cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The early developmental competencies and school readiness of low-income, immigrant children: Influences of generation, race/ethnicity, and national origins ☆

Abstract Though much valuable research has been conducted on the academic achievement of school-age immigrant youth, less is known about the early developmental competencies of immigrant children during the preschool years. This study describes the school readiness of 2194 low-income children receiving subsidies to attend child care with emphasis on how nativity status (generation), race/ethnicity, and national origins might be related to children's preparedness for kindergarten. The Learning Accomplishment Profile–Diagnostic (LAP-D) was used to measure cognitive and language skills, while teacher-report on the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) measured socio-emotional protective factors and behavior concerns. Results demonstrate that variation does exist in school readiness according to nativity-based factors. First- and second-generation immigrants lagged behind children in non-immigrant families in cognitive and language skills but excelled by comparison in socio-emotional skills and behavior. In many cases, first-generation immigrant children showed more advanced development than second-generation immigrant children, providing some evidence in the early years for an immigrant advantage. The present study raises awareness regarding some of the strengths immigrant children demonstrate from a very young age—strengths that can be built upon to encourage their later success and academic achievement.
Pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and cerclage success.

AbstractObjective: This study was performed to evaluate the effect of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) on the success of cerclage.Materials and methods: A retrospective cohort study of women who had a history-indicated (HIC) or ultrasound-indicated cerclage (UIC) placed between 1994 and 2011. Based on pre-pregnancy BMI (World Health Organization criteria), three cohorts were defined: normal/overweight (BMI: 20.0–29.9 kg/m2), obese class I/II (BMI: 30.0–39.9 kg/m2) and obese class III (BMI ≥ 40.0 kg/m2). The primary outcome was spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) <35 weeks. The secondary outcomes included but were not limited to gestational age of delivery, sPTB <37, <32 and <28 weeks, preterm premature rupture of membranes and birth weight.Results: 375 women were included for analysis. Demographics were similar in the three BMI categories, except black race (p = 0.01). The rates of sPTB <35 weeks were similar between each cohort: 24.3%, 23.0% and 27.7%, respectively (p = 0.81). BMI was not a predictor of ...
Stacking complexation by nicotinamide: a useful way of enhancing drug solubility.

The solubility enhancement of 11 poorly soluble drugs by complexation using nicotinamide has been studied. The solubilization efficiency of nicotinamide has been compared to that of hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin. Solubility enhancements as high as 4000-fold are observed in 20% (w/v) nicotinamide solution. Furthermore, nicotinamide is more effective than cyclodextrins for solubilizing some of the drugs. The mechanism of drug solubilization by nicotinamide is investigated by studying the effects of nicotinamide concentration on the surface tension and the conductivity of water. A slight break in both, the surface tension and conductivity is noticed at around 10% (w/v), suggesting self-association at higher concentrations. Corresponding breaks in the solubility profiles of estrone and griseofulvin at similar concentrations support self-association. Based on this observation it appears that at low concentrations, one molecule of nicotinamide undergoes complexation with one drug molecule to form a 1:1 complex. At higher concentrations, two molecules of nicotinamide undergo complexation with one drug molecule forming a 1:2 complex. The complexation constants have been calculated for all the drugs and the data are well described by this model. Expectedly, increasing the temperature reduces the complexation constants.
Self-diffusion mechanisms for adatoms on fcc(100) surfaces

Abstract We investigate the mechanisms and associated energetics of diffusion for the Ni/Ni(100), Cu/Cu(100), Pd/Pd(100) and Ag/Ag(100) systems using the corrected effective medium method. The Ni/Ni(100) and Cu/Cu(100) systems are shown to favor the atomic-exchange diffusion mechanism whereas the Pd/Pd(100) and Ag/Ag(100) systems favor the bridge-hopping diffusion mechanism. The explicit inclusion of the kinetic-exchange-correlation energy is critical to determination of the favored mechanism. A simple model, based upon binding “curves” from dimer and bulk binding, is developed to provide a physical explanation of the different behavior exhibited by the various metal systems.
Bronchiolar neuro-epithelial bodies in the neonatal mouse lungs

Bronchiolar neuro-epithelial bodies in neonatal mice were studied by light and electron microscopy. These bodies occurred in thickened areas of the epithelium, and consisted of groups of specialized, non-ciliated columnar epithelial cells with many cytoplasmic granules. These cells were usually closely parallel to one another and had elongated nuclei containing conspicuous peripheral chromatin condensations. These cells were associated with intra-epithelial axons. With electron microscopy, the non-myelinated axon under the neuro-epithelial body was observed to penetrate the basal lamina and enter the epithelial layer. After penetration, the intra-epithelial axon containing numerous mitochondria lost its Schwann cell sheath, became enlarged, and ramified among the epithelial cells. These innervated neuro-epithelial bodies probably function as sensory receptors in the bronchioles.
Functionally graded bioactive coatings: reproducibility and stability of the coating under cell culture conditions.

