze two common but controversial interventions to increase engagement: adding AI bots and a pay-to-win system. We show that optimal matchmaking may reduce the number of bots needed significantly without loss of engagement. The pay-to-win system can influence player engagement positively when the majority of players are low-skilled. Surprisingly, even non-paying low-skilled players may be better off in some scenarios. Finally, we conduct a case study with real data from an online chess platform. We show the optimal policy can improve engagement by 4-6% or reducing the percentage of bot players by 15% in comparison to skill-based matchmaking.
Kant on Freedom, Law, and Happiness: The Strategy of Kant's Groundwork

In this chapter I want to examine further the argumentative strategy of Kant's mature moral philosophy, as first laid out in the Groundwork for the Metaphysics of Morals , by exploring the relationship between “common” and “philosophical” “rational cognition of morals” (sittlichen Vernunfterkenntnis) that Kant has in mind in this much studied but still not well understood work. One striking fact about the argument of the Groundwork is that philosophy appears in it in the guise of both “popular moral worldly wisdom” – here it may be best to translate Weltweisheit literally rather than as just an archaic word for “philosophy” – on the one hand and that of Kant's own “metaphysics of morals” and “critique of pure practical reason” on the other. More precisely, the Groundwork starts off by deriving its initial formulation of the categorical imperative from a “common rational cognition of morals” that every reasonable person is supposed to recognize as his or her own, and then relates both “popular worldly wisdom” and a genuine “metaphysics of morals” and “critique of pure practical reason” to this “common rational cognition of morals.” What is the relation of these two forms of philosophy to each other and to the prephilosophical selfunderstanding from which Kant's argument seems to begin? One interpretation might be this: Kant thinks that every normal human being innately possesses or early acquires an understanding of the demands of moral duty and of its worth, which, however, can be corrupted by bad but popular philosophy or “worldly wisdom.”
Energetics of DNA twisting: I. Relation between twist and cyclization probability*

The twisting potential of DNA has been determined directly by a method that measures the cyclization probability or j-factor of EcoRI restriction fragments as a function of DNA twist. The cyclization probability is proportional to Kc, the equilibrium constant for cyclization of the restriction fragment via its cohesive ends (Shore et al., 1981). Here we vary the twist of the DNA by making small internal additions to or deletions from a 242 bp EcoRI restriction fragment. A series of 12 DNA molecules has been studied, which range in length from 237 to 254 bp. The cyclization probability is measured from the rates of covalent closure by phage T4 DNA ligase of two systems: (1) a linear restriction fragment in equilibrium with its cyclized form and (2) half molecules (cut by a blunt-end endonuclease) in equilibrium with joined half molecules. The striking result is that, in this DNA size range, the j-factor depends strongly on the fractional twist: the difference between the total helical twist and the nearest integer. Thus j depends in an oscillatory manner on DNA length between 237 and 254 bp with a period of about 10 bp. These data give the free energy of DNA twisting as a function of twist. The curve of j versus DNA length can be fitted to a harmonic twisting potential with a torsional constant of C = 2.4 X 10(-19) erg cm. This value is in reasonable agreement with different estimates of C made by Barkley & Zimm (1979: C = 1.8 X 10(-19) to 4.1 X 10(-19) erg cm) and is somewhat larger than the value obtained resulting from the kinetics of DNA twisting measured by fluorescence depolarization of ethidium intercalated into DNA (C = 1.4 X 10(-19) erg cm; Millar et al., 1982; Thomas et al., 1980) or from spin label studies (Hurley et al., 1982). Our experiments provide a direct measurement of the torsional free energy and they show that the DNA twisting potential is symmetric. Our experiments also indicate that the DNA helix is continuous, or nearly so, in a nicked circle; presumably this happens because the DNA stacking interaction maintains the double helix in register across a single-strand nick. As a consequence, the twist of a singly nicked DNA circle is integral for small (approximately equal to 250 bp) planar DNA circles and there is a change in twist upon cyclization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Particle-Size Considerations for Magnetite-Based Magnetoreceptors

The presence of a magnetic influence upon behavior now appears to be a fairly common trait among a wide variety of organisms, as outlined and discussed elsewhere in this volume. In a broad manner, these behavioral responses can be grouped into two categories, the first of which involves the use of a relatively insensitive “compass” to obtain directional (north/south) information, and a more sensitive system involved in the “map” sense of vertebrates and the time cue of insects.
Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor-mediated endocytosis in Xenopus laevis oocytes : a role for receptor tyrosine kinase activity

