cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dermoid of the floor of the mouth

A 4-year-old girl presented with a floor-of-mouth mass. MRI showed a midline, T2 hyperintense, well-circumscribed mass superior to the mylohyoid muscle and splaying the geniohyoid muscles (Figs. 1 and 2). Several nonenhancing ovoid nodules with restricted diffusion were present in the anterior section of the lesion. Differential diagnoses included dermoid or epidermoid cyst, plunging ranula, and lymphatic malformation. Post-resection pathology demonstrated findings indicative of a dermoid. Dermoid cysts can contain fat, hair follicles, or other skin appendages and are lined by a keratinizing squamous epithelium. In contrast, epidermoid cysts are lined by a
Examining conceptions of writing in TESOL and English Education journals: Toward a more integrated framework for research addressing multilingual classrooms☆

Abstract We present a review of literature drawn from two prominent journals in the fields of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL Quarterly) and English Education (Research in the Teaching of English) that publish writing research regarding secondary and lower-division postsecondary learners. The purpose of the review is to compare how the two journals represent conceptions of writing — conceptions that shape research designs, data analyses, and the interpretations of findings. Results suggest that, while the two journals share common theoretical concerns with the uses of language, they differ with respect to how they represent the goals and functions of extended written composition in educational settings. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for future research that more deliberately integrates knowledge across the respective fields of English Education and TESOL. Such an integrated approach, we argue, can ultimately help teachers make more informed decisions about how best to differentiate writing instruction in linguistically heterogeneous classrooms.
A partially-adiabatic energy-efficient logic family as a power analysis attack countermeasure

Power analysis can be used to infer the types of computations a computer system performs as well as the information being processed. In environments where it is essential that this information be kept secure, methods that make this information difficult to determine are of value. A partially-adiabatic technology is studied for its ability to obscure the information being processed in the circuit. In this initial study, an analysis of an AND/NAND gate is performed using input decoupled partially-adiabatic logic (IDPAL) circuits. The technology reduces peak current in this circuit by almost a factor of four and has lower variation of peak current between inputs. These key features of the circuit suggest increased security as a result of increasing the difficulty for determining the circuit's workings.
Unco-ordinate regulation of ribosomal RNA and ribosomal protein synthesis during L6E9 myoblast differentiation.

Abstract Using the rat myoblast L6E9 cell line, we have shown previously that a five- to tenfold reduction in ribosome synthesis occurs concomitant with the differentiation of myoblasts into myotubes (Krauter et al., 1979). Regulation of ribosome synthesis, which occurs under physiological conditions, has been shown to occur at the transcriptional level. This cell line provides an excellent model with which to study whether all ribosomal components (RNAs and protein) are co-ordinately or independently regulated. The rate of synthesis and degradation of individual ribosomal proteins has been studied by a combination of pulse labeling and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. We have found that ribosomal protein synthesis is unco-ordinately regulated with respect to the rate of ribosomal RNA synthesis. In spite of the five- to tenfold decrease in rRNA synthesis in myotubes, ribosomal proteins are synthesized at the same rate in myoblasts and myotubes. The rate of ribosomal protein accumulation, however, reflects the rate of rRNA synthesis. Myotubes accumulated ribosomal proteins fivefold more slowly than myoblasts. The ribosomal proteins synthesized in excess of rRNA in myotubes are degraded with half-lives of one hour or less. On the contrary, the proteins which assemble onto mature ribosomes are stable for at least 24 hours. From these results, we conclude that in L6E9 cells the limiting step in ribosome assembly is the transcription of the 45 S precursor rRNA.
The Introduction of Automation to an Aerospace Contractor: A Case Study—The Flexible Manufacturing Cell

ABSTRACTIntroducing flexible automation to a defense contractor is a difficult task. The traditional organization perceives the task as an exercise in authority. The project management organization perceives the task as a prototype that, if effective, will be copied as the organization adopts new technology to increase its competitiveness. The case examined in this article was a clash of these two cultures that was traumatically played out among those involved. This case is enlightening because it illustrates the problems encountered when attempting to change an organization's culture and its technology level simultaneously. The case further serves to identify the current position of a segment of U.S. industry with regard to its ability to adopt and adapt to change. Presented here are a chronology of events as seen by a young project manager attempting to execute a difficult project. All names have been changed.
Limited Resource Farmers: The Impacts of Farm Policy

The main goals of this invited paper session are to assess the historical efforts of the agricultural economics profession to address the problems of limited resource farmers and to offer some suggestions and/or strategies for redress of the current problems confronting limited resource farmers. The main objectives of this paper are to focus on the policy issues, policy formation, and ultimate impacts on limited resource farms and structural adjustments. Because agricultural policy formation and its implementation are complex, multifaceted, and involve many entities, no attempt will be made to delineate all aspects of this process. The paper will address some of the issues, the causes, and to some extent, the impact of agricultural policy formation and its implementations vis-avis the limited resource farmers and the agricultural economics profession.
Effect of propylthiouracil feeding on plasma Na+ and K+ levels in the chick (Gallus Domestics)