Abstract This work sought to provide a basic protocol for treatment of functionally graded bioactive glass coatings (FGC) that reliably adhere to titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) prior to in vivo evaluation. The effect of the fabrication process on glass structure and reproducibility of the coating’s properties, and the effect of cell culture conditions on the integrity of the coating were assessed. The structure of FGCs was compared to that of the as cast glass used as a top coating. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the fabrication process resulted in 5.9 ± 3.0 vol.% crystallization, while glass as cast was amorphous. Glass as cast and coatings behaved similarly in simulated body fluid (SBF): an amorphous layer rich in phosphate formed, and it crystallized, over 4 weeks, into apatite-like mineral (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), XRD, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)). Reproducibility of the fabrication process was tested from three batches of coatings by measuring thickness and crystallinity. MC3T3-E1.4 mouse pre-osteoblast cells were cultured and induced to mineralize on FGCs, either as made or pre-conditioned in SBF. The sub-surface glass silica network in FGCs was compromised by cell culture conditions. A crystalline phosphate was formed during pre-conditioning (XRD, FTIR, and SEM). SBF-pre-conditioning stabilized the coatings. Thus incubation in SBF is recommended to produce a stable coating.
Dependence of supercooling of a liquid on its overheating

The degree of overheating of a melt often plays a significant role in determining its supercooling behavior and thus the nucleation and growth of crystals and their qualities. However, the relationship between the level of melt overheating and the resulting degree of supercooling is far from being understood. It is demonstrated that the dependence of the degree of supercooling on the level of melt overheating for bismuth is a function of the duration of melt overheating above its melting point. Depending on the duration, the degree of supercooling can increase either discontinuously or continuously with the level of melt overheating. These observations, which can be linked to the transient evolution of short-range structures during melting and solidification, suggest that the similar observations should also be observable for substances exhibiting substantially different short-range structures in the solid and liquid state.
The Early Evening Surface-Layer Transition: Temporal and Spatial Variability

On clear nights with appreciable radiative cooling, rates of change of mean quantities observed in the first 1 or 2 h after sunset are many times larger than they are subsequently until sunrise. These variations include large temperature drops, specific humidity increases, and abrupt wind speed decay. The early evening transition (EET) is dominated by vertical surface flux convergence as the turbulent mixing layer becomes confined to a shallow stable layer near the surface. Effects of surface heterogeneities are enhanced by the subsequent small eddy size, so that spatial variability of mean variables peaks during the EET. Hilltops do not experience such large variations at EET, as turbulence persists longer at those locations. Wind speed decays faster at obstructed sites, which show earlier transitions. The Richardson number increases exponentially at the EET, and the rate of exponential increase is proportional to the rate of wind decay. Qualitative aspects of the EET at a single point are resolved by a two-layer model, similar to those currently used in parameterizations of the surface exchange in mesoscale simulations. However, in order to simulate the different behaviors observed in an area as big as one grid cell in a mesoscale model, very different values of the geostrophic wind need to be imposed. A large eddy model is used to verify that the specific humidity jump and maximum cooling rate during the EET are primarily the consequence of enhanced vertical flux divergence, though in later stages of the EET, advective effects become more important.
Phosphorus-32 in the Phage Group: radioisotopes as historical tracers of molecular biology

The recent historiography of molecular biology features key technologies, instruments and materials, which offer a different view of the field and its turning points than preceding intellectual and institutional histories. Radioisotopes, in this vein, became essential tools in postwar life science research, including molecular biology, and are here analyzed through their use in experiments on bacteriophage. Isotopes were especially well suited for studying the dynamics of chemical transformation over time, through metabolic pathways or life cycles. Scientists labeled phage with phosphorus-32 in order to trace the transfer of genetic material between parent and progeny in virus reproduction. Initial studies of this type did not resolve the mechanism of generational transfer but unexpectedly gave rise to a new style of molecular radiobiology based on the inactivation of phage by the radioactive decay of incorporated phosphorus-32. These ‘suicide experiments’, a preoccupation of phage researchers in the mid-1950s, reveal how molecular biologists interacted with the traditions and practices of radiation geneticists as well as those of biochemists as they were seeking to demarcate a new field. The routine use of radiolabels to visualize nucleic acids emerged as an enduring feature of molecular biological experimentation.
Frog lysozyme. V. Isolation and some physical and immunochemical properties of lysozyme isozymes of the leopard frog, Rana pipiens