Abstract Equilibrium analysis of [ 125 I]IGF-1 binding to Xenopus oocytes yielded curvilinear Scatchards supporting the presence of multiple binding sites. High-affinity Binding displayed an apparent K D of 9.0 ± 3.0 n M IGF-1 with maximum total binding of 1.6 ± 0.3 fmole/oocyte after 90 min at 22°C. Binding of 1 n M [ 125 I]IGF-1 to oocytes was competitively displaced by unlabeled IGF-1 or insulin with IC 50 values of 6 and 560 n M , respectively. Chemical cross-linking of [ 125 I]IGF-1 to oocyte membranes specifically labeled a single 138-kDa protein. Using the technique of acid stripping to analyze whole-cell binding, both total and surface binding of [ 125 I]IGF-1 reached a plateau after 90 min, and internalized counts surpassed surface-associated counts 20 min after hormone addition. At the 90-min plateau, 70-75% of cell-associated counts were internalized. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor, tyrphostin 47, prevented IGF-l-stimulated oocyte maturation with an apparent IC 50 of 10.5 ± 2.5 μ M and also inhibited IGF-1 receptor-mediated endocytosis in micromolar concentrations. Treatment of oocyte membrane samples with 10 n M IGF-1 stimulated alkali-stable phosphorylation of a protein doublet (M r 89 and 104 kDa). Tyrphostin 47 also inhibited IGF-1-stimulated phosphorylation of these putative receptor β-subunits more effectively than tyrphostin 23 or genistein. These results suggest a necessary role for receptor-mediated endecytosis in IGF-1-induced oocyte maturation and a requirement for receptor kinase activity in oocyte receptor internalization.
French Intelligence Assessments of the Nazi Threat, 1933-1939

Many realist explanations of French and British appeasement policies in the 1930s, including our own, assume or imply that policy was closely informed by intelligence assessments. One potential threat to these interpretations is the possibility that instead of intelligence shaping policy, the policy preferences of political leaders may have shaped intelligence, either through the politicization of intelligence or perhaps through the motivated biases of political leaders. In an earlier paper we demonstrated that the reports of British intelligence agencies in the 1930s were not politicized. In this paper we turn to French intelligence assessments of Nazi Germany in the 1933-39 period. Our general finding is that French military intelligence was consistently accurate in its assessments of Nazi intentions, but that until 1938 it consistently overestimated German capabilities relative to those of France. In terms of the politics of intelligence, we find very little evidence of French military intelligence assessments being significantly shaped by pressure from top political leaders for “intelligence to please.” We find some evidence, however, that French military leaders deliberately inflated assessments of German capabilities in struggles to increase military budgets after years of neglect, that top political leaders were aware of this, and that they discounted some of these estimates. At many critical times, however, French intelligence assessments had a decisive impact on French policy, including the shift towards increasing reliance on Britain in the mid-1930s and the shift towards a more confrontational policy toward Germany after the Munich conference in 1938.
Ocean acoustic tomography: Integral data and ocean models

Abstract Tomographic data differ from most other oceanographic data because their sampling and information content are localized better in spectral space than in physical space. Approximate data assimilation methods optimized for localized physical space measurements can lose much of the non-local tomographic information, degrading the potential performance of the tomographic data in fixing the model state. In addition, methods which require inverting the tomographic data to a physical space grid before insertion into the model as point measurements incur special problems because of the non-local nature of the errors. We give a simple 1-D example to illustrate the problems that can arise. Fortunately, methods that directly assimilate integral measurements and preserve all of the information in the tomographic data, such as the Kaiman filter, are becoming more practical as computer speed grows.
Envelope Curves for Extreme Flood Events

Maximum flood experience in a region can be depicted by a graph on which maximum known floods are plotted against drainage area. A smooth curve enveloping the plotted points provides the most concise description. such curves have been developed for 17 regions in the conterminous United States and are described by equations. The curves are not associated with specific probabilities or frequencies, but, within the region to which they apply, they give evidence as to the magnitude of flow that was occurred. Given similar basin characteristics, a peak lying close to the envelope curve might occur at other basins in the same region.
Charting Earth's Activities

