cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Numerical studies concerning the efficiency of various techniques in time-independent surface hopping calculations

A two-state model problem with avoided crossing points is studied to test the efficiency of semiclassical surface hopping procedures. A modified sampling method is introduced which evaluates the contributions from every branch of the surface hopping trajectories in regions where surface hopping occurs mostly and employs a Monte Carlo procedure to choose whether to hop or not hop in regions of less interest. This method is shown to give smaller sampling errors than using a Monte Carlo procedure alone and provides transition probabilities that are in very good agreement with the exact quantum results. As a result of this improved branch method, the computational effort needed in the semiclassical calculations can be reduced to about one tenth of that needed for a Monte Carlo calculation with a similar size sampling error. Although tested on a one-dimensional system, this procedure shows the promise of application in multi-dimensional systems.
“Idea hamsters” on the “bleeding edge”: profane metaphors in high technology jargon

Abstract Neo-Durkheimian studies of the culture of high technology have looked for, and found, evidence of technological products being portrayed as sacred, as pure and elevated above mundane human concerns. This tradition of cultural analysis of technology has followed Durkheim's lead (Durkheim, Emile 1965 [1915]. The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life. Free Press, New York) in emphasizing the sacred while eliding its opposite, the profane. In this paper I contend that symbols of the profane continue to be powerful cultural elements that animate and order modern discourses and moral worlds, and that scholarly understanding of the culture of high technology can be enriched through analysis of profane symbols. I demonstrate this through metaphoric content analysis of the jargon of American high technology industry from the 1960s through the late 1990s, and show that (1) profane metaphors are widespread in high technology jargon as compared to the jargons of other occupations; (2) profane metaphors in high tech jargon have increased over the last three decades with the growth of high tech industry; and (3) these profane metaphors are thematically ordered, such that they tend to signify threats to technological progress, while technology itself is signified through morally benign metaphors. I argue that these metaphors have proliferated in high technology industry, and much less so in other occupations, because they buttress a moral worldview that makes technological innovations meaningful to their creators. For cultural analysis, these findings point to the value of examining metaphors sociologically, and of examining the social use of profane symbols in modern discourses in which the experience of the sacred is ambiguous or individualized.
A Note Comparing Historical Sea Surface Temperature Observations at Ocean Station P

Abstract Two series of sea surface temperature observations reported for Station P (50°N, 145°W) during the period 1952–65 are compared. One series consists of either engine intake or surface bucket temperature measurements (TS) and the other consists of surface bathythermograph temperatures (TB). Estimates of the monthly mean sea surface temperature from these two series differ by up to 1.04°C. The difference (Ts−TS) is time dependent, changing from positive during 1952–53 to negative in 1954–56. Only since 1956 have the annual mean differences been less than the accepted accuracy of the measurements (±0.2°C). The minimum difference occurs in summer with the maximum in winter. There are occasional significant effects on the annual mean difference due to the type of ship operations, that is, whether hydrographic observations are carried out.
Intercollegiate collaboration: Reggio Emilia evokes conversations across disciplines

Abstract The purpose of this manuscript is to report both the process and outcomes of intercollegiate collaboration among university teacher educators. Having studied in Reggio Emilia, Italy, three new partners from biology, early childhood education, and art came together for the purpose of designing a more integrated preservice teacher education curriculum.
TEACHER PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL DECISION MAKING: A FRAMEWORK FOR RESEARCH

There is no strong empirical confirmation for theoretical claims that high levels of teacher participation in school decision making would improve schools. This inconsistency between theory and observation impedes the formation of well‐justified policies concerning the role of teachers in school governance. In order to resolve this inconsistency, researchers will require a common framework for their efforts. The framework presented in this essay includes an analysis of the concept of “teacher participation in school decision making” a set of empirically‐based hypotheses concerning the current scope and extent of teacher participation, and an outline of a program of research which has the potential to provide information for policy develoment.
Heat‐transfer calculations in crystalline plastics

The problems of unsteady-state heat transfer associated with the melting and cooling of crystalline plastics such as polyacetals, high density polyethylene and polypropylene, are complex because of the latent heat of fusion that must be dealt with in problems where the temperature range being considered extends across the melting range. In the case of polyacetals, the use of a computer is shown in the literature to provide solutions to those problems. For many molding shops, such aids are not available. Numerical methods for the solution of such problems have been investigated, and their results are compared with those obtained using a computer and published for polyacetals. Cooling curves derived from numerical calculations, for slabs and rods made from high density polyethylene and polypropylene, are presented. Applications of the method are indicated.
Multivariate chemometrical classification and assessment of Lake Tuendae: A Mojave desert aquatic environment housing the endangered Mojave Tui Chub