Frog Lysozyme has been purified by sequential application of acid extraction, salt fractionation, CM-cellulose chromatography, heat treatment, and gel filtration. Eight isozymes of purified lysozyme were found to be stable during prolonged storage. Isozymes were separated by preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Ninety percent of the lytic activity of frog ovarian egg was represented by forms 7 and 8, the most highly charged isozymes. Seventy-eight percent of frog liver lysozyme activity was that of form 4. Forms 7 and 8 differed from form 4 by being larger (apparent molecular weight of 18,000 vs. 16,000), by remaining active in more acidic environment, and by exhibiting a dependency upon NaCl for activity. Antiserum prepared against frog form 4 did not react with frog forms 7 and 8 and antiserum to chicken egg-white lysozyme did not react with any frog lysozymes. All frog lysozymes showed identical reversible binding to deaminated chitin. Apparent size differences and lack of immunological cross-reactivity suggest that at least some of the isozymes are non-allelic.
In-Plane All-Photonic Transduction of Microcantilever Arrays by a Differential Splitter Using a Double-Step Rib Waveguide

We report the all-photonic transduction of microcantilevers using a differential splitter consisting of an asymmetric double-step multimode rib waveguide and aY-branch splitter. An average deflection sensitivity of 0.32×10-3nm-1is demonstrated for multiple microcantilever arrays.
Lesions of the sexually dimorphic area disrupt mating and marking in male gerbils

At the border between the medial preoptic area (MPOA) and the anterior hypothalamus (AH), gerbils have a sexually dimorphic area (SDA) that accumulates and responds to gonadal steroids. To assess the role of the SDA in the hormonal control of two sexually dimorphic behaviors, masculine sexual behavior and ventral scent marking, we studied changes in these behaviors in male gerbils after lesioning the lateral SDA or the entire SDA. Lateral SDA lesions disrupt openfield scent marking, at least temporarily, and produce long-lasting deficits in, but do not abolish, mating behavior. Lesioning both the medial and the lateral SDA produces more profound deficits in mating and marking. Similar lesions anterior or posterior to the SDA also impair these behaviors, but their effects are less severe. Thus the SDA is more important than other parts of the MPOA-AH in the control of mating and marking in male gerbils.
Cross-Discipline Disparities in Perceptions of Mental Disorders in a Long-Term Care Facility

OBJECTIVES: This study compared prevalence rates of mental disorders in a single long-term care facility as perceived by three professional disciplines and compared professionals' perceptions with two standardized measures of psychopathology DESIGN: Comparison of (1) prospective standardized psychiatric evaluations performed by psychiatrists, (2) chart reviews of mental disorders as documented by primary care physicians, and (3) interviews of nurses. SETTING: The residential health care facility at Monroe Community Hospital in Rochester, New York. PARTICIPANTS: A 20% random sample of adult residents, stratified by ward(n = 80). MEASUREMENTS: Prevalence rates of psychopathology as determined by each data collection method: psychiatric diagnoses as determined by psychiatrists and primary care physicians, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, and the Psychogeriatric Dependency Rating Scale. RESULTS: Prevalence rates of psychopathology ranged from 60 to 91% across discipline-specific data collection methods. Using psychiatrists' diagnoses as the benchmark, primary care physicians and nurses underestimated the prevalence of mental disorders, particularly organic mental disorders. All disciplines agreed on the presence of personality and developmental disorders. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and Psychogeriatric Dependency Rating Scale validated perceptions of psychopathology by psychiatrists and nurses, but not by primary care physicians' chart diagnoses. CONCLUSION: Disparities in perceptions of mental disorders across disciplines pose a threat to patient care and suggest a need for more reliable incorporation of mental health expertise in the long-term care setting.
EQUAL RIGHTS FAILS AMERICAN MOTHERS: THE LIMITATIONS OF AN EQUAL RIGHTS STRATEGY IN FAMILY LAW AND THE WORKPLACE

Family law reforms in the United States over the past few decades have been impelled by an ideology of achieving equality between men and women. Despite these reforms the inequalities between American women and men, especially after breakdown of marriage, remain substantial. This article explains how these changes have worked against the interests of women. It argues that equal rights strategies overlook the significance of motherhood. In the workplace, the article argues that the integration theory, according to which the promotion of workplace equality dissolves the distinctions between male and female occupations, has failed and that a better model is the doctrine of comparable worth, which offers a non-competitive ideal of fairness or, pay equity, which recognizes the real patterns of women's working lives. The extent to which this model is followed in the United States is examined, as is the case for special recognition of the roles of mothers in other employment practices.
Analysis of expressed proteins in fiber fractions from insect-protected and glyphosate-tolerant cotton varieties

The objective of this study was to determine the concentration of introduced proteins in the fiber fractions of transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) before and after processing. Two novel cotton varieties were developed by genetic transformation technology. One variety expressed the CryIA(c) insecticidal protein derived from Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki. The second cotton variety expressed the CP4 EPSPS (5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3-phosphate synthase) protein, originally found in Agrobacterium sp., which confers tolerance to glyphosate herbicide. Levels of the CryIA(c) and CP4 EPSPS proteins in raw lint, combed lint, raw linters, and processed linter brown stock from these cotton varieties were analyzed by means of western blot, insect bioassay [for CryIA(c) protein only], or both. The CryIA(c) protein was present in raw linters (0.17 μg g -1 ), but it was not detected in either raw or combed lint. The CP4 EPSPS protein was detected at low levels (<0.5 pg g -1 ) in combed lint, but not in processed linter brown stock. Inactivation of the CryIA(c) and CP4 EPSPS proteins in the first processing step for linters indicates that these proteins will not be present in cotton linter products. Similarly, the typical heat and chemical processing of cotton lint should also denature any transgenic protein(s) present.
Use of Exhaled Nitric Oxide in Predicting Response to Inhaled Corticosteroids for Chronic Cough