Abstract 1. Propylthiouracil (PTU) feeding to chicks for 3 weeks significantly decreased plasma K+ level with no consistent effect on plasma Na+ level. 2. Liver weight, thyroid weight, liver glycogen and plasma cholesterol were in creased in the PTU-fed chicks. 3. There was a significant positive correlation between thyroid weight and liver glycogen, and between thyroid weight and plasma cholesterol. 4. Plasma K+ level returned to normal level within a week after chicks were taken off PTU diet. 5. A possible correlation between plasma insulin level of PTU-fed chicks with subsequent ingress of K+ and activation of glycogen synthetase is discussed.
High-Level Resistance to Gentamicin in Clinical Isolates of Enterococci

Nine clinical isolates of Streptococcus faecalis from a university hospital were found to be resistant to high levels (minimal inhibitory concentration, greater than 2,000 micrograms/ml) of gentamicin, tobramycin, amikacin, streptomycin, and kanamycin. The high-level resistance to these aminoglycosides and resistance to penicillin-aminoglycoside synergism were transferable by conjugation to a susceptible recipient strain. In three strains tested, the aminoglycoside resistance was mediated by four aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes: a 3'-phosphotransferase transferred from two strains, a 2"-phosphotransferase and a 6'-acetyltransferase transferred from all three strains, and a streptomycin adenylyltransferase transferred from two strains. This is the first report of the occurrence of high-level gentamicin resistance in enterococcal isolates from the United States.
Pit relocation by antlion larvae: A simple model and laboratory test

We generated a computer model to analyse the effects of ‘shadow’ competition for sit-and-wait predators, particularly antlion larvae. The model used a simple foraging assessment rule to determine the quality of an antlion's location, and antlions relocated randomly in their habitat when a location proved to be of low quality. Shadow competition, or competition for food caused when one sit-and-wait predator intercepts moving prey before a second sit-and-wait predator is encountered, was incorporated into the model by restricting antlions to a bounded arena, and having prey for the antlions enter from the arena periphery. Antlions responded to shadow competition by relocating their pits to peripheral areas of their habitat. This peripheral accumulation of pits was most pronounced when antlion densities were high, and when prey availabilities were intermediate. An experimental test with the antlionMyrmeleon immaculatus supported the importance of shadow competition as a cause of observed pit distributions. Only the treatment which incorporated shadowing had pit distributions near the periphery, while the pit distributions in the control treatments did not differ from randomly generated distributions. We conclude that shadowing can influence sit-and-wait predator distributions when the prey distributions and movement patterns generate the conditions necessary for shadowing. But when prey availability is unpredictable, making assessment of patches difficult, or when prey do not originate in the periphery of the habitat, other factors, such as temperature or moisture, could be more important.
A prospective, randomized trial of tacrolimus/prednisone vs tacrolimus/prednisone/mycophenolate mofetil in renal transplantation: 1-year actuarial follow-up.

BETWEEN September 10, 1995, and September 20, 1997, a total of 208 adult patients undergoing their first or second cadaveric renal transplantation alone were randomized to receive tacrolimus!prednisone (n = 106) or tacrolimus/prednisone/mycophenolate mofetil (n = 102), without induction antilymphocyte antibody therapy. The mean recipient age was 50.8 ::!:: 13.7 years (range 19 to 84). Thirty-one (14.9%) patients were undergoing their second transplant, and 11 (5.3%) had a panel-reactive antibody level of over 40%. Sixty-three (30.3%) patients were 60 years of age or older at the time of transplantation, and 16 (7.7%) patients had undergone previous liver or heart transplantation. The mean donor age was 34.5 ::!:: 21.7 years (range 0.01 to 76.5). Twenty-eight (13.5%) donors were 60 years of age or older, and 25 (12.0%) donors were 3 years of age or younger, and were transplanted en bloc. The mean cold ischemia time was 30.5 ::!:: 9.2 hours (range 4.7 to 57.!). The mean number of HLA matches and mismatches was 2.5 ::!:: 1.4 and 3.1 ::!:: 1.5, respectively. There were 17 (8.2%) 0 antigen mismatches. The mean follow-up was 15 ::!:: 17 months. The data were analyzed by intention-to-treat. The overall I-year actuarial patient survival was 94%; in the double therapy group, it was 93%, and in the triple therapy group, it was 96%. Overall I-year actuarial graft survival was 87%; in the double therapy group, it was 85%, and in the triple therapy group, it was 89%. When the patient and graft survival data were stratified to recipients under the age of 60 who did not have delayed graft function, the overall I-year actuarial patient survival was 97%, 95% in the double therapy group, and 98% in the triple therapy group. The corresponding l-year actuarial graft survival was 93%,92% in the double therapy group, and 93% in the triple therapy group. The mean serum creatinine was 1.6 ::!:: 0.8 mg/dL, 1.6 ::!:: 0.9 mg/dL in the double therapy group and 1.7 ::!:: 0.7 mg/dL in the triple therapy group. The mean tacrolimus dose was 8.7 ::!:: 6.6 mg/d; in the double therapy group it was 8.4 ::!:: 6.0 mg/d, and in the triple therapy group, it was 9.0 ::!:: 7.1 mg/d. The mean tacrolimus level was 10.1 ::!:: 4.4 ng/mL; in the double therapy group, it was 10.2 ::!:: 4.5 ng/mL, while in the triple therapy group, it was 10.1 ::!:: 4.2 ng/mL. The mean MMF dose in the patients taking MMF was 1142 ::!:: 493 mg/d. Thirty-six percent of the successfully transplanted patients were taken off prednisone. 34% in the double therapy
Preliminary results of the relationship between the binaural interaction component of the electrically evoked auditory brainstem response and interaural pitch comparisons in bilateral cochlear implant recipients