Abstract Lake Tuendae is a shallow, alkaline, artificially constructed Mojave Desert aquatic environment housing the endangered Mojave Tui Chub ( Gila bicolar mohavensis ). Detailed physiological response studies have been reported on the Mojave Tui Chub but few on the physico-chemical state of Lake Tuendae, one of four key Mojave Desert habitats for this species. Two sampling campaigns (spring 2004 and 2005) were conducted with correlation analysis, cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) of physico-chemical water column and surface sediment quality parameters performed. CA proved useful in displaying parameter similarity for initial interpretation. PCA proved to be a more reliable display model and permitted the reduction of 14 parameters for the water column to four principal components accounting for 71% of the total variability. For surface sediments, four principal components accounted for 81% of the total variability. This work highlights the successful use of chemometric multivariate techniques in helping elucidate the physico-chemical make-up of shallow desert aquatic environments, and instructive for investigators assessing the health of aquatic species in such habitats.
Food fads and psychological health.

Meehl (1972) implied that people with food fads might be more likely to be psychiatrically disturbed than those without such fads. To test this, 57 subjects in two psychology courses were administered anonymously the Eysenck and Eysenck (1968) measure of psychoticism, extraversion, and neuroticism, and a questionnaire on food choices, with questions on avoidance of meat and other foods, the taking of vitamins, and the eating of special foods. Subjects had a mean age of 25.4 yr. ( S D = 9.1); 20 were male and 37 female. Their mean psychoticism score was 1.5 (SD = l .6), and their mean ncuroticism score was 7.6 (SD = 3.8). Over all subjects, the avoidance of meat was not associated with psychoticism or neuroticism scores (point biserial r = 0.09 and 0.15, respectively, df = 5 5 ) , nor was avoiding other foods ( r = 0.13 and 0.12), taking vitamins ( r = -0.03 and -0.01), or eating special foods ( r = 0.12 and 0.14). Analyzing the data separately for males and females produced similarly negative results. This study then provided no support for the notion that people with food fads have an increased likelihood of psychiatric disturbance. The present study was, of course, carried out on a normal population. The results might be different if the sample had included more seriously disturbed individuals.
On the role of tetramethylammonium cation and effects of solvent dynamics on the stability of the cage-like silicates Si6O156- and Si8O208- in aqueous solution. A molecular dynamics study.

We have undertaken explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the preferential stabilization of the silicate octamer Si8O208- over the hexamer Si6O156- in relation with the ability of tetramethylammonium (TMA) to form an adsorption layer around these cage-like polyions. We have found that the hexamer cannot support such a layer and as a result is vulnerable to hydrolysis. The dynamics of TMA desorption off the surface of the hexamer is investigated in connection with the solvent dynamics. We have studied the energetics of this preferential stabilization by calculating the relative change in the free energies of formation between the complexes Si8O208-·8TMA and Si6O156-·6TMA and found the former to be more stable by 70 kcal/mol. We also find that the energetics are consistent with experimental data, suggesting that the hexamer is a long-lived metastable species. Furthermore, we have studied the solvent structure and dynamics in the vicinity of both the bare polyions and their complexes ...
Effects of buprenorphine and an alternative nondrug reinforcer, alone and in combination on smoked cocaine self-administration in monkeys

Abstract The abuse of smoked cocaine base, also known as ‘crack’, continues to be a major public health problem and to date the success of pharmacological or behavioral interventions has been limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a behavioral (alternative reinforcer-saccharin) and pharmacological (0.01 mg/kg buprenorphine) treatment alone and in combination. Five adult male rhesus monkeys self-administered cocaine base (1.0 mg/kg/delivery) via the smoking/inhalation route. Each day ten smoke deliveries were available contingent upon completion of a chained FR (lever press), FR (inhalation response) response schedule during 4 hr sessions. The data were analyzed using a behavioral economic framework in which the lever press response requirements were varied from 64 to 1024 to generate a demand function (consumption X FR) for cocaine under the following conditions: (1) buprenorphine pretreatment alone (0.01 mg/kg, i.m., 30 min presession); (2) concurrent access to saccharin alone (0.03% wt/vol); and (3) buprenorphine pretreatment in the presence of concurrent access to saccharin. Under all conditions, increases in the lever FR resulted in significant decreases in smoked cocaine base deliveries. Neither buprenorphine pretreatment alone nor concurrent saccharin alone produced significant decreases in smoked cocaine deliveries; however, the combination of buprenorphine pretreatment and concurrent saccharin significantly decreased the mean number of smoked cocaine deliveries from the no treatment baseline and from the buprenorphine alone condition. These data suggest that the combination of pharmacotherapy and alternative reinforcers may be an effective treatment strategy to alter smoked cocaine self-administration.
Female labor force participation and suicide

To test the role conflict and role enhancement hypotheses, this paper examines the link between female labor force participation and suicide. Using a special tabulation of age/sex-specific suicide data for metropolitan areas in the United States, we estimate separate multivariate regression models for women and men in 1970 and 1980. Our findings show that in 1970 the level of female labor force participation among married women with small children is not related to the female suicide rate but is related to the male suicide rate in a positive direction. By 1980 the relationship between female labor force participation and the male and female suicide rate is negative, suggesting that the well-being of both men and women is enhanced by role accumulation among women.
Bilateral enucleation alters gene expression and intraneocortical connections in the mouse.

