cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tituba’s Stairway: Representations of Tituba in Historical and Fictional Texts

An enslaved woman known as Tituba Indian was the first person to confess to having practiced witchcraft in what would be a series of witchcraft trials in Salem, Massachusetts (colonial America) during 1692. Very few contemporary documents exist that tell us about Tituba’s background. My essay is an exploration of the process by which Tituba emerged in the US historical and literary imagination as a key figure of the crisis, given that so little is known about her. The process by which Tituba became known to many readers rendered her a convenient metaphor for the troubles in Salem.
In vitro comparison of root surface roughness and bacterial adhesion following treatment with three different instruments.

BACKGROUND A novel device, piezoelectric 11 Gracey curet tip, reportedly combines benefits of a piezoelectric device and manual curet. The primary objective of this study was to compare root surface roughness outcomes between traditional manual curets and piezoelectric devices, as compared with this novel device. The secondary aim was to assess the level of adhesion of Streptococcus mutans on the root surface after instrumentation. METHODS The groups consisted of the following: 1) Gracey curet; 2) piezoelectric scaler; 3) piezoelectric 11 Gracey curet tip; and 4) untreated control. Root specimens were obtained from extracted human teeth and randomly assigned to each group. Surface roughness measurements (Ra and Rz) were taken with a profilometer before and after instrumentation. After instrumentation, root specimens were inoculated with S. mutans and biofilm was dislodged. Various dilutions of resuspended biofilm were incubated on blood agar plates and colony forming units (CFU) values were measured. RESULTS The experimental device resulted in significantly lower Ra and Rz compared with other groups (P < 0.01), and the Gracey curet was significantly lower than the piezoelectric tip and untreated control (P < 0.05). The Gracey curet and experimental device tip had significantly lower CFU values compared with the control (P < 0.05). There were no significant CFU value differences between the Gracey curet and both the piezoelectric and experimental device tips. There were no significant CFU differences between piezoelectric tip and both experimental device and control. There was no correlation between Ra and CFU values for Gracey curet, piezoelectric tip, or the control. However, correlation between Ra values and CFU approached significance for the experimental device (correlation = 0.66, P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Piezoelectric 11 Gracey curet tip is effective at resulting in a significantly smoother surface compared with traditional piezoelectric and hand instruments. CFU values with piezoelectric 11 Gracey curet tip were significantly lower than non-instrumented surfaces, but there were no significant differences compared with conventional methods.
How positioning students in the professional physics community leads to a more inclusive community

When students are in our physics classes, they are doing physics and are part of the professional physics community. Martha-Elizabeth Baylor explains how treating students as professionals and training them in all aspects of what it means to be a physicist benefits both students and the wider community.
Computational simulation-derived hemodynamic and biomechanical properties of the pulmonary arterial tree early in the course of ventricular septal defects

Untreated ventricular septal defects (VSDs) can lead to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) characterized by elevated pulmonary artery (PA) pressure and vascular remodeling, known as PAH associated with congenital heart disease (PAH-CHD). Though previous studies have investigated hemodynamic effects on vascular mechanobiology in late-stage PAH, hemodynamics leading to PAH-CHD initiation have not been fully quantified. We hypothesize that abnormal hemodynamics from left-to-right shunting in early stage VSDs affects PA biomechanical properties leading to PAH initiation. To model PA hemodynamics in healthy, small, moderate, and large VSD conditions prior to the onset of vascular remodeling, computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed using a 3D finite element model of a healthy 1-year-old's proximal PAs and a body-surface-area-scaled 0D distal PA tree. VSD conditions were modeled with increased pulmonary blood flow to represent degrees of left-to-right shunting. In the proximal PAs, pressure, flow, strain, and wall shear stress (WSS) increased with increasing VSD size; oscillatory shear index decreased with increasing VSD size in the larger PA vessels. WSS was higher in smaller diameter vessels and increased with VSD size, with the large VSD condition exhibiting WSS >100 dyn/cm[Formula: see text], well above values typically used to study dysfunctional mechanotransduction pathways in PAH. This study is the first to estimate hemodynamic and biomechanical metrics in the entire pediatric PA tree with VSD severity at the stage leading to PAH initiation and has implications for future studies assessing effects of abnormal mechanical stimuli on endothelial cells and vascular wall mechanics that occur during PAH-CHD initiation and progression.
Use of a DVH overlay technique for quality assurance of deformable image registration-based dose accumulation.