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between electrophysiologic measures of the binaural interaction component (BIC) of the electrically evoked auditory brainstem response (EABR) and psychophysical measures of interaural pitch comparisons in Nucleus bilateral cochlear implant users.
New model for activation of yeast pyruvate decarboxylase by substrate consistent with the alternating sites mechanism: demonstration of the existence of two active forms of the enzyme.

Pyruvate decarboxylase from yeast (YPDC, EC 4.1.1.1) exhibits a marked lag phase in the progress curves of product (acetaldehyde) formation. The currently accepted kinetic model for YPDC predicts that, only upon binding of substrate in a regulatory site, a slow activation step converts inactive enzyme into the active form. This allosteric behavior gives rise to sigmoidal steady-state kinetics. The E477Q active site variant of YPDC exhibited hyperbolic initial rate curves at low pH, not consistent with the model. Progress curves of product formation by this variant were S-shaped, consistent with the presence of three interconverting conformations with distinct steady-state rates. Surprisingly, wild-type YPDC at pH ≤5.0 also possessed S-shaped progress curves, with the conformation corresponding to the middle steady state being the most active one. Reexamination of the activation by substrate of wild-type YPDC in the pH range of 4.5−6.5 revealed two characteristic transitions at all pH values. The values of...
A robotics-based testbed for verifying a method of identifying contact-dynamics model parameters

This paper describes a general method of identifying the key parameters of multiple-point contact-dynamics models and a robotics-based testbed for experimentally verifying the new method. Some of the current and future flight systems are required to make physical contact on orbit for on-orbit servicing such as docking, refueling, repairing, etc. Because of the high risks associated with contact operations, the design and operation of such a flight system must be thoroughly analyzed and verified in advance by hardware testing and/or high-fidelity computer simulation. Computer simulations are increasingly playing a major role in system verification because it is extreme difficult to test 6-DOF microgravity contact dynamics on the ground. However, the accuracy of computer simulation depends not only on the mathematical model (i.e., formulation, algorithms, and computer code) but also on the values of model parameters. It is, therefore, desirable to have a systematic method which can identify multiple model parameters directly from routine physical tests of the contact components. The robotics-based experiment testbed introduced in this paper is specially designed to test and verify such a method of identifying contact parameters. The method is capable of identifying the key stiffness, damping, and friction parameters of a contact dynamics model all together from hardware test of contacting components having complicated geometries and multiple contacts. It can also be used to extract contact-dynamics model parameters of a dynamic system from its routine test of complex contact hardware. The paper discusses the major design requirements of this experimental testbed and how they are met by the specific design of the system.
Fabrication of a novel thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membrane containing MCM-41 silica nanoparticles (NPs) for water purification

Abstract A thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membrane containing porous MCM-41 silica nanoparticles (NPs) was prepared by the in situ interfacial polymerization (IP) process. Aqueous m-phenyl diamine (MPD) and organic trimesoyl chloride (TMC)-NPs mixture solutions were used in the IP process. Porous MCM-41 (∼100 nm) and non-porous spherical silica NPs (∼100 nm) were synthesized and used as the fillers to fabricate the TFN membrane at concentrations ranging from 0 to 0.1 wt%. The membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy, and their performances were evaluated based on the water permeability and salt rejection. Results indicated that the MCM-41 NPs dispersed well in polyamide (PA) thin-film layer and improved membrane performances under optimal concentrations. By increasing concentration of MCM-41 NPs, hydrophilicity, roughness and zeta potential of TFN membranes all increased. Notably, the permeate water flux increased from 28.5±1.0 to 46.6±1.1 L/m2 h with the incorporation of MCM-41 NPs, while maintaining high rejections of NaCl and Na2SO4 (97.9±0.3% and 98.5±0.2%, respectively). A comparison between the membranes with non-porous silica NPs (S-TFN) and with the porous MCM-41 NPs (M-TFN) suggested that the internal pores of MCM-41 NPs contributed significantly to the increase of water permeability.
Cooperative learning in the classroom: Contingencies, group interactions, and students with special needs