Background Anatomically and functionally distinct sensory and motor neocortical areas form during mammalian development through a process called arealization. This process is believed to be reliant on both activity-dependent and activity-independent mechanisms. Although both mechanisms are thought to function concurrently during arealization, the nature of their interaction is not understood. To examine the potential interplay of extrinsic activity-dependent mechanisms, such as sensory input, and intrinsic activity-independent mechanisms, including gene expression in mouse neocortical development, we performed bilateral enucleations in newborn mice and conducted anatomical and molecular analyses 10 days later. In this study, by surgically removing the eyes of the newborn mouse, we examined whether early enucleation would impact normal gene expression and the development of basic anatomical features such as intraneocortical connections and cortical area boundaries in the first 10 days of life, before natural eye opening. We examined the acute effects of bilateral enucleation on the lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus and the neocortical somatosensory-visual area boundary through detailed analyses of intraneocortical connections and gene expression of six developmentally regulated genes at postnatal day 10.
Severe asthma: What makes it so hard to manage?

Severe asthma presents significant management challenges. Patients can be difficult to control despite use of current standard-of-care therapy, including inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β-agonists. Alternative diagnoses, noncompliance, and comorbidities all can influence asthma control, future risk, and response to currently available therapy. Definitions of severe asthma evaluate and address these confounding variables, and yet patients are still symptomatic despite aggressive, appropriate therapy. Severe asthma has a distinct pathophysiology including airway remodeling that contributes to the decreased effectiveness of standard therapy. Multiple phenotypes exist within severe asthma that likely require distinct therapeutic approaches to achieve control and improve long-term health outcomes. New therapeutic approaches to these distinct phenotypes will improve our understanding and treatment of this difficult-to-manage disease.
Perioperative neuroprotective strategies.

Long-term neurodevelopmental impairment is common in newborns and infants undergoing corrective or palliative congenital heart surgery. The etiologies of neurodevelopmental morbidity in these children are multifactorial and include prenatal, preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors. Perioperative neurologic monitoring is thought to be integral to prevention or rescue from adverse neurologic events. Recent advances in perfusion techniques for congenital heart surgery now ensure adequate cerebral O2 delivery during all phases of cardiopulmonary bypass. Periventricular leukomalacia and other serious neurologic injury can be minimized by an optimized perfusion strategy of continuous high-flow, high hematocrit cardiopulmonary bypass, minimal use of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, antegrade cerebral perfusion during aortic arch reconstruction, pH-stat blood gas strategy, and cerebral monitoring with NIRS and trans-cranial Doppler. Because there is evidence that brain injury can also occur in the prenatal, preoperative, and postoperative periods, improved strategies to prevent injury in these arenas are much needed. Extensive further clinical investigation is warranted to identify neuroprotective management strategies for the operating room and intensive care unit to preserve neurologic function and optimize long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with congenital heart disease.
Chordoid meningioma: a clinicopathologic study of 11 cases at a single institution

Chordoid meningioma is an uncommon variant of meningioma, which histologically bears a great resemblance to chordoma and often follows an aggressive clinical course. We examine clinicopathologic features of 11 cases of this rare tumor to further elucidate its behavior. Thirteen specimens of chordoid meningioma belonging to 11 patients were obtained at a single institution from 1995 to 2009. Correlations of histologic parameters, immunohistochemical study, and clinical features were assessed. This series included six men and five women with a mean age of 60.8 years at first surgery. Aside from one patient (case 5) who died of disease immediately after the first operation, the mean postoperative follow-up period for the other 10 patients was 41.4 months. Two patients each had a local tumor recurrence. The mean time to recurrence was 10.4 years. No systemic manifestations of Castleman syndrome, such as iron-refractory hypochromic/microcytic anemia and dysgammaglobulinemia, were found. Six tumors (46%) were classified as benign (grade I) and seven tumors (54%) atypical (grade II), if based solely on histologic grading irrespective of chordoid or clear cell components in our cases. Lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate was moderate in one tumor (7%), mild in eight tumors (62%), and absent in four tumors (31%). The inflammatory cells were predominantly T cells (CD3+), with only scarce B cells (CD20+). There was a wide range of MIB-1 labeling indices (0.3-25.8%, mean 7.5%), which increased following tumor recurrence. Our study demonstrates that chordoid meningiomas are not always associated with Castleman's Syndrome, and that this histologic category can be seen in the elderly as opposed to only in younger age groups.
Discourses of primary mental healthcare teams on addressing gender violence within the context of relationships