This Dynamic Planet . World Map of Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Impact Craters, and Plate Tectonics. By Tom Simkin, Robert I. Tilling, Peter R. Vogt, Stephen H. Kirby, Paul Kimberly, and David B. Stewart . U.S. Geological Survey, Smithsonian Institution, and U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, 2006. $14. U.S.G.S. Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2800. [www.minerals.si.edu/tdpmap/index.htm][1] The 1:30 million map and accompanying Web site are intended to provide students, researchers, and the interested public with an overview of Earth's dynamic crust. [1]: http://www.minerals.si.edu/tdpmap/index.htm
Clinical evaluation of a pit and fissure sealant for young adults

A BIS-GMA sealant, Nuva-Seal, failed to provide a statistically significant treatment for subjects 17 to 23 years of age. Sealant therapy cannot be considered a cost-effective factor for this age group. Retention of the more visible tinted version of the sealant was inferior to that of the clear commercial variety. This unexpected disparity in retention of the clear and tinted sealants underscores the importance of employing the exact product of interest to the dental profession when conducting the clinical trial.
X-Ray Lithography Station At The Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL)

An in-vacuum lithography system is under development on beam line 111-3 at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL). The beam line accepts 0.6 mrad of radiation from a bending magnet of the SPEAR storage ring and provides a beam of about 2 X 8 mm2 at the exposure station. Facilities for exposing photoresist with either filtered or monochromatic radiation are being developed in an effort to characterize the spectral sensitivity of state of the art photoresists. Design details and initial results are presented in which submicron features were printed on silicon wafers using boron nitride supported gold ab-sorber masks.© (1984) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Oxidation behaviour of titanium-containing brazing filler metals

Brazements on alumina or partially stabilized zirconia (PSZ) of four silver- or copper-based brazing filler metals that contain titanium to promote wetting of and adherence to structural ceramics, were exposed in a thermogravimetric analyser at temperatures up to 700°C to atmospheres of 100% O2, Ar-20% O2 and Ar-3 p.p.m. O2. The alloys included Cu-41.1Ag-3.6Sn-7.2Ti, Ag-44.4Cu-8.4Sn-0.9Ti, Ag-41.6Cu-9.7Sn-5.0Ti and Ag-37.4Cu-10.8In-1,4Ti, at%. All formed external oxides that were more or less protective under all of the test conditions studied. The growth of the oxides followed a parabolic time law. The gains in weight due to oxidation observed were small, ranging (for 45 h exposure at 400 °C to Ar-20% O2) from 0.20 mgcm−2 for the Ag-37.4Cu-10.8In-1.4Ti alloy to 0.46 mgcm−2 for Cu-41.1Ag-3.6Sn-7.2Ti. As expected, weight gain increased with increasing temperature or {ie4067-01}. Unexpectedly, the titanium played a minor role in the scale formed on any of the filler metals with a titanium oxide, TiO2, being found on only one alloy — Ag-41.6Cu-9.7Sn-5.0Ti. The brazements on PSZ gained weight at a higher rate than comparative brazements on alumina. We attribute this behaviour to oxygen transport through the zirconia resulting in the growth of an interfacial layer of titanium oxide.
The Axiom General Purpose Game Playing System

A general game playing system, Axiom, was developed to overcome the limitations inherent in an existing commercial general purpose game playing system which incorporates a generic AI. Axiom extends the range of possible games via an extensible language, thereby allowing for a high degree of game-specific customization within the AI as well as in defining complex game behaviors. This paper provides an overview of the Axiom system and discusses some important aspects of the customizable AI. It also answers the question “Can a powerful game definition language be developed to enhance a popular general game platform?”
Enhancements to a Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) Multiplexer Readout and Control System

Far-infrared detector arrays such as the 16x32 superconducting bolometer array for the SAFIRE instrument (flying on the SOFIA airborne observatory) require systems of readout and control electronics to provide translation between a user-driven, digital PC and the cold, analog world of the cryogenic detector. In 2001, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed their Mark III electronics for purposes of control and readout of their 1x32 SQUID Multiplexer chips. We at NASA s Goddard Space Flight Center acquired a Mark 111 system and subsequently designed upgrades to suit our and our collaborators purposes. We developed an arbitrary, programmable multiplexing system that allows the user to cycle through rows in a SQUID array in an infinite number of combinations. We provided hooks in the Mark III system to allow readout of signals from outside the Mark 111 system, such as telescope status information. Finally, we augmented the heart of the system with a new feedback algorithm implementation, flexible diagnostic tools, and informative telemetry.
Mutagenic activity of surface waters adjacent to a nuclear fuel processing facility