OBJECTIVE To evaluate our experience with patients who presented with chronic cough and how exhaled nitric oxide predicted response to inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS This retrospective observational study of 114 patients evaluated for chronic cough with measured exhaled nitric oxide and methacholine challenge testing was conducted from December 1, 2004, through November 30, 2005. Clinical records were extracted. Patients with no documented follow-up were contacted by telephone and administered a questionnaire. RESULTS In 64 patients, ICS therapy was started or the current ICS dose increased. Forty-one patients had elevated exhaled nitric oxide levels (defined as ≥35 ppb), 36 (88%) of whom had significant improvement in their chronic cough (likelihood ratio of a positive response, 4.9; 95% confidence interval, 2.2-10.9). Twenty-three patients with exhaled nitric oxide levels in the reference range were also prescribed ICS, and only 2 had cough improvement (likelihood ratio of a negative response, 0.07; 95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.25). Patients had documented follow-up that ranged from 4 weeks to 16 months. A cutoff of 38 ppb was found to best differentiate ICS responders and nonresponders. CONCLUSION Measurement of exhaled nitric oxide accurately predicted response to ICS therapy for chronic cough. Patients with a positive exhaled nitric oxide test result had a strong likelihood of response to ICS, whereas a negative exhaled nitric oxide test result indicated an unlikely response to ICS. This finding may potentially have an impact on how patients with chronic cough are evaluated and treated.
Essential Hypertension Is Associated With Decreased Insulin Clearance and Insulin Resistance

Essential hypertension is associated with multiple metabolic abnormalities, among them, hyperinsulinemia. This hyperinsulinemia is attributed to the presence of decreased insulin sensitivity (insulin resistance) with consequent compensatory insulin secretion. We tested the hypothesis that decreased insulin clearance is present in hypertensive subjects and contributes to hyperinsulinemia independently of the degree of insulin resistance. Seventy-five subjects were studied (48 hypertensive and 27 normotensive). Both groups were comparable in terms of age, body fat content, waist-to-hip ratio, and sex distribution. A primed continuous insulin infusion at 40 mU/m2 per minute was performed. Glucose was maintained at baseline levels with the euglycemic clamp technique. Hypertensive subjects were characterized by decreased insulin sensitivity (insulin-mediated glucose uptake: 5.14±0.28 versus 7.26±0.61 mg glucose/kg fat-free mass per minute, hypertensive versus normotensive, P =.002), increased insulin levels during the insulin infusions (804±36 versus 510±38 pmol/L, hypertensive versus normotensive, P <.001), and decreased insulin metabolic clearance rate (328±15 versus 521±30 mL/min per meter squared, hypertensive versus normotensive, P <.001). In an ANCOVA (including sex, degree of obesity, waist-to-hip ratio, and insulin sensitivity as covariates) the differences in insulin metabolic clearance rate between normotensive and hypertensive subjects remained highly significant ( P <.001). Insulin metabolic clearance rate was significantly associated with fasting insulin levels. We conclude that essential hypertension is independently associated with decreased insulin metabolic clearance rate in addition to insulin resistance. A low insulin metabolic clearance rate may be a contributory factor to the hyperinsulinemia observed in essential hypertension.
A convergence acceleration procedure for computing slowly converging series

The application of shaped theta -algorithm to the partial sums of a slowly converging series is shown to accelerate its convergence. The algorithm is applied to accelerate the convergence of a series representing the free-space periodic Green's functions involving the zeroth-order Hankel function of the second kind, and its associated Fourier transform. Numerical results indicate that the algorithm converges faster than Shanks' transform. It is also able to sum the series to machine precision in about 20 terms. A relative error measure is shown as a function of the number of terms of various combinations of source and observation points. The relative savings in computation time is also provided to show the benefit of using the algorithm. >
Attenuation of dopamine uptake in vivo following priming with estradiol benzoate.