Violence against women within relationships is a problem which is in the public eye and is mainly associated with the gender factor. It is therefore crucial to incorporate a gender perspective in order to understand and intervene in this phenomenon. A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews and applying content analysis, to analyze if the declared discourse of the Primary Mental Healthcare teams in Valparaiso (physicians, psychologists, social workers), regarding tackling violence against women within the context of a relationship includes perceptions, knowledge and ideas based on the gender perspective. There is a general consensus on how to deal with battered women, as for all of them it is very important to create an empathic, therapeutic space of containment. Multidisciplinary and intersectoral work is considered important in the work discussions and the risk of repeat victimization was mentioned. In general, there was no intention to empower women from a gender perspective, with the exception of some psychologists (males and females). This work could lead to a critical evaluation of the various discourses of Primary Mental Healthcare Teams in addressing gender-based violence.
Structural biology: proteins downhill all the way.

The hundreds of hydrogen atoms in a protein can be used as reporters to describe how the protein folds into and out of shape. The results challenge the dogma that this is always an all-or-nothing process.
Protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase. Resonance Raman studies of the oxygenated intermediate.

Abstract Resonance Raman spectra of protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa have been investigated during the reaction of the enzyme with substrate and oxygen. It is found that the spectrum of the turned-over enzyme is indistinguishable from that of the resting enzyme in the absence of substrate, and is characterized by resonance-enhanced tyrosinate ring vibrational modes at 1263 and 1174 cm−1. In the ternary ESO2 complex, however, the tyrosinate vibrational modes are shifted to 1252 and 1165 cm−1, respectively. There is no evidence for any dioxygen vibrations in the spectra of ESO2 complexes prepared with 16O2, 18O2, and 16O18O in the region between 1300 and 200 cm−1. The results of this resonance Raman study are interpreted to indicate that molecular oxygen is attached only to the substrate (but not iron) in the stable intermediate, and that the concomitant rearrangement at C4 of the substrate induces a substantial change in geometry of the tyrosine residues associated with the iron complex. Furthermore, the optical spectrum of the ESO2 complex (λmax = 520 nm) is dominated by tyrosinate → Fe(III) charge transfer and contains little or no peroxide → Fe(III) charge transfer. These results invalidate the previously advanced analogy in spectral properties between this enzyme and the respiratory protein, oxyhemerythrin.
Reaction Kinetics and Mechanism for the Gas- and Liquid-Phase Esterification of Acetic Acid with Methanol on Tungstated Zirconia

A comprehensive kinetic investigation of the esterification of acetic acid with methanol in both the liquid phase (21−60 °C) and the gas phase (100−140 °C) was carried out using tungstated zirconia (WZ) as the catalyst. The goal of this study was to derive rate law expressions and to propose a reaction mechanism that would support reaction rate data for esterification on WZ. Upon increasing the concentration of acetic acid, an increase in the rate of esterification was obtained at all reaction temperatures. In contrast, the reaction order with respect to methanol evolved from positive to negative as the reaction temperature increased. Using a model discrimination procedure, we found that a single-site (Eley−Rideal) mechanism with the adsorbed carboxylic acid reacting with the methanol from the gas/liquid phase successfully describes these reactions. One important conclusion of this study was that, even though there were significant differences in the power law exponents for gas- and liquid-phase esterific...
Towards an intelligent system for failure effects analysis

Abstract The effectiveness of a firm's design processes is dependent upon the validity of its design theories. The designs of products, processes and procedures embody implicit or explicit theories about the nature of real world processes which shape their performance. The performance of a firm's value creating systems will meet expectations only to the extent that the theories embodied in its designs are comprehensive and valid. Design theories can be evaluated and refined through “knowledge refinement cycles”. Knowledge which is relevant to the evaluation of design theories may be resident in the expertise, experience, databases and formal models of the firm's organizational units. Systems can be designed that focus the application of this knowledge and reduce the costs of access. By refining design theories, the firm can reduce the number of latent flaws in its designs. Failure effects analysis (FEA) techniques can be applied to support the refinement of the firm's design theories. FEA techniques focus the attention of a designer on the identification of specified classes of latent contingencies in a design. The firm's ability to define specific goals for FEA and to use the results of FEA analyses as measures of design quality enhances managerial control of the design process. In addition, a system for FEA is a common language which supports the integration of organizational knowledge in the evaluation of design alternatives. The power of a system for failure effects analysis can increased through the design of intelligent systems which amplify its strengths and compensate for its weaknesses.
Intercropping Legumes in Hard Red Spring Wheat under Semi-Arid Conditions