Cooperative learning activities play a significant role in the schools. As such, these activities should be of interest to applied behavior analysts concerned with educational interventions. A number of factors appear to contribute to the impact of cooperative group activities, including the level of individual accountability, group contingencies, and the types of interactive behaviors in which students engage during group activities. This paper reviews current research on cooperative learning, focusing on the relationships between student behaviors, contingencies of reinforcement and group outcomes. The social and academic skills with which students enter cooperative learning activities, and the impact of these skills on students' behavior within groups and on the social and academic outcomes of groups is considered. Problems associated with the failure of cooperative groups are also addressed. The research potentials for applied behavior analysts are discussed.
Derivatives of ( -) -7 -methyl -2 -(5 -(pyridinyl )pyridin -3 -yl ) -7 -azabicyclo [2.2.1 ]heptane are potential ligands for positron emission tomography imaging of extrathalamic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

A series of novel racemic 7-methyl-2-(5-(pyridinyl)pyridin-3-yl)-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane derivatives with picomolar in vitro binding affinity at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) were synthesized and their enantiomers were resolved by semipreparative chiral HPLC. The (-)-enantiomers showed substantially greater in vitro inhibition binding affinity than the corresponding (+)-enantiomers. The compounds with best binding affinities have been radiolabeled with positron emitting isotopes 11C and 18F as potential radioligands for positron emission tomography imaging of the nAChR. In vivo enantioselectivity of the radiolabeled (-)-7-methyl-2-(5-(pyridinyl)pyridin-3-yl)-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane derivatives was observed in biodistribution studies in rodents and baboon. One of the radiolabeled compounds, (-)-7-methyl-2-exo-[3'-(2-[18F]fluoropyridin-5-yl))-5'-pyridinyl]-7-azabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane, exhibited good properties as a first practical PET radioligand for imaging of extrathalamic nAChR in baboon brain and holds promise for further investigation for human studies.
Discovery of a new peptide with growth hormone releasing activity

Abstract The hypothesis that chemical substances secreted by nerve cells in the hypothalamus regulate anterior pituitary functions was first formulated fully by Geoffrey Harris more than thirty years ago. A complete vindication of this view now appears in sight with the recent discovery of a peptide with specific and unusually potent stimulatory effects on growth hormone (GH) secretion. The source of this peptide was not the hypothalamus, as was the case with the discovery of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH), gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) and somatostatin, but rather from pancreatic tumors obtained from two patients 5.10 . In both cases, the patient presented clinically with the symptoms and signs of GH excess (acromegaly). In one patient, pituitary enlargement was diagnosed and trans-sphenoidal surgery undertaken; the pituitary was found to show hyperplasia of the GH-secreting cells, the symptoms of acromegaly persisted post-operatively and a pancreatic tumor was subsequently found 15 . The second patient had a normal pituitary and two pancreatic tumors 5 . In both cases extracts of the pancreatic tumors revealed a peptide of similar structure.
Enhancing the Delivery of Effective Mental Health Services to Children

An increasing number of children and adolescents are in need of mental health services, although few children receive the treatment they need. Although progress in understanding and treating children's mental disorders is limited, a great deal more is known today about how to prevent mental disorders, what treatments are effective, and the importance of providing multiple services. This article presents current knowledge on assessment, treatment, and service delivery to help social workers improve the effectiveness of services for children.
SPREAD OF AN INVASIVE PATHOGEN OVER A VARIABLE LANDSCAPE: A NONNATIVE ROOT ROT ON PORT ORFORD CEDAR

Understanding biological invasions requires information on the history of spatial spread, as well as measures of landscape and biotic features that control habitat invasibility. Because invasive species often spread quickly over large areas, attaining these two sets of information simultaneously is uncommon. We studied the spread of a fatal nonnative root pathogen, Phytophthora lateralis, across a heterogeneous landscape of its host, Port Orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana). Within our 37-km2 study area in southwestern Oregon and northwest California, Port Orford cedar populations are generally restricted to riparian zones along creeks. The pathogen is spread between watersheds in two ways: (1) by spore-infested material being dislodged from vehicles, and (2) by animals or people moving infested mud (i.e., via foot traffic). Using dendrochronological techniques, we determined the date of infection for dead cedars and reconstructed spread history across our study area from 1977 to 1999. Twenty-six of t...
Regulation of Thymus Size by Competition for Stromal Niches among Early T Cell Progenitors