Dopamine (DA) uptake and clearance were examined using in vivo voltammetry following injection of DA (200 μM) into the nucleus accumbens of ovariectomized (OVX) or OVX-estrogen-primed rats (estradiol benzoate, EB, 10 μg 48 and 24 h prior to experiment). The rate of DA uptake was significantly attenuated in steroid-treated animals: this decrease was accompanied by a significant increase in DA clearance time. Quinpirole (0.5 mg/kg) modulated the kinetics of DA uptake in OVX but not EB-primed rats. These data suggest that DA clearance can be regulated by physiological doses of EB.
Longitudinal Motion in High Current Ion Beams - A Self-Consistent Phase Space Distribution with an Envelope Equation

Many applications of particle acceleration, such as heavy ion fusion, require longitudinal bunching of a high intensity particle beam to extremely high particle currents with correspondingly high space charge forces. This requires a precise analysis of longitudinal motion including stability analysis. Previous papers have treated the longitudinal space charge force as strictly linear, and have not been self-consistent; that is, they have not displayed a phase space distribution consistent with this linear force so that the transport of the phase space distribution could be followed, and departures from linearity could be analyzed. This is unlike the situation for transverse phase space where the Kapchinskij-Vladimirskij (K-V) distribution can be used as the basis of an analysis of transverse motion. In this paper we derive a self-consistent particle distribution in longitudinal phase space which is a solution of the Vlasov equation and derive an envelope equation for this solution. The solution is developed in Section II from a stationary solution of the Vlasov equation derived in Section I.
Marginal abatement cost curves for US black carbon emissions

There has been increasing recognition of the important role that aerosols such as black carbon (BC) play in influencing net climate forcing, in particular the high rates of warming in the Arctic, and there is significant interest in reducing BC emissions. In order to assess mitigation options, there is a need for a better understanding of how current air quality policies designed for particulate matter reductions affect BC emissions and for the development of improved BC specific marginal abatement cost (MAC) curves. Using data from the United States (US), we assess the effects of existing air quality regulations on projected BC emissions (diesel fuel regulations in particular are already having significant effects). We also identify key US-specific abatement strategies and present MAC curves for further reducing BC emissions from two key US sources. This analysis may serve to inform similar research on BC mitigation in other regions and sectors.
Out of the Bread Box: Eleanor Melville Metcalf and the Melville Legacy

MLA 2008—San Francisco Melville and His Critics CHAIR: CHRISTOPHER CASTIGLIA, PENN STATE UNIVERSITY From left to right: Hester Blum, Donald Pease, Jay Grossman, Christopher Castiglia, and Wyn Kelley Few American writers have drawn as much critical attention as has Herman Melville, and few have generated as much biographical speculation. Melville’s great bursts of creative independence and his equally despairing silences, his homoerotic effusions and his domestic reveries, his moments of patriotic exuberance and transnational exoticism, all have troubled, inspired, and perplexed literary critics for the last 150 years. Just as Melville’s biography often seems haunted by paradoxes, so does criticism of C © 2009 The Authors Journal compilation C © 2009 The Melville Society and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. L E V I A T H A N A J O U R N A L O F M E L V I L L E S T U D I E S 93
Compounds Contributing to the "Beany" Odor of Aqueous Solutions of Soy Protein Isolates

Using gas chromatography/olfactometry (GCO), major odors from the headspace of aqueous solutions of soy protein isolates were evaluated. Many corresponding odorants were identified by correlating GCO with GC/mass spectrometry (MS) on two separate stationary phases followed by comparing retention times, mass spectra, odor descriptions and odor intensities with authentic standards. Based on aroma extract dilution analyses, the most powerful odorants (strongest and most volatile first) were (1) dimethyl trisulfide, (2) trans,trans-2,4- decadienal, (3) an unidentified burnt soy sauce-like odor, (4) 2-pentyl pyridine, (5) trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal, (6) hexanal, (7) an unidentified charred sweaty feet-like odor, (8) acetophenone, and (9) 1-octen-3-one. This is the first reported occurrence of dimethyl trisulfide in soy protein isolates.
Turning cardiac excitation into cell contraction: the importance of sex differences

in healthy humans of either sex under normal physiological conditions, the heart works quite well. Cardiac function is adequate to meet all reasonable physiological demands. And yet, it has been known for some time that there are differences in whole organ contractile performance, electrophysiology
Mutual coupling of two collocated orthogonally oriented circular thin-wire loops

Coupling between two collocated orthogonal circular thin-wire loops is analyzed in this paper. Two coupled integral equations for the loop currents are derived and their solution in general form is found in terms of Fourier series. An analytical expression for currents induced through the mutual coupling is obtained for the case when all loop current harmonics higher than first can be ignored. It is found that strong coupling can exist for all loop current harmonics, except for the fundamental. It is also found that coupling for orthogonal collocated loop antennas depends on the relative locations of the loop terminals.
Electrochemical treatment of localized tumors with direct current

To develop cancer electrochemical treatment (ECT) in the United States, we have conducted basic studies and started a Phase I clinical trial. Our in vivo preliminary results indicate that ECT is effective on RIF-I mouse tumor and rat fibrosarcomas. In the in vitro study ECT clearly demonstrated dose-dependent human oral carcinoma KB cell growth inhibition by colony-forming assay. We have started an animal study to resolve the ECT methodological problems for rat breast cancer. Meanwhile, we began a clinical trial treating patients with recurrent superficial measurable malignant tumors. Our goal is to make ECT a useful alternative method for treating localized tumors.
Beyond Place On Being a Regular in an Ethereal Culture