Surface waters adjacent to a nuclear fuel processing facility were extracted, using XAD-resin adsorption followed by solvent elution, and the extracts were assayed for mutagenic potential by the AmesSalmonella-mammalian microsome test. Dose-related mutagenic responses with TA102 (+ S9) were produced with the extracts of water samples obtained from a creek receiving waste-water from the processing facility (specific mutagenic activities of 7,250 to 8,250 net revertants per L equivalent of water). The creek water extracts were not mutagenic with TA102 in the absence of S9, or with any other tester strain (i.e., TA97, TA98, TA100, and TA1535) in the presence or absence of S9. Surface water samples downstream and upstream of this creek were not mutagenic; apparently indicating the lack of persistence of the observed mutagenicity. The major constituent in the mutagenic creek water extracts was identified as tributylphosphate (TBP) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. However, TBP was not mutagenic with TA102 (+ S9) at doses ranging from 196 μg/plate to 9.8 ng/plate. Because tester strain TA102 detects oxidative mutagenesis due to x-rays and ultraviolet radiation, it is possible that the observed mutagenicity of creek water extracts was due to radionuclides complexed to TBP.
A Synoptic Reporting System for Peripheral Blood Smear Interpretation

Web-based synoptic reporting systems have been shown to improve efficiency, reduce turnaround time, and decrease reporting errors in reports of surgical pathology specimens and hematologic neoplasms and bone marrow. No such system has been previously described for the reporting of peripheral blood smears. We developed a Web-based synoptic reporting system composed of a knowledge base encompassing 150 peripheral blood smear report templates covering a wide range of findings. This system was used at our institution, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, by pathology residents under the supervision of an attending pathologist to generate peripheral blood smear reports. This system was found to produce a significant reduction in typographic errors with decreased turnaround time and improved accuracy. This synoptic reporting system can help practicing pathologists and pathology trainees to draft a complete and concise report.
Fuel Cell Condition Assessment Using Transient and Standard Polarization Curves

To identify important fuel cell performance parameters for predicting its performance and assessing its health, this paper describes a two-step procedure that uses standard and transient polarization curves in sequence to identify activation, resistance and concentration losses of a fuel cell system. An existing fuel cell model was modified to facilitate simulation studies which were used to ascertain the feasibility and limitation of the proposed method.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Aerobic Counts, Color and Adenine Nucleotide Changes in CO2 Packed Refrigerated Striped Bass Strips

Hybrid striped bass (HSB) strips ere dipped in chlorine or distilled water and packaged in 60% CO 2 , 6% O 2 , and 34% N 2 (MAP) or in AIR. APC reached 10 6 CFU/g after 4 days for AIR and 10 days for MAP fish. Sensory panelists detected a whiter color flesh in fish treated with chlorine. Hypoxanthine increased while IMP decreased and ADP and ATP did not change throughout. If inosine was excluded in the predictor, a modified K value (K * ) could be applicable as a freshness indicator of freshwater HSB but storage environment should be specified. K * values correlated highly with APC for AIR (R 2 =0.84) and MAP packs (R 2 =0.85)
The nature of the membrane sites controlling anion permeability of human red blood cells as determined by studies with disulfonic stilbene derivatives.

The disulfonic acid stilbene derivative SITS reported to be covalently bonded to the membrane of the red blood cell, was found to be largely reversibly bound. Reversal of its specific inhibitory effect on anion permeability was attained by washing the cells with buffer containing albumin. The small fraction of covalently bonded SITS could be increased by prolonging the time of exposure of the cells or by multiple exposures. A series of other disulfonic stilbene derivatives was synthesized. All of them specifically inhibited anion permeability whether or not they are capable of forming covalent bonds. Their inhibitory effectiveness, however, varied over a 5,000-fold range, allowing certain conclusions to be made concerning the chemical architecture of the binding site. Certain of the compounds were almost entirely covalently bonded. One of them was labeled with125I and used to determine to which membrane proteins the compound is bound. Over 90% was found in a protein band on acrylamide gels of 95,000 mol wt. The most effective compound against sulfate permeability was equally effective against chloride permeability, producing a maximum inhibition of over 95%. The residual anion fluxes respond differently to pH and temperature than do the fluxes of unmodified cells.
A Positron Emission Tomography Study of Binaurally and Dichotically Presented Stimuli: Effects of Level of Language and Directed Attention