Research has shown that intercropping legumes with grain crops can provide a green manure crop without the loss of a cropping year. The objective of this research was to determine whether legumes could be intercropped with hard red spring wheat (HRSW, Triticum aestivum L. emend Thell.) in a semi-arid cropping system. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. 'Vernal'), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth, local ecotype), and red clover (Trifolium pratense L., 'Marathon') were intercropped in the HRSW cultivar 'Hamer' at three locations in northwest and west central Minnesota in 1999 and 2000. Intercropping hairy vetch into HRSW reduced grain yield and test weight, but had no effect on grain protein. Hairy vetch was not suitable for intercropping with HRSW, as it grew too tall when the spring wheat crop matured, hindering grain harvest. Intercropping alfalfa or red clover did not affect wheat yields compared to wheat monoculture and neither of the two legume species impeded grain harvest. Thus alfalfa and red clover are more suitable to intercrop with HRSW than hairy vetch. All three legumes evaluated in this experiment grew after the HRSW was harvested and provided a green manure crop at the end of the season when soil moisture in the later part of the summer was not limiting.
Oxoiron(IV) in chloroperoxidase compound II is basic: implications for P450 chemistry.

With the use of x-ray absorption spectroscopy, we have found that the Fe-O bond in chloroperoxidase compound II (CPO-II) is much longer than expected for an oxoiron(IV) (ferryl) unit; notably, the experimentally determined bond length of 1.82(1) A accords closely with density functional calculations on a protonated ferryl (Fe^(IV)-OH, 1.81 A). The basicity of the CPO-II ferryl [pK_a > 8.2 (where K_a is the acid dissociation constant)] is attributable to strong electron donation by the axial thiolate. We suggest that the CPO-II protonated ferryl is a good model for the rebound intermediate in the P450 oxygenation cycle; with elevated pK_a values after one-electron reduction, thiolate-ligated ferryl radicals are competent to oxygenate saturated hydrocarbons at potentials that can be tolerated by folded polypeptide hosts.
Automatic registration of MR and SPECT images for treatment planning in prostate cancer.

Abstract Rationale and Objectives To aid in surgical and radiation therapy planning for prostate adenocarcinoma, a general-purpose automatic registration method that is based on mutual information was used to align magnetic resonance (MR) images and single photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) images of the pelvis and prostate. Materials and Methods The authors assessed the effects of various factors on alignment between pairs of MR and SPECT images, including the use of particular pulse sequences in MR imaging, image voxel intensity scaling, the use of different regions on the MR-SPECT histogram, spatial masking of nonoverlapping visual data between images, and multiresolution optimization. A mutual information algorithm was used as the cost function for automatic registration. Automatic registration was deemed acceptable when it resulted in a transformation with less than 2 voxel units (6 mm) difference in translation and less than 2° difference in rotation from that obtained with manual registration performed independently by nuclear medicine radiologists. Results Paired sets of MR and SPECT image volumes from four of five patients were successfully registered. For successful registration, MR images must be optimal and registration must be performed at full spatial resolution and at the full intensity range. Masking, cropping, and the normalization of mutual information, used to register partially overlapping MR-SPECT volumes, were not successful. Multiresolution optimization had little effect on the accuracy and speed of the registration. Conclusion Automatic registration between MR and SPECT images of the pelvis can be achieved when data acquisition and image processing are performed properly. It should prove useful for prostate cancer diagnosis, staging, and treatment planning.
Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis: A Case Report with Review of Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is an often under-diagnosed, life-threatening condition. We report the case of a 17-year-old female who presented with an acute, severe, on-going, headache. The initial head CT was negative. While the patient’s headache initially responded to pain medication and inpatient treatment, the patient subsequently developed left-sided neurological deficits. Subsequent imaging showed thrombosis in the superior sagittal sinus. The patient was treated with Lovenox, as well as thrombolysis using TPA, ballooning and mechanical removal, and soon after her neurological deficits resolved and her headache severity had significantly decreased. The aim of this case report is to provide an example of how early suspicion of CVST, even with initial negative imaging, is critical, as any delay in diagnosis and treatment can cause increased morbidity and mortality
Repository choice: an exploration of accessibility, satisfaction and usefulness

The article explores factors that may explain choices between the library and the Internet. The hypothesis that repository satisfaction, accessibility, and usefulness predict actual choice was tested using data from a competitive information acquisition task. It was found that repository choice was a function of library satisfaction and usefulness, but not library accessibility nor Internet accessibility, satisfaction, and usefulness. The findings suggest that these common predictors of use were inadequate. Research and practical implications are discussed.
Surface-sulfonated polystyrene microspheres improve crack resistance of carbon microfiber-reinforced Portland cement mortar

The formation of microcracks is a major concern for the integrity and durability of concrete and other cementitious composites, since such microcracks cannot be easily controlled and detected within the matrix of composite. This work explored the possibility of using surface-sulfonated polystyrene microspheres (SPSM) featuring an average diameter of 0.7 ± 0.5 μm to improve the crack resistance of carbon microfiber-reinforced mortar. The compressive strength and EIS data demonstrated that the incorporation of SPSM at 0.15% by weight of cement led to a denser and more refined microstructure of the cement mortar composite, likely attributable to the active interactions between SPSM and cement hydration products as well as carbon microfibers. The crack resistance of these cement-based composites was evaluated using a non-destructive test under uniaxial compression loading along with a fatigue test under uniaxial compression cyclic loading. The data, in the form of critical stress, specific crack area, and fatigue strain, revealed that even at a small dosage the incorporation of SPSM to carbon microfiber-reinforced mortar retarded the initiation of unrecoverable microcracks and slowed down the propagation of microcracks under uniaxial compression loading, and improved the crack resistance and toughness of the specimens under fatigue loading.
Authenticity In Learning: Multimedia Design Projects In The Social Studies For Students With Disabilities