PURPOSE We present a DVH overlay technique as a quality assurance (QA) metric for deformable image registration-based dose accumulation (DIR-DA). We use the technique to estimate the uncertainty in a DIR-DA for a revised treatment plan, and to compare two different DIR algorithms. MATERIALS AND METHODS The required inputs to the DVH overlay workflow are deformably registered primary and secondary images, primary regions-of-interest (ROIs), and secondary dose distribution. The primary ROIs were forward warped to the secondary image, the secondary dose was inversely warped to the primary image, and the DVHs for each image were compiled. Congruent DVHs imply minimal inverse consistency error (ICE) within an ROI. For a pancreas case re-planned after 21 fractions of a 29-fraction course, the workflow was used to quantify dose accumulation error attributable to ICE, based on a hybrid contour-and-intensity-based DIR. The usefulness of the workflow was further demonstrated by assessing the performance of two DIR algorithms (one free-form intensity-based, FFIB, the other using normalized correlation coefficients, NCC, over small neighborhood patches) as applied toward kVCT-to-MVCT registration and five-fraction dose accumulation of ten male pelvis cases. RESULTS For the re-planned pancreas case, when applying the DVH-overlay-based uncertainties the resulting accumulated dose remained compliant with all but two of the original plan objectives. Among the male pelvis cases, FFIB and NCC DIR showed good invertibility within the PTV, according to the DVH overlay QA results. NCC DIR exhibited better invertibility for the bladder and rectum compared with FFIB. However, compared with FFIB, NCC DIR exhibited less regional deformation for the bladder and a tendency for increased local contraction of the rectum ROI. For the five-fraction summations, ICE for the PTV V100%Rx is comparable for both algorithms (FFIB 0.8±0.7%, NCC 0.7±0.3%). For the bladder and rectum V70%Rx , ICE is greater for FFIB (1.8±0.7% for bladder, 1.7±0.6% for rectum) than for NCC (1.0±0.3% for bladder, 1.0±0.4% for rectum). CONCLUSIONS The DVH overlay technique identified instances in which a DIR exhibits favorable invertibility, implying low inverse consistency error in a DIR-based dose accumulation. Differences in the overlaid DVHs can also estimate dose accumulation errors attributable to ICE for given ROIs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Rank Preservation and Reversal in Decision Making

There are numerous real life examples done by many people which show that the alternatives of a decision sometimes can reverse their original rank order when new alternatives are added or old ones deleted and without bringing in new criteria. There is no mathematical theorem which proves that rank must always be preserved and there cannot be because of real life and hypothetical counter examples in decision making methods. Rank preservation came to be accepted as the standard because of techniques that could only rate alternatives one at a time treating them as independent. Thus an alternative receives a score and it will not change when other alternatives are added or deleted. All methods that only rate alternatives one at a time, thus always preserving rank, may not lead to the right decision; even if they may be right in certain areas of application. In reality, to determine how good an alternative is on an intangible criterion needs experience and knowledge about other alternatives and hence in their evaluation, the alternatives cannot be completely considered as independent of one another.
Scheduling with conflicts on bipartite and interval graphs

In this paper, we consider the on-line scheduling of jobs that may be competing for mutually exclusive resources. We model the conflicts between jobs with a conflict graph, so that the set of all concurrently running jobs must form an independent set in the graph. This model is natural and general enough to have applications in a variety of settings; however, we are motivated by the following two specific applications: traffic intersection control and session scheduling in high speed local area networks with spatial reuse. Our results focus on two special classes of graphs motivated by our applications: bipartite graphs and interval graphs. The cost function we use is maximum response time. In all of the upper bounds, we devise algorithms which maintain a set of invariants which bound the accumulation of jobs on cliques (in the case of bipartite graphs, edges) in the graph. The lower bounds show that the invariants maintained by the algorithms are tight to within a constant factor. For a specific graph which arises in the traffic intersection control problem, we show a simple algorithm which achieves the optimal competitive ratio.
MO-FG-BRA-05: Next Generation Radiotherapy Biomaterials Loaded With Gold Nanoparticles