Thymic T cell production is characterized by differentiating waves of non-self-renewing, bone marrow-derived progenitors. The factors constraining new progenitor recruitment, intrathymic precursor expansion, and thymus size remain enigmatic, but are believed to be controlled by a feedback loop responding to lymphoid cellularity and competition for stromal niches. In this study, we show that competition for stromal niches does occur, but is solely limited to cells at the early CD4−8− precursor stages of differentiation. The overall size of the organ is determined both by this limitation on early precursor expansion, and by a second, cell-intrinsic limit on expansion of progenitor cells transiting to the CD4+8+ stage. Together with asymmetric use of marrow-derived progenitors to reconstitute the intrathymic pool, these processes facilitate continuous generation of new T cells while maintaining a relatively stable organ size.
Online Automated Reliability Classification of Queueing Models for Streaming Processing Using Support Vector Machines

When do you trust a performance model? More specifically, when can a particular model be used for a specific application? Once a stochastic model is selected, its parameters must be determined. This involves instrumentation, data collection, and finally interpretation; which are very time consuming. Even when done correctly, the results hold for only the conditions under which the system was characterized. For modern, dynamic stream processing systems, this is far too slow if a model-based approach to performance tuning is to be considered. This work demonstrates the use of a Support Vector Machine (SVM) to determine if a stochastic queueing model is usable or not for a particular queueing station within a streaming application. When combined with methods for online service rate approximation, our SVM approach can select models while the application is executing (online). The method is tested on a variety of hardware and software platforms. The technique is shown to be highly effective for determining the applicability of M / M / 1 and M / D / 1 queueing models to stream processing applications.
Newer Pharmaceutical Agents for STEMI Interventions

Pharmaceutical agents currently used in clinical practice for early management of ST elevation myocardial infraction (STEMI) act primarily on the two pathways of clot formation: platelet aggregation and the coagulation cascade. Although percutaneous coronary intervention is the standard therapy for revascularization, new fibrinolytic drugs are being developed to provide increased safety and efficacy through a longer plasma half-life, more fibrin specificity, and resistance to plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Antiplatelet therapies useful for early and extended management of STEMI include acetylsalicylic acid, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (eptifibatide, tirofiban, and abciximab), the thienopyridines (clopidogrel and prasugrel), and contemporary agents (ticagrelor, cangrelor, elinogrel, and vorapaxar). Novel therapies for long-term inhibition of thrombin formation following STEMI include factor Xa inhibitors, such as rivaroxaban and apixaban. Emerging areas of STEMI treatment include pharmacotherapy that specifically targets reperfusion injury and cardiomyoplasty, which involves the use of hematopoietic stem cell therapy or growth factors to induce proliferation and differentiation of cardiac myocytes.
Simulation modelling as a tool for examining the consequences of spatial structure and connectivity on local and regional population dynamics

Kerr, L. A., Cadrin, S. X., and Secor, D. H. 2010. Simulation modelling as a tool for examining the consequences of spatial structure and connectivity on local and regional population dynamics. - ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1631-1639.An understanding of the mechanisms underlying population persistence makes fisheries management more effective. A model framework is described, which can test hypotheses about spatial structure and connectivity within and between populations and their influence on the productivity (spawning-stock biomass, SSB), stability (variation in SSB), resilience (time to rebuild SSB after environmental disturbance), and sustainability (maximum sustainable fishing mortality and yield) of systems. The general model consists of linked age-structured submodels that incorporate the unique demographics and dynamics of population components, along with the degree and type of connectivity between them. The flexibility of this framework is illustrated with three case studies examining (i) spatial structure within a population of white perch, (ii) different types and degrees of connectivity between populations of Atlantic herring, and (iii) spatial heterogeneity and connectivity within a stock of Atlantic cod. System variance is reduced by abundant, stable population components, and the asynchronous responses of those components. Components with high productivity contributed disproportionately to the resilience of systems. Increased synchrony of component responses to environmental forcing decreased the stability of the overall system. Simulation modelling is a useful approach to evaluate the consequences of spatial structure and connectivity, and can be used to understand better the productivity and dynamics of local and regional populations.
A STUDY OF THE COLORIMETRIC ASSAY OF URINARY 17-KETOSTEROIDS11

AT present two technics based on the Zimmermann (1935, 1936) color reaction are widely used for the determination of urinary 17- ketosteroids. In the procedure of Callow (1938) absolute alcohol is used as the solvent for the steroid solution, for the 2 per cent mdinitrobenzene and for the 2.5 N potassium hydroxide. Holtorff and Koch (1940) used 95 per cent alcohol for the solutions of steroid and m-dinitrobenzene but an aqueous solution of 5 N potassium hydroxide. The latter workers considered that a 5 N solution of alkali gave optimal results. Since no direct comparisons of the results obtained by these two methods have been made, it was thought advisable to investigate the accuracy of each method and to determine, as far as possible, the reasons for any discrepancies noted. Application of the colorimetric assay to crude extracts of urine meets with two difficulties, a) the presence of colored substances which bsorbin the green region and b) the presence of chromogens other than 17-ketosteroids.
Malingering involving insurance fraud: when it pays to be ill.