Regular participants in gaming subcultures do not seem as bound to conventional time and space anchors as other regulars (e.g., barroom habitues). This different type of regular status involves the assumption of identification in a more ethereal subculture, in the context of more rarified time and space anchors. This article examines a specific gaming culture, “Magic: The Gathering,” as an emergent and structured sequence of accomplishments in which individual participants and competitors cooperate to create and maintain specialized forms of competition, interaction, and commerce. One coauthor, assuming the identity of Playa' , observed the assumption and creation of regular identities that provided a foundation for the ongoing competitive and cooperative sequences and accomplishments.
Plasmonic modulation and switching via combined utilization of Young interference and metal–insulator–metal waveguide coupling

We present a new nanoscale modulation scheme based on the formation of a plasmonic Young interference pattern and its collection by an excitation field pattern-sensitive metal–insulator–metal (MIM) waveguide. Our numerical investigations reveal that such a scheme can generate sensitive and quasi-linear changes in the output power level in response to the relative phase difference between the waves in the two Young interferometer branches. Thanks to the asymmetric positioning of the collector waveguide, the response becomes most sensitive and linear when the relative phase difference is close to zero. Such a response characteristic can benefit future plasmonic systems by eliminating the need for phase prebiasing. The strong interactions between the surface plasmon polaritons inside the MIM structures are also utilized for realizing functionalities beyond modulation, such as on/off modulation contrast enhancement and all-plasmonic and logic operation.
INTERPOLATION AND UPDATE IN DYNAMIC DATA-DRIVEN APPLICATION SIMULATIONS

In this paper we discuss numerical techniques involved in dynamic data driven application simulations (DDDAS). We present an interpolation technique and update procedures. A multiscale interpolation technique is designed to map the sensor data into the solution space. In particular we show that frequent updating of the sensor data in the simulations can significantly improve the prediction results and thus important for applications. The frequency of sensor data updating in the simulations is related to streaming capabilities and addressed within DDDAS framework (Douglas et al., 2003). We discuss the update of permeability and initial data.
Quantitative carbon detector (QCD) for calibration-free, high-resolution characterization of complex mixtures

Current research of complex chemical systems, including biomass pyrolysis, petroleum refining, and wastewater remediation requires analysis of large analyte mixtures (>100 compounds). Quantification of each carbon-containing analyte by existing methods (flame ionization detection) requires extensive identification and calibration. In this work, we describe an integrated microreactor system called the Quantitative Carbon Detector (QCD) for use with current gas chromatography techniques for calibration-free quantitation of analyte mixtures. Combined heating, catalytic combustion, methanation and gas co-reactant mixing within a single modular reactor fully converts all analytes to methane (>99.9%) within a thermodynamic operable regime. Residence time distribution of the QCD reveals negligible loss in chromatographic resolution consistent with fine separation of complex mixtures including cellulose pyrolysis products.
A computational technology approach to education

As technology is increasingly used in most facets of the workplace, it is imperative that primary and secondary schools and colleges help create a workforce capable of turning technological advancements into societal benefits. Such a workforce should possess strong backgrounds in math, science, and technology, and its numbers should be sustainable. Educators should use technology as the catalyst to transform instruction into a learner-centered and inquiry-based education, one in which students construct knowledge through their own investigations
Sulfur Vulcanization of Natural Rubber for Benzothiazole Accelerated Formulations: From Reaction Mechanisms to a Rational Kinetic Model

Abstract The chemistry of accelerated sulfur vulcanization is reviewed and a fundamental kinetic model for the vulcanization process is developed. The vulcanization of natural rubber by the benzothiazolesulfenamide class of accelerators is studied, where 2-(morpholinothio) benzothiazole (MBS) has been chosen as the representative accelerator. The reaction mechanisms that have been proposed for the different steps in vulcanization chemistry are critically evaluated with the objective of developing a holistic description of the governing chemistry, where the mechanisms are consistent for all reaction steps in the vulcanization process. A fundamental kinetic model has been developed for accelerated sulfur vulcanization, using population balance methods that explicitly acknowledge the polysulfidic nature of the crosslinks and various reactive intermediates. The kinetic model can accurately describe the complete cure response including the scorch delay, curing and the reversion for a wide range of compositions...
Top-down Control by the Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta)