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured using positron emission tomography with oxygen- 15 labeled water as 10 normal subjects listened to three types of auditory stimuli (environmental sounds, meaningless speech, and words) presented binaurally or dichotically. Binaurally presented environmental sounds and words caused similar bilateral rCBF increases in left and right superior temporal gyri. Dichotically presented stimuli (subjects attended to left or right ears) caused asymmetric activation in the temporal lobes, resulting from increased rCBF in temporal lobe regions contralateral to the attended ear and decreased rCBF in the opposite hemisphere. The results indicate that auditorily presented language and non-language stimuli activate similar temporal regions, that dichotic stimulation dramatically changes rCBF in temporal lobes, and that the change is due both to attentional mechanisms and to hemispheric specialization.
The Infrared and Near-Infrared Spectra of HCC and DCC Trapped in Solid Neon

Abstract Spectra have been recorded from 700 to 12 000 cm −1 for HCC and DCC trapped in solid neon. In this region, which includes not only the ground state absorptions but also all of the absorptions of appreciable intensity in the highly perturbed A 2 Π state, all of the matrix shifts are to lower frequencies, and none of them exceeds 30 cm −1 . The X (0 n 0) and X (0 n 1) progressions of HCC, recently reported in the photoelectron spectrum of HCC − , also appear in the infrared spectrum. The spectra of the singly and doubly carbon-13 substituted species of HCC and of doubly carbon-13 substituted DCC are presented. Except in a few regions of very strong mixing of energy levels of the X and A states, correlations of the HCC and DCC bands with their carbon-13 substitution counterparts are possible, and the resulting isotopic shift data are useful in assigning the vibronic spectra. Assignments are proposed for a considerable number of HCC and DCC bands. These assignments are aided by the carbon-13 shift data, by the results of recent ab initio calculations, and, where they are available, by the upper-state symmetries of bands observed in the gas phase. Absorptions of C 2 , C − 2 , C 4 , HC 4 , HCCO, and C 2 H 3 isolated in a neon matrix are also identified.
Randomized, placebo-controlled trial of flax oil in pediatric bipolar disorder

Objectives This clinical trial evaluated whether supplementation with flax oil, containing the omega-3 fatty acid α-linolenic acid (α-LNA), safely reduced symptom severity in youth with bipolar disorder.
Honors programs: A case study of transfer preparation

This chapter traces the design and development of the San Diego City College Honors Program and its successful implementation of intersegmental transfer agreements—chief among them being the Transfer Alliance Program (TAP), with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). It describes the recent historical context in which community college honors programs took on a strong leadership role in addressing deep systemic problems in the transfer function in California, a role that continues to this day. This chapter identifies the pivotal contributions of intersegmental transfer agreements like TAP in the development of honors programs at community colleges, and it emphasizes their implications for college students and faculty members.
Second-order statistical analysis of totally weighted subspace fitting methods

We analyze the effects of a limited number of snapshots on a general class of multidimensional signal subspace estimation methods, termed totally weighted subspace fitting (TWSF) methods. This class is an extension of the weighted subspace fitting technique that includes row weighting and column weighting of the signal subspace matrix. We quantify the asymptotic statistical properties of the TWSF method by means of a second-order statistical analysis. The main contribution of this article is that it provides, for the first time, the estimator bias. Some simulation results are included to validate our analytical results. >
An experimental diamond stone: A preliminary report

lh’ IS investigation compared the effectiveness of an experimental diamond rotary instrument with a conventional diamond point of similar shape and size. The experimental diamond instrument was designed at the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Dental School, and was made by Brasseler USA, Inc., Lombard, Ill. The research was conducted at the New York University College of Dentistry. The American Dental Association (ADA) standard for shapes, head, and shank dimensions of dental rotary instruments was approved in 1963.’ The controls and specifications have not been precisely classified in an orderly system similar to that used for dental burs. Because of the diversity of diamond instruments, they are presently grouped within given ranges, by number, corresponding to the shape of burs. Other variables not included in the ADA standard are cutting effectiveness, life span, concentricity (trueness), matrix material, amount and size of diamond particles, and the type of diamond, either natural or synthetic. Another essential consideration in the evaluation of these instruments is the substrate on which they are tested. The materials used in testing diamond instruments were more destructive than tooth structure to the diamond stone. At present the method for testing diamond rotary instruments is questionable. The substrate has been glass, which Hartley et al.* observed is homogeneous and considerably harder than human enamel. Investigators have recognized the problem created by using a test material that differs in chemical and physical properties from enamel and dentin. Commenting on
Adaptive and Maladptive Effects of SMAD3 Signaling in the Adult Heart After Hemodynamic Pressure Overloading