Purpose: It has been proposed that routinely used inert radiotherapy (RT) biomaterials (e.g. fiducials, spacers) can be upgraded to smarter ones by coating/loading them with radiosensitizing gold nanoparticles (GNPs), for sustained in-situ release after implantation to enhance RT. In this work, we developed prototypes of such RT biomaterials and investigated the sustained release of GNPs from the biomaterials as a function of design parameters. Methods: Prototype smart biomaterials were produced by incorporating the GNPs in poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) polymer millirods during the gel phase of production. For comparison, commercially available spacers were also coated with a polymer film loaded with fluorescent GNP. Optical/spectroscopy methods were used to monitor in vitro release of GNPs over time as a function of different design parameters: polymer weighting, type, and initial (loading) GNP concentrations. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was employed to verify GNP release. Results: Results showed that gold nanoparticles could be successfully loaded in the new RT biomaterial prototypes. Burst release of GNPs could be achieved within 1 to 25 days depending on the preparation approach. Burst release was followed by sustained release profile over time. The amount of released GNP increased with increasing loading concentration as expected. The release profiles could also be customized as a function of polymer weighting, or preparation approaches. Conclusion: Considered together, our results highlight potential for the development of next generation RT biomaterials loaded with GNPs customizable to different RT schedules. Such biomaterials could be employed as needed instead of currently used inert spacers/fiducials at no additional inconvenience to patients, to enhance RT.
Surface forces in biological material. Measurement of surface tension by drop volume.

Abstract 1. 1. Surface-active forces are important biologically; relatively few measurements of surface activity of biological fluids have been made. 2. 2. The drop volume apparatus is a simple and relatively accurate device for surface-tension determination. 3. 3. The construction and use of such an apparatus is described.
Multiwave Picosecond Laser Interferometry of CO2-Laser-Produced Plasmas

Recently there has been much discussion centered around the production of fast ions and electrons in laser-produced plasmas. Malone et al.,1 at Los Alamos, found that the observed particle distributions could be explained by anomalously low thermal conductivity which would lead to decoupling of the corona from the dense core, overheating of the corona, and thus producing very non-Maxwellian particle distributions. Kidder2 actually speculated on this same type of decoupling for different reasons much earlier. The crucial assumption being made was that the density changed slowly in space from the underdense portion of the plasma to well above critical. The role of photon pressure or ponderomotive forces was probably underestimated in this earlier work. More recent theoretical work3 indicates that many of the same effects can be obtained if one speculates that severe density profile modifications occur due to the photon pressure exceeding the plasma pressure.
Job complexity,`type A' behavior, and cardiovascular disorder: A prospective study

Interview-based measures of “type A” behavior and psychological and task-person indexes of job complexity were obtained from 251 police and fire department employees with sound cardiovascular healt...
Heliospheric Boundary and the TeV Cosmic Ray Anisotropy

Observations over the last few decades have shown that cosmic rays have a small non uniform distribution in arrival direction. Such anisotropy appears to have a roughly consistent topology between 10's GeV and 100's TeV, with a smooth energy dependency on phase and amplitude. However, above a few 100's TeV a sudden change in the topology of the anisotropy is observed. The cosmic ray arrival directions are expected to depend on the distribution of their sources in the Milky Way, as well as on effects arising from propagation in the inhomogeneous and turbulent interstellar magnetic field. In particular, in the 1-10 TeV energy range, the gyroradius of cosmic ray particles, much smaller that the injection scale of interstellar magnetic field turbulence, is comparable to the size of the heliosphere. Resonant scattering processes of cosmic ray particles propagating through the heliosphere may be able to induce a redistribution of the small anisotropic component of their flux. In this paper we discuss on the processes that occurs to TeV cosmic rays in the heliosphere and on the possibility to probe the heliospheric magnetic fields on large scale by studying the arrival distribution of cosmos rays.
Identification of distinct ChAT+ neurons and activity-dependent control of postnatal SVZ neurogenesis

This study describes a novel population of cholinergic neurons in the adult subependymal zone (SEZ) of mouse that modulates neural progenitor proliferation. These ChAT+ neurons in the SEZ display neuronal activity-dependent release of acetylcholine locally and stimulate neurogenesis accordingly.
Adaptive Bayes sum test for the equality of two nonparametric functions