Abstract Top-down control by predaceous insects has rarely been demonstrated in terrestrial communities, but invasive species may be particularly suited to exert such control. The red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, has strong interactions with spiders, other ants and phytophageous insects, and we predicted that it would exert top-down control, cascading to plants in early successional plant communities. In forest gaps in South Carolina, we measured levels of folivory, growth and fecundity for five common herbaceous plant species in plots where ants were present vs. excluded (ant exclusion study) and in plots with varying abundance of fire ants and sympatric ants (ant substitution study). For all plant species in the ant exclusion study, folivory was greater when fire ant abundance was low (P < 0.01). Light levels, spider abundance and herbivore abundance were also related to folivory for some plant species in both studies (P < 0.01). Mean folivory over the growing season was low for all plant spec...
SU2: An Open-Source Suite for Multiphysics Simulation and Design

This paper presents the main objectives and a description of the SU2 suite, including the novel software architecture and open-source software engineering strategy. SU2 is a computational analysis and design package that has been developed to solve multiphysics analysis and optimization tasks using unstructured mesh topologies. Its unique architecture is well suited for extensibility to treat partial-differential-equation-based problems not initially envisioned. The common framework adopted enables the rapid implementation of new physics packages that can be tightly coupled to form a powerful ensemble of analysis tools to address complex problems facing many engineering communities. The framework is demonstrated on a number, solving both the flow and adjoint systems of equations to provide a high-fidelity predictive capability and sensitivity information that can be used for optimal shape design using a gradient-based framework, goal-oriented adaptive mesh refinement, or uncertainty quantification.
Randomized trial of the short-term effects of dieting compared with dieting plus aerobic exercise on lactation performance

Background: Limiting postpartum weight retention is important for preventing adult obesity, but the effect of weight loss on lactation has not been studied adequately. Objective: We evaluated whether weight loss by dieting, with or without aerobic exercise, adversely affects lactation performance. Design: At 12 ± 4 wk postpartum, exclusively breast-feeding women were randomly assigned for 11 d to a diet group (35% energy deficit; n = 22), a diet plus exercise group (35% net energy deficit; n = 22), or a control group (n = 23). Milk volume, composition, and energy output; maternal weight, body composition, and plasma prolactin concentration; and infant weight were measured before and after the intervention. Results: Weight loss averaged 1.9, 1.6, and 0.2 kg in the diet, diet + exercise, and control groups, respectively (P < 0.0001) and was composed of 67% fat in the diet group and nearly 100% fat in the diet + exercise group. Change in milk volume, composition, and energy output and infant weight did not differ significantly among groups. However, there was a significant interaction between group and baseline percentage body fat: in the diet group only, milk energy output increased in fatter women and decreased in leaner women. The plasma prolactin concentration was higher in the diet and diet + exercise groups than in the control group. Conclusions: Short-term weight loss (1 kg/wk) through a combination of dieting and aerobic exercise appears safe for breast-feeding mothers and is preferable to weight loss achieved primarily by dieting because the latter reduces maternal lean body mass. Longer-term studies are needed to confirm these findings.
The Friendly Skies: Mobility and International Conflict

Most empirical research linking globalization and conflict focuses on democracy and trade, but these are just two factors in a broad array of changes to the international system since World War II. Key among these are unprecedented shifts in the extent of interaction across borders, most notably in terms of mobility. Drawing on an original dataset of all international air traffic, I find that the United States resorts to force less often in high mobility relationships than it does in low mobility ones. I then generalize this finding by demonstrating a substantial negative relationship between international transit and multiple measures of interstate conflict between all states. These findings suggest a novel way of accounting for the underlying affinities and aversions between states in models of international conflict and the use of force. They also offer preliminary indications of a secondary mechanism that might contribute to the maintenance of the “liberal peace.”Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2106761
Motor Learning of Highly Chosen and Unchosen Teammates

(1950). Motor Learning of Highly Chosen and Unchosen Teammates. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 126-131.
STANDARDIZATION AND IMPROVEMENT IN PEDIATRIC CELIAC CARE

Background Literature describing practitioner adherence with guidelines for follow up care in patients diagnosed with celiac disease (CD) is limited. NASPGHAN CD guidelines recommend all newly diagnosed patients have repeat serology testing 6 months after diagnosis. Adherence with these recommendations has not been previously described. Objectives To review institutional adherence with national guidelines for patients newly diagnosed with celiac disease. We aimed to increase the percentage of patients having repeat serology testing within 9 months of diagnosis from a baseline of 54% to 90% by December 2015. Methods Key drivers to improvement included the creation of a reliable, tracking registry and the implementation of a local standard of care. The celiac QI team outlined these divisional expectations through practitioner educational sessions and reporting of practitioner adherence with national guidelines. Improved utilization of administrative staff systematically identified cohorts of patients in need of follow up visits and testing. Results Baseline data showed the percentage with repeat testing within 9 months of diagnosis was 54.8% (Q4 2009–Q4 2012). Standardizing care and tracking outcomes increased this percentage to 72.8% (Q1 2013–Q2 2015)-p=0.000. The percentage of patients with a follow up clinic visit within 9 months of diagnosis has increased from a baseline percentage of 82.2% (Q4 2012–Q4 2013) to our current percentage of 96.6% (Q1 2014–Q2 2015)-p=0.000. Conclusions Targeted communication with practitioners and families after development of a CD patient registry at our institution allowed structured data capture and significantly improved institutional adherence with national guidelines[⇓][1][⇓][2]. ![Figure 1][3] Figure 1 Percentage of patients with serology testing within 9 months of diagnosis. ![Figure 2][3] Figure 2 Percentage of patients with a follow-up GI visit within 9 months of diagnosis. [1]: #F1 [2]: #F2 [3]: pending:yes
Combinatorial phenotypic screen uncovers unrecognized family of extended thiourea inhibitors with copper-dependent anti-staphylococcal activity