Malingering, the intentional feigning or production of physical or mental illness to derive a tangible benefit beyond that of assuming the sick role, is frequently considered, but rarely diagnosed, by psychiatrists and other physicians. Along with factitious disorder, malingering is subsumed under the general category of deception syndromes; it consists of several forms involving the exaggeration, simulation, creation, or false imputation (in which patients attribute symptoms to an unrelated cause) of symptoms. While the true prevalence of malingering is unknown, studies have estimated that the prevalence is as high as 8% for general medical and psychiatric cases, and up to 30% in cases involving personal injury or disability. Although acts of malingering have been associated with antisocial personality disorder and with factitious illness, such behaviors have been detected in psychologically normal adults. Malingering has also been reported in cases where the benefits accorded to patients as a result of illness have included financial gains (e.g., disability payments), avoidance of jail time or court dates, prescriptions for narcotics or other substances of abuse, and freedom from a caretaker role for a sick family member. To our knowledge, no reports of possible malingering (or insurance fraud) exist, in which the patient was paid directly by an insurance company on a per diem basis simply for being in the hospital.
Tactile graphics with a voice: using QR codes to access text in tactile graphics

Textbook figures are often converted into a tactile format for access by blind students. These figures are not truly accessible unless the text within the figures is also made accessible. A common solution to access text in a tactile image is to use embossed Braille. We have developed an alternative to Braille that uses QR codes for students who want tactile graphics, but prefer the text in figures be spoken, rather than in Braille. Tactile Graphics with a Voice (TGV) allows text within tactile graphics to be accessible by using a talking QR code reader app on a smartphone. To evaluate TGV, we performed a longitudinal study where ten blind and low vision participants were asked to complete tasks using three alternative picture taking guidance techniques: 1) no guidance, 2) verbal guidance, and 3) finger pointing guidance. Our results show that TGV is an effective way to access text in tactile graphics, especially for those blind users who are not fluent in Braille. In addition, guidance preferences varied with each of the guidance techniques being preferred by at least one participant.
A Serine/Threonine Phosphorylation Site in the Ectodomain of a T Cell Receptor β Chain is Required for Activation by Superantigen

AbstractThe presence of consensus phosphorylation sites in the ectodomains of cell surface proteins suggests that such post‐translational modification may be important in regulation of surface receptor activity. To date, the only cell surface receptor for which such ectodomain phosphorylation has been conclusively demonstrated is the clonally expressed T cell antigen receptor (TCR). Attempts to conclusively identify individual phosphorylated residues in TCR α and β chains and determine their functional significance by biochemical approaches failed due to insufficient quantities of purified molecules. Here we present the results of an alternative approach where survey of phosphorylation sites in the TCR α and β chains was accomplished using site‐directed mutagenesis and retroviral vector expression, as well as in vitro phosphorylation of synthetic peptide substrates. All mutants studied directed the cell surface expression of normal amounts of TCR, and all transfectants could be stimulated to produce IL‐2 ...
Intracellular receptor/ligand sorting based on endosomal retention components

Endocytosed molecules are sorted in endosomes to different cellular destinations (e.g., to lysosomes or to the plasma membrane). Diverse endosomal sorting results have been reported for different ligands and receptors in a variety of cell types, but the general principles governing these sorting outcomes are not well understood. For example, we observed a wide range of sorting outcomes with the epidermal growth factor (EGF)/receptor system in fibroblasts using several members of the EGF family and site-directed ligand and receptor mutants. In this article we describe a mechanistic mathematical model of endosomal sorting based on the hypothesis that receptors may be selectively retained by the endosomal sorting apparatus and that this process may be modulated by receptor occupancy. Our results show that this single mechanism can account for the wide variety of observed sorting outcomes. By providing a conceptual framework for understanding endosomal sorting, this model not only helps interpret our experimental results for the EGF/receptor system, but also provides some insight into the principles governing sorting. For example, the model predicts that the influence of selective endosomal retention of receptor/ligand complexes is seen in deviations of ligand sorting outcomes from pure fluid phase sorting behavior. Furthermore, the model suggests that selective endosomal retention of complexes within endosomes gives rise to three sorting regimes characterized by distinguishable qualitative trends in the dependence of ligand sorting fractions on intracellular ligand concentrations.
How Many Imputations are Really Needed? Some Practical Clarifications of Multiple Imputation Theory