The statistical difference among massive data sets or signals is of interest to many diverse fields including neurophysiology, imaging, engineering, and other related fields. However, such data often have nonlinear curves, depending on spatial patterns, and have non-white noise that leads to difficulties in testing the significant differences between them. In this paper, we propose an adaptive Bayes sum test that can test the significance between two nonlinear curves by taking into account spatial dependence and by reducing the effect of non-white noise. Our approach is developed by adapting the Bayes sum test statistic by Hart [13]. The spatial pattern is treated through Fourier transformation. Resampling techniques are employed to construct the empirical distribution of test statistic to reduce the effect of non-white noise. A simulation study suggests that our approach performs better than the alternative method, the adaptive Neyman test by Fan and Lin [9]. The usefulness of our approach is demonstrate...
Changes in the importance of topics in auditing education: 2000‐2005

Purpose – The auditing educational process needs to be reevaluated in light of changing conditions so that it can adequately prepare students to function in the current environment. Utilizing two world‐wide surveys of auditing professors, the purpose of this paper is to extend prior research by identifying how auditing professors rank the importance of 41 topics typically included in an auditing course and, in addition, identify the significant changes in the topics' importance between the survey conducted in 2000 and repeated in 2005. The paper also aims to examine the focus, emphasis, prerequisites, required status, and level of university auditing courses.Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on the results of two questionnaires. The professors surveyed were identified from Hasselback's 2000‐2001 and 2005‐2006 Accounting Faculty Directories. The first questionnaire was mailed in November 2000 and the request to participate in the 2005 survey was e‐mailed in July 2005.Findings – The most impo...
Magnetic properties of barium ferrite synthesized using a microemulsion mediated process

Abstract Ultrafine barium ferrite particles have been synthesized using a microemulsion mediated process. The aqueous cores (typically 10–25 nm in size) of water-in-oil microemulsions were used as constrained microreactors for the precipitation of precursor carbonates of Ba 2+ and Fe 3+ . These precursors (5–15 nm in size) when heated at 950°C, transformed to the hexagonal ferrite BaFe 12 O 19 as confirmed by X-ray diffraction. This barium ferrite powder had an intrinsic coercivity of 5089 Oe and a saturation magnetization of 60.1 emu/g.
Learning contextual relevance of audio segments using discriminative models over AUD sequences

Effective retrieval of multimodal data involves performing accurate segmentation and analysis of such data. With easy access to a number of audio and video sharing platforms online, user-generated content with considerably less than ideal recording conditions has increased rapidly. One major issue with such content is the presence of semantically irrelevant segments in such recordings. This leads to the presence of considerable contextual noise in such recordings that makes analysis difficult. In this paper, we present a discriminative large-margin based approach that uses annotated data to understand which parts of the audio are relevant (while noting that the notion of relevance could be extremely subjective and potentially challenging to define), and can automatically extract such segments from new audio.
Evidence of solar cycle effect in the mesopause region: observed temperatures in 1999 and 2000 at over Fort Collins, CO (41°N,105°W)

Abstract Based on 417 nights of observation of temperatures in the mesopause region over Fort Collins, CO (41°N,105°W) from Spring of 1990 to March of 1999, climatological temperatures between 83 and 105 km were recently published. In the same article, a ∼5 K cooler temperature climatology with the effect of the observed episodic warming (peaked near 1993 attributable to Mt. Pinatubo's eruption) removed was also published. It was further established that in both the cases, the maximum and minimum annual temperature variations in the mesopause region occur near 85.5 and 98.5 km , respectively, over Fort Collins, CO. With only minimal annual and semi-annual variations, the time series of temperatures at 98.5 km may serve as a qualitative proxy for the long-term temperature change in the region, relatively free from model bias. This paper reports the nightly mean temperatures at 98.5 km between April 1999 and December 2000, during which the flux of Solar Cycle 23 approached its maximum. When these temperatures are compared to the 8-yr climatology with episodic warming removed, one finds that the mean temperatures for 1999 and 2000 are higher than the climatology mean by 3.6 and 16.8 K , respectively. We suggest that the observation of these higher mean temperatures as the solar max approaches is a signature of the solar cycle's effect on the temperatures in a midlatitude mesopause region.
ViRi: view it right