The continuous rise of multi-drug resistant pathogenic bacteria has become a significant challenge for the health care system. In particular, novel drugs to treat infections of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains (MRSA) are needed, but traditional drug discovery campaigns have largely failed to deliver clinically suitable antibiotics. More than simply new drugs, new drug discovery approaches are needed to combat bacterial resistance. The recently described phenomenon of copper-dependent inhibitors has galvanized research exploring the use of metal-coordinating molecules to harness copper's natural antibacterial properties for therapeutic purposes. Here, we describe the results of the first concerted screening effort to identify copper-dependent inhibitors of Staphylococcus aureus. A standard library of 10 000 compounds was assayed for anti-staphylococcal activity, with hits defined as those compounds with a strict copper-dependent inhibitory activity. A total of 53 copper-dependent hit molecules were uncovered, similar to the copper independent hit rate of a traditionally executed campaign conducted in parallel on the same library. Most prominent was a hit family with an extended thiourea core structure, termed the NNSN motif. This motif resulted in copper-dependent and copper-specific S. aureus inhibition, while simultaneously being well tolerated by eukaryotic cells. Importantly, we could demonstrate that copper binding by the NNSN motif is highly unusual and likely responsible for the promising biological qualities of these compounds. A subsequent chemoinformatic meta-analysis of the ChEMBL chemical database confirmed the NNSNs as an unrecognized staphylococcal inhibitor, despite the family's presence in many chemical screening libraries. Thus, our copper-biased screen has proven able to discover inhibitors within previously screened libraries, offering a mechanism to reinvigorate exhausted molecular collections.
Origin of the Bismuth-Induced Decohesion of Nickel and Copper Grain Boundaries

Ductile metals such as Ni and Cu can become brittle when certain impurities (e.g., Bi) diffuse and segregate into their grain boundaries (GBs). Using first-principles calculations, we investigate the microscopic origin of the Bi-induced loss of cohesion of Ni and Cu GBs. We find that the Bi bilayer interfacial phase is the most stable impurity phase under the Bi-rich condition, while the Bi monolayer phase is a metastable phase regardless of the value of the Bi chemical potential. Our finding is consistent with the recent experimental observation for Ni GBs [Luo et al. Science 333, 1730 (2011)]. The electric polarization effect of the Bi bilayer substantially enhances the strength of the Bi-metal interfacial bonds, stabilizing the bilayer phase over other phases. The Bi-Bi interlayer bonding is significantly weakened in the GBs, leading to a factor of 20 to 50 decrease in the GB cohesion, which has strong implications for the understanding of Bi-induced intergranular fracture of Ni and Cu polycrystals.
Evaluation of an automated differential leukocyte counting system. II. Normal cell identification.

An automated “system” of leukocyte differential counting consisting of an electronic screening instrument, Hematrak, and an operator technologist was evaluated to determine its ability to identify normal cells. The system’s identification of normal cells on 454 blood smear slides compared favorably with that of the standard manual method, although there appeared to be a statistical difference of approximately 2% between the instrument and laboratory identification of lymphocytes and monocytes; this would not be considered clinically significant. The instrument alone identified 96.5% of 38,300 cells examined on 383 of these slides, while the operator then identified 3.5%, some of which were abnormal cells.
Peptide-Based Supramolecular Semiconductor Nanomaterials via Pd-Catalyzed Solid-Phase “Dimerizations”

We report a streamlined method for the synthesis of peptides embedded with complex and easily variable π-conjugated oligomeric subunits from commercially available precursors. These modified peptides self-assemble under aqueous conditions to form one-dimensional nanomaterials containing networks of π-stacked conduits, despite the inclusion of π-conjugated oligomers with quadrupoles extended over larger areas. The procedure has circumvented solubility and other synthetic issues to allow for the facile formation of a diverse library of bioelectronic nanomaterials, including a complex sexithiophene-containing peptide whose nanostructures display gate-induced conductivity within field effect transistors.
The configuration of distribution automation system and implementation techniques

Based on research on distribution automation(DA)which is thought as one of front electric power network techniques,some important problems ,such as configuration of DA system,implementation techniques,and actualization for engineering are discussed in this paper.These are very valuable to build an advanced,reliable,economic,and practiced distribution network.