Multiple imputation (MI) and full information maximum likelihood (FIML) are the two most common approaches to missing data analysis. In theory, MI and FIML are equivalent when identical models are tested using the same variables, and when m, the number of imputations performed with MI, approaches infinity. However, it is important to know how many imputations are necessary before MI and FIML are sufficiently equivalent in ways that are important to prevention scientists. MI theory suggests that small values of m, even on the order of three to five imputations, yield excellent results. Previous guidelines for sufficient m are based on relative efficiency, which involves the fraction of missing information (γ) for the parameter being estimated, and m. In the present study, we used a Monte Carlo simulation to test MI models across several scenarios in which γ and m were varied. Standard errors and p-values for the regression coefficient of interest varied as a function of m, but not at the same rate as relative efficiency. Most importantly, statistical power for small effect sizes diminished as m became smaller, and the rate of this power falloff was much greater than predicted by changes in relative efficiency. Based our findings, we recommend that researchers using MI should perform many more imputations than previously considered sufficient. These recommendations are based on γ, and take into consideration one’s tolerance for a preventable power falloff (compared to FIML) due to using too few imputations.
Preparing Civil Engineering Students to Meet Workplace Writing Expectations

Anecdotal evidence suggests a lack of technical writing skill in civil engineering students. The American Society of Civil Engineers asserts that the 21st century civil engineer must demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively. So, there is a need for enhanced technical writing instruction, but small, civil engineering programs have limited resources to facilitate this instruction. Most often, instructors must incorporate writing assignments into existing course syllabi. As such, an understanding of the nature of students' writing strengths and weaknesses is essential. Technical reports completed by civil engineering seniors at Howard University, a historically Black university (HBCU), have been assessed to begin identifying the nature of technical writing deficiencies so that emphasis can be placed in the classroom on areas of greatest need. Technical reports completed by individual students were evaluated by the course instructor, a student peer, and an industry representative. Results include comparisons of ratings between the instructor and industry representative.
Developing an integrated epidemiologic approach to emerging infectious diseases.

Epidemiology has been a major contributor to the success of the disease control efforts of the past century, culminating in such signal triumphs as the global eradication of smallpox and the eradication of polio from the Western Hemisphere. However, in recent years, partly because these very successes led to a pervasive optimism about infectious diseases in the future, there has been a waning interest in infectious disease epidemiology even though infectious diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide and an important cause of death in the United States (1-3). In addition, the tragic recent explosion of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic and the emergence of multiple drug resistant tuberculosis forcefully reminded us that infectious diseases could not be relegated to the past. AIDS, like many of the plagues of the past, falls into the category of emerging infections, seemingly new diseases that appear suddenly and unexpectedly. Emerging infections can be defined as those that either have newly appeared in a population or that are rapidly increasing their incidence or expanding their geographic range (4, 5). Other recent examples include hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, Lyme disease, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome (resulting from a foodborne infection caused by certain strains of Escherichia coli), and Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Africa (6). Past scourges can also recur and are referred to as reemerging diseases, which are often conventionally understood and well recognized public health threats that have increased or reappeared because previously active public health measures have lapsed or sanitary infrastructure has deteriorated. Specific factors precipitating disease emergence can be identified in virtually all cases (2, 4, 5). These include
Mastering circuit analysis: An innovative approach to a foundational sequence

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has dramatically changed how Circuit Analysis is learned. Combining a traditional lecture/recitation format with secure, online tests, we have raised our expectations for students and improved student performance, while increasing the fraction of students who succeed, especially underrepresented minorities and women. We call the instructional approach ldquoMasteryrdquo, because students continue to work on a topic until they earn a perfect score on the corresponding test. Further, it shows great promise for transforming undergraduate education, especially those courses that provide foundational skills and prepare students for future learning. The approach could have a positive impact on the retention rates of all students and even greater impact on those for underrepresented groups. In this paper, we describe the Mastery approach and its implementation over the past two years. We also show the current state of passing and completion rates as compared to those rates before Mastery was introduced. Finally, we discuss a range of issues, including the appropriateness of the Mastery approach for other courses.
Polarization induced 2DEG in MBE grown AlGaN/GaN HFETs: On the origin, DC and RF characterization

The contribution of spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization to the formation of a 2DEG in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures was investigated using undoped AlGaN/GaN structures. Hall measurements of 2DEG density on such structures with varying Al percentage (8%-27%) and varying thickness of the AlGaN layer (30-500A) indicated that donor-like surface states at an energy of 1.42eV below the conduction band were the source of electrons in the 2DEG. Field effect transistors were fabricated on such undoped heterostructures. For an AlGaN/GaN structure with 0.27 Al mole fraction, power density in excess of 3.5 W/mm at 6 GHz with corresponding maximum PAE of 33.5% was obtained. These results exceed the best reported power performance of MBE grown GaN HFETs on sapphire, thus demonstrating the excellent capability of MBE grown GaN heterostructures for microwave power applications.
Applying The Teacher Scholar Model In The School Of Business

The teacher-scholar model was proposed in Boyer (1990) and defines four dimensions of scholarship: 1) discovery, 2) integration, 3) application, and 4) teaching. In this paper, we describe the characteristics of scholarship, the theory of the scholarship of teaching, the excellent teacher, and undergraduate research and scholarship. We then show how the teacher-scholar model is applied at one University for annual faculty evaluations.
Introduction: Appropriating and Creating Space for Difference in Literacy Research

Have you ever hurt about baskets? I have, seeing my grandmother weaving for a long time. Have you ever hurt about work? I have, because my father works too hard and tells how he works. Have you ever hurt about cattle? I have, because my grandfather has been working on the cattle for a long time. Have you ever hurt about school? I have, because I have learned a lot of words from my school, And they are not my words.
Light-sheet Bayesian microscopy enables deep-cell super-resolution imaging of heterochromatin in live human embryonic stem cells.