Proponents of educational reform highlight the importance of creating instructional environments that encourage students' active involvement in the learning process. To be so involved, students with and without disabilities must construct knowledge, evaluate the products of their work, and engage in the design of solutions to authentic problems. We believe that these goals are especially important for students with disabilities, many of whom are passive learners who experience difficulty with the flexible use of knowledge and skills. Our analysis of the research evidence leads us to conclude that students' thinking skills and attitudes are enhanced when they collaborate in the solution of authentic problems. We view the social skills curriculum as a rich source of authentic problems that affords opportunities to promote thinking by enabling argument about controversial issues. Further, we contend that educational multimedia are potentially powerful tools for constructing knowledge, especially when used in collaborative project-based instructional environments, or multimedia design projects. We review evidence about the efficacy of multimedia design projects in promoting students' construction of knowledge, thinking, and problem solving, and discuss some potential challenges to the efficacy of this approach.
Risk of Subsequent Malignant Neoplasms in Long-Term Hereditary Retinoblastoma Survivors After Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy

Purpose Hereditary retinoblastoma (Rb) survivors have increased risk of subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMNs). Previous studies reported elevated radiotherapy (RT) -related SMN risks, but less is known about chemotherapy-related risks. Patients and Methods In a long-term follow-up study of 906 5-year hereditary Rb survivors diagnosed from 1914 to 1996 and observed through 2009, treatment-related SMN risks were quantified using cumulative incidence analyses and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models with age as the underlying time scale. Results Nearly 90% of Rb survivors were treated with RT, and almost 40% received alkylating agent (AA) –containing chemotherapy (predominantly triethylenemelamine). Median follow-up time to first SMN diagnosis was 26.3 years. Overall SMN risk was not significantly elevated among survivors receiving AA plus RT versus RT without chemotherapy (hazard ratio [HR], 1.27; 95% CI, 0.99 to 1.63). AA-related risks were significantly increased for subsequent bone tu...
Two-photon calcium imaging during fictive navigation in virtual environments.

A full understanding of nervous system function requires recording from large populations of neurons during naturalistic behaviors. Here we enable paralyzed larval zebrafish to fictively navigate two-dimensional virtual environments while we record optically from many neurons with two-photon imaging. Electrical recordings from motor nerves in the tail are decoded into intended forward swims and turns, which are used to update a virtual environment displayed underneath the fish. Several behavioral features - such as turning responses to whole-field motion and dark avoidance - are well-replicated in this virtual setting. We readily observed neuronal populations in the hindbrain with laterally selective responses that correlated with right or left optomotor behavior. We also observed neurons in the habenula, pallium, and midbrain with response properties specific to environmental features. Beyond single-cell correlations, the classification of network activity in such virtual settings promises to reveal principles of brainwide neural dynamics during behavior.
A Comparison of Job Satisfaction Among Nursing Assistants in Nursing Homes and the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)

Three hundred forty-nine full-time nursing assistants (NAs) in 5 PACE programs and their neighboring nursing homes were surveyed to assess job satisfaction. There were no significant differences between NAs in the two models of care with respect to demographics, job description, or importance placed on job elements. Job satisfaction, however, was higher among the PACE NAs. PACE NAs reported a significantly higher prevalence of the chance to form close relationships with patients, variety, respect for suggestions by people who make decisions about patient care, the chance to use one's own judgment, the chance to discuss patients with other team members, and respect for choices in assignment type.
End-of-life management of cell phones in the United States

Cell phones are a unique niche in the electronic waste stream not only because of their high rate of replacement by consumers, but also because they have viable reuse and recycling markets. The main objective of this research is to recommend end-of-life (EoL) management schemes for cell phones in the United States. The research focused on the EoL markets for cell phones, and examined the different economic and environmental outcomes of various management schemes. The authors considered three options: reuse of phones, reuse of parts, and recycling of materials.
Brink, Kagan, Utilitarianism and Self-Sacrifice