Background— Previous studies suggest that transforming growth factor-β provokes cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis; however, it is unclear whether the deleterious effects of transforming growth factor-β signaling are conveyed through SMAD-dependent or SMAD-independent signaling pathways. Methods and Results— To determine the contribution of SMAD-dependent signaling to cardiac remodeling, we performed transaortic constriction in SMAD3 null (SMAD3−/−) and littermate control mice (age, 10 to 12 weeks). Cumulative survival 20 days after transaortic constriction was significantly less in the SMAD3−/− mice when compared with littermate controls (43.6% versus 90.9%, P <0.01). Transaortic constriction resulted in a significant increase in cardiac hypertrophy in the SMAD3−/− mice, denoted by an increase in the heart weight to tibial length ratio and increased myocyte cross-sectional area. Loss of SMAD3 signaling also resulted in a significant 60% decrease in myocardial fibrosis ( P <0.05). A microRNA microarray showed that 55 microRNAs were differentially expressed in littermate and SMAD3−/− mice and that 10 of these microRNAs were predicted to bind to genes that regulate the extracellular matrix. Of these 10 candidate microRNAs, both miR-25 and miR-29a were sufficient to decrease collagen gene expression when transfected into isolated cardiac fibroblasts in vitro. Conclusions— The results suggest that SMAD3 signaling plays dual roles in the heart: one beneficial role by delimiting hypertrophic growth and the other deleterious by modulating myocardial fibrosis, possibly through a pathway that entails accumulation of microRNAs that decrease collagen gene expression. Received September 19, 2008; accepted August 27, 2009.
Interfacing a multichannel analyzer to a minicomputer

Abstract This report describes the modifications required and the interface circuitry needed to route the output of a Nuclear Data Model 2200 multichannel analyzer directly to a Digital Equipment Corporation PDP 11/20 computer. The analyzer's output then becomes acceptable as input into any computer program written in BASIC language.
The Fontan Procedure for Pulmonary Atresia With Intact Ventricular Septum: Operative and Late Results

Abstract Objectives. The goals of the study were to evaluate the operative and late mortality associated with the Fontan procedure in patients with pulmonary atresia and an intact ventricular septum and to obtain follow-up information on the current clinical status of surviving patients. Background. Between 1979 and October 1, 1995, 40 patients with the anomaly had a nonfenestrated Fontan procedure performed at the Mayo Clinic. Because there are no previously published reports involving a series of this size in which the Fontan approach was used for this condition, a review of patient outcomes was thought to be of value. Methods. The medical records of the 40 patients were reviewed retrospectively, and 34 were determined to be alive. The status of the survivors as of late 1995 was then ascertained by direct examination, questionnaire or telephone follow-up. Results. There were three operative deaths and three late deaths. The current ages of the 34 survivors ranged from 4 to 30 years (median 13). Thirty-three of the 34 survivors were thought to be in New York Heart Association functional class I or II, and all but three of these patients, of school age or older, were either full-time students or working full time. The three adults who were not employed thought they were capable of working but were not doing so because of socioeconomic reasons. More than half of the patients were not receiving cardiovascular medications. Conclusions. These overall gratifying early and late results encourage continued application of this operation for appropriately selected patients with this complex congenital cardiovascular anomaly. (J Am Coll Cardiol 1997;29:1359–64)
Instruction and Science Learning: A Quantitative Synthesis.

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively synthesize quality and quantity of instruction studies with the same or similar independent variables in the published science education grade 6-12 research of the 1963-1978 period. Fifty-two studies formed six clusters and revealed significant positive cognitive outcomes due to the use of preinstructional strategies, training in scientific thinking, increased structure in the verbal content of materials, and increased realism or concreteness in adjunct materials. In general, systematic innovation in instruction was found to produce positive improvements over the norm or traditional practice. Methodologically, improved research design quality was related to larger effect sizes. Recommendations are made regarding application, use of multiple measures, attitudinal research, use of general education findings, and the reporting of research.