Background Heterochromatin in the nucleus of human embryonic cells plays an important role in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. The architecture of heterochromatin and its dynamic organization remain elusive because of the lack of fast and high-resolution deep-cell imaging tools. We enable this task by advancing instrumental and algorithmic implementation of the localization-based super-resolution technique.
AdS solutions to the 2D type 0A effective action

We present a two-parameter family of AdS solutions to the two-dimensional type 0A effective action.
Applying Health Services Research to Public Health Practice: An Emerging Priority

Achieving an effective, efficient, and equitable health system has proven to be an elusive goal for health policy makers in the United States, but the field of health services research (HSR) has become increasingly central in charting the path toward this destination. HSR has evolved in tandem with the information needs of decision makers in government and the private sector, from perennial interests in coverage and cost containment to more recent concerns about quality, safety, and health disparities. Over much of this history, the producers and users of health services research have focused heavily on the production and consumption of medical care, while giving comparatively little attention to another important component of the health system—that of public health services. These services include population-wide efforts to identify and investigate health threats, promote healthy lifestyles, prevent disease and injury, prepare for emergencies and disasters, and assure the quality of water, food, air, and other resources that affect human health (Institute of Medicine, Committee for the Study of the Future of Public Health 1988). The relative paucity of studies on this aspect of health system performance reflects the relatively low priority given to public health practice during the last half of the 20th century. In recent years, public health has undergone a notable resurgence in visibility among both policy makers and the public at large. Concerns about gaps in the availability and quality of public health services have grown rapidly in response to both new and persistent health risks, including infectious diseases like SARS and pandemic influenza, the threat of bioterrorism, natural disasters like the 2005 Gulf hurricanes, and the rapid advance of obesity and preventable chronic diseases. Since 2001, the federal government has invested >$10 billion in new funds to support public health activities, with a primary focus on helping communities prepare for and respond to large-scale public health emergencies (Trust for America's Health 2006). The increased attention and resources have generated expanded interest in using the concepts and methods of health services research to develop better ways of organizing, financing, and delivering public health services. This emerging focal point within health services research has become known as public health services and systems research (Mays, Halverson, and Scutchfield 2003; Scutchfield et al. 2007;).
Improvement of RC performance for advanced ULK/Cu interconnects with CVD hybrid dielectric/metal liner

A CVD-hybrid dielectric/metal liner has been demonstrated by simulation and actual structure. From line resistance (R) and line capacitance (C) simulation, the CVD-hybrid liner deposited on porous ULK (k=2.2) inter layer dielectrics (ILD) is shown that it is possible to improve RC performance. The CVD-hybrid liner with CVD-SiCN and CVD-Ru shows good liner conformality, Cu diffusion barrier property and oxidation barrier property. Integration process is investigated to achieve optimum CVD-hybrid liner structure with special RIE technique. 14.6% RC performance improvement can be achieved with triple-layered ULK(k=2.2)/Cu integrated interconnect structure. The CVD-hybrid liner is a strong candidate to achieve a better RC performance for future technology nodes.
A fire history of a subalpine forest in south‐eastern Wyoming, USA

Fire history was determined for part of the Routt-Medicine Bow National Forest in south-eastern Wyoming using fire-scar and age-class analysis. A composite chronology of fire events was used to determine mean fire intervals (MFI) for pre-EuroAmerican settlement, EuroAmerican settlement (before 1868 AD), EuroAmerican settlement and modern (after 1912) periods, for all fires and stand-replacing fires. Point-scale MFI was also determined using grand means from individual trees. Stand-replacing fires were reconstructed to determine fire rotation. MFI for the entire time period is 5.5-8.4 years. MFI decreased from 9.3 to 15.7-1.9-2.9 years from the preto post-EuroAmerican settlement periods, and increased during the modern period. Point-scale MFIs are longer than MFI of the study area. Fire rotation is 182 years for the total period of record, but increased from 127 years during the pre-EuroAmerican settlement period to 170 years during the EuroAmerican settlement period. Fire rotation during the modern period dramatically increased to 27,035 years. Results suggest fire suppression may have influenced the fire regime. Comparison of regional fire events with fire events from this study indicate regional weather has an important influence on Rocky Mountain fire regimes.