Act-utilitarianism claims that one is required to do nothing less than what makes (or can reasonably be expected to make) the largest contribution to overall utility. Critics of this moral theory commonly charge that it is unreasonably demanding. Shelly Kagan and David Brink, however, have recently defended act-utilitarianism against this charge. Kagan argues that act-utilitarianism is right, and its critics wrong, about how demanding morality is. In contrast, Brink argues that, once we have the correct objective account of welfare and once we accept that act-utilitarianism is a criterion of moral rightness, not necessarily a good method for everyday moral thought, act-utilitarianism is not as demanding as its critics claim. I shall argue that Brink's arguments for thinking act-utilitarianism is not so demanding fail. I shall then argue against Kagan that, in comparison with act-utilitarianism, rule-utilitarianism is considerably less demanding and more plausible.
Skin colorimetry in belize. I. Conversion formulae

Comparisons between skin colorimetry reports have been hampered by the common use of two different types of portable reflectometers, which sample reflectances at different wavelengths. In an attempt to provide direct comparability between the two machines, multiple linear regression equations were derived from reflectance spectrophotometry readings on 308 Black Caribs and 175 Creoles in Belize, Central America, using both machines. Cross validation tests show the coefficients presented are applicable to independent data sets and generally applicable to other heavily pigmented populations. Comparisons with previously published conversion formulae, which were from very small samples using simple linear regression, show a definite improvement in predictive accuracy when using multiple regression equations based on a large sample.
Zur Kenntnis N‐methylsubstituierter Silazane. I. Über Nonamethylcyclotrisilazan und einige seiner Derivate

N,N′-Bis-methylamino-pentamethyldisilazan bildet mit Butyllithium leicht ein N,N′-Dilithiumderivat, welches mit Verbindungen vom Typ R2SiCl2 unter Bildung von Cyclotrisilazanderivaten reagiert. Aus dem mit SiCl4 entstehenden Si, Si-Dichlorheptamethylcyclotrisilazan wurde durch Einwirkung von Phenyllithium die entsprechende Phenyl-chlor- und Diphenylverbindung erhalten. Ferner wird die Darstellung eines Sechsring-Silazans mit Si — CH2 — Si-Gruppierung im Ring beschrieben. IR- und NMR-Spektren der dargestellten Verbindungen werden besprochen. N,N′-Bis-methylamino-pentamethyldisilazane reacts easily with butyl lithium under formation of its di-lithium derivative. With R2SiCl2 the latter one gives cyclo-trisilazanes. Si, Si-dichloro-heptamethylcyclotrisilazane which is obtained from the reaction with SiCl4 yields the corresponding phenyl-chloro and di-phenyl compound when treated with phenyl lithium. In addition the synthesis of a silazane having a six-membered ring structure comprizing a Si—CH2—Si grouping is described. IR and NMR spectra of the new compounds are discussed.
Versatile Role for hnRNP D Isoforms in the Differential Regulation of Cytoplasmic mRNA Turnover

An important emerging theme is that heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) not only function in the nucleus but also control the fates of mRNAs in the cytoplasm. Here, we show that hnRNP D plays a versatile role in cytoplasmic mRNA turnover by functioning as a negative regulator in an isoform-specific and cell-type-dependent manner. We found that hnRNP D discriminates among the three classes of AU-rich elements (AREs), most effectively blocking rapid decay directed by class II AREs found in mRNAs encoding cytokines. Our experiments identified the overlapping AUUUA motifs, one critical characteristic of class II AREs, to be the key feature recognized in vivo by hnRNP D for its negative effect on ARE-mediated mRNA decay. The four hnRNP D isoforms, while differing in their ability to block decay of ARE-containing mRNAs, all potently inhibited mRNA decay directed by another mRNA cis element that shares no sequence similarity with AREs, the purine-rich c-fos protein-coding region determinant of instability. Further experiments indicated that different mechanisms underlie the inhibitory effect of hnRNP D on the two distinct mRNA decay pathways. Our study identifies a potential mechanism by which cytoplasmic mRNA turnover can be differentially and selectively regulated by hnRNP D isoforms in mammalian cells. Our results support the notion that hnRNP D serves as a key factor broadly involved in general mRNA decay.
Prolactin Receptors in Luteinized Rat Ovaries: Unmasking of Specific Binding Sites with Detergent Treatment*

Luteinized rat ovaries were analyzed for lactogenbinding sites as a potential source of receptors for purification. Parallel studies were carried out in lactating rabbit mammary preparations for comparison of binding parameters in these two target tissues. Quantitative binding analysis was performed with [125I]iodo-hGH in particulate fractions, detergent-treated particles, and soluble preparations. In competitive binding studies, human GH (hGH) and ovine PRL (oPRL) were equipotent, whereas human placental lactogen was 20% and ovine GH (oGH) 1–3% as effective as oPRL in both particulate preparations. hGH was 6-fold more effective than oPRL in displacing [125I]iodohGH from the solubilized ovarian receptors, but only 16% as effective in the solubilized mammary receptors. Human placental lactogen and oGH retained the same potencies relative to oPRL in both solubilized ovary and mammary receptors as those seen in the particulate fractions. The 1–5% potency of oGH relative to oPRL can be accounted for by oPRL c...
Robust Counting Via Counter Braids: An Error-Resilient Network Measurement Architecture

A novel counter architecture, called counter braids, has recently been proposed for accurate per-flow measurement on high-speed links. Inspired by sparse random graph codes, counter braids solves two central problems of per-flow measurement: one-to-one flow-to-counter association and large amount of unused counter space. It eliminates the one-to-one association by randomly hashing a flow label to multiple counters and minimizes counter space by incrementally compressing counts as they accumulate. The random hash values are reproduced offline from a list of flow labels, with which flow sizes are decoded using a fast message passing algorithm. The decoding of counter braids introduces the problem of collecting flow labels active in a measurement epoch. An exact solution to this problem is expensive. This paper complements the previous proposal with an approximate flow label collection scheme and a novel error-resilient decoder that decodes despite missing flow labels. The approximate flow label collection detects new flows with variable-length signature counting Bloom filters in SRAM, and stores flow labels in high-density DRAM. It provides a good trade-off between space and accuracy: more than 99 percent of the flows are captured with very little SRAM space. The decoding challenge posed by missing flow labels calls for a new algorithm as the original message passing decoder becomes error-prone. In terms of sparse random graph codes, the problem is equivalent to decoding with graph deficiency, a scenario beyond coding theory. The error-resilient decoder employs a new message passing algorithm that recovers most flow sizes exactly despite graph deficiency. Together, our solution achieves a 10-fold reduction in SRAM space compared to hash-table based implementations, as demonstrated with Internet trace evaluations.
7.9 Nondestructive Inspection of Composites

This chapter examines the role of radiography in guaranteeing a minimum quality in composite materials and structures. The chapter covers traditional film based radiography and the new solid-state radiography. Because traditional radiographic techniques are not applicable to composites, sections cover modifications necessary to enhance the contrast between composite flaws and the material background. Sections are included detailing how to make and use an images quality indicator – the composite penetrameter. Final sections are devoted to the new solid-state based digital radiography and computed tomography.
Fundamental Performance Analysis — Prediction and Validation

The foundations of modern fingerprint recognition were established by the research of Sir Francis Galton and Sir Edward Henry at the end of 19th century. Two fundamentally important conclusions were reached through extensive experiments on different age groups within different races (Halici et al. [35]): Fingerprints of a person are permanent, i.e., once the fingerprint is fully formed by the seventh month of fetal life, it won’t change naturally; Fingerprints of individuals are unique, i.e., no two fingerprints are ever found to be exactly the same.
Annotation Projection-based Representation Learning for Cross-lingual Dependency Parsing

Cross-lingual dependency parsing aims to train a dependency parser for an annotation-scarce target language by exploiting annotated training data from an annotation-rich source language, which is of great importance in the field of natural language processing. In this paper, we propose to address cross-lingual dependency parsing by inducing latent crosslingual data representations via matrix completion and annotation projections on a large amount of unlabeled parallel sentences. To evaluate the proposed learning technique, we conduct experiments on a set of cross-lingual dependency parsing tasks with nine different languages. The experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed learning method for cross-lingual dependency parsing.
Chlorinated Hydrocarbon Resistant Northern Corn Rootworm in Wisconsin

The first evidence in Wisconsin of chlorinated hydrocarbon resistance in the northern corn rootworm, Diabrolica longicornis (Say), occurred in 1963. This phenomenon appeared after the use of aldrin at the rate of ½ to 1 lb per acre in starter-fertilizer during 8 of 10 years (1954-63). Beetles from this field showed a 228-fold resistance to aldrin in 1963. Adults collected at random from 6 fields in southern Wsiconsin during the same year were classified as susceptible with LD50s ranging from 0.03 to 0.13μg of aldrin per beetle. Beetles from farms in the neighborhood of the first problem field were tested in the laboratory during 1964. No evidence of dispersion was noted west of the problem field, but definite movement to a farm on the south was detected. Numerous complaints of rootworm control failure were received in 1965. Beetles from 4 such fields had LD50s ranging from 15.5 to 20.7 μg per beetle. These evidences of high resistance occurred in fields where aldrin or heptachlor had been used for 8 to 11 years. Response of beetles to diazinon was the same whether beetles were resistant to aldrin or not. The 2 hour LD50s for this insecticide ranged from 0.23 to 0.35 μg per beetle.
Deposition of Epitaxially Oriented Films of Cubic SiC on Silicon by Laser Ablation of Elemental Targets.

Silicon carbide films are grown epitaxially on crystalline silicon substrates heated above 1000°C, by laser ablation of pure carbon targets to thicknesses between 300 and 400 nm. These films grow on top of the silicon substrate from the carbon in the ablation plume and from the silicon of the substrate. By using a method of alternate ablation of a pure carbon and a pure silicon target, similar epitaxial films can be grown to thicknesses in excess of 1 μm with part of the silicon being supplied by the ablation plume of the silicon target.