We present ViRi -- an intriguing system that enables a user to enjoy a frontal view experience even when the user is actually at a slanted viewing angle. ViRi tries to restore the front-view effect by enhancing the normal content rendering process with an additional geometry correction stage. The necessary prerequisite is effectively and accurately estimating the actual viewing angle under natural viewing situations and under the constraints of the device's computational power and limited battery deposit. We tackle the problem with face detection and augment the phone camera with a fisheye lens to expand its field of view so that the device can recognize its user even the phone is placed casually. We propose effective pre-processing techniques to ensure the applicability of face detection tools onto highly distorted fisheye images. To save energy, we leverage information from system states, employ multiple low power sensors to rule out unlikely viewing situations, and aggressively seek additional opportunities to maximally skip the face detection. For situations in which face detection is unavoidable, we design efficient prediction techniques to further speed up the face detection. The effectiveness of the proposed techniques have been confirmed through thorough evaluations. We have also built a straw man application to allow users to experience the intriguing effects of ViRi.
A prevalent mutation for galactosemia among black Americans

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To define the mutation causing galactosemia in patients of black American origin who have no galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GALT) activity in erythrocytes but good clinical outcome. METHODS: We discovered a mutation caused by a C→T transition at base-pair 1158 of the GALT gene that results in a serine-to-leucine substitution at codon 135 (S135L). We developed a method with which to screen populations for its prevalence. We compared galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase among erythrocytes, leukocytes, and transformed lymphoblasts, as well as total body oxidation of D-[ 13 C]-galactose to 13 CO 2 among three genotypes for GALT (S135L/S135L, Q188R/Q188R, and Normal/Normal). RESULTS: We found a 48% prevalence of the S135L mutation among 17 black American patients with classic galactosemia and a 1% prevalence in a population of 50 black Americans without galactosemia. The S135L mutation was not found in 84 white patients with G/G galactosemia nor in 87 white control subjects without galactosemia. We found normal whole body oxidation of D-[ 13 C]-galactose by the patient homozygous for S135L and various degrees of enzyme impairment among different tissues. CONCLUSIONS: The S135L mutation in the GALT gene is a prevalent cause of galactosemia among black patients. Because GALT activity varies in different tissues of patients homozygous for S135L, they may have a better clinical outcome than patients who are homozygous for Q188R when both are treated from infancy. (J PEDIATR 1996;128:89-95)
Small Signal Modeling and Control Design for New Extended Duty Ratio, Interleaved Multiphase Synchronous Buck Converter

This paper presents large signal and small signal average models and a control structure for a new extended duty ratio, multiphase, synchronous buck converter. This recently introduced topology produces an increase in duty ratio by a factor 2 and a significant reduction in output current ripple. An intrinsic current balancing mechanism, a new overlapping steady state mode of operation, and an improved interleaving pattern are examined in this paper. The proposed modeling and control design methodologies are applied to a 12 V-1.2 V/40 A, 400 kHz, four-phase prototype
Studies on the stereoselective synthesis of C-allyl glycosides.

An investigation was carried out to explore the use of sulfoxide donors as common precursors to stereoisomeric C-glycoconjugates of glycoprotein and glycolipid tumor antigens. A study focusing on the effects of reaction conditions and substrate structure on the stereoselectivity of allylation was carried out. Although conditions were realized to selectively afford α-allylation products in good to excellent yields, the search for conditions favoring β-selectivity proved less successful.
Functionalized Multiwall Carbon Nanotube/Gold Nanoparticle Composites

Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were chemically oxidized in a mixture of sulfuric acid and nitric acid (3:1) while being ultrasonicated. The effect of oxidative ultrasonication at room temperature on development of functional groups on the carbon nanotubes was investigated. The dispersability and the carboxylic acid group concentration of functionalized MWCNTs (fMWNTs) varied with reaction time. The concentration of carboxylic acid groups on fMWNTs increased from 4 × 10-4 mol/g of fMWNTs to 1.1 × 10-3 mol/g by doubling the treatment period from 4 to 8 h. The colloidal stability of aqueous fMWCNTs dispersions was enhanced through elongated oxidation. fMWCNTs that were reacted longer than 4 h did not precipitate in aqueous media for at least 24 h. The layer-by-layer self-assembly of polyelectrolytes on fMWCNTs was characterized by zeta potential measurements. The zeta potential of fMWCNTs changed from negative charge to positive charge when cationic polyelectrolytes were self-assembled on their surface....
Commerce at the Helm

The contributors offer a philosophical perspective on "the current large-scale economic shaping of academic scientific research."
A method for bioconjugation of carbohydrates using Diels-Alder cycloaddition.

Diels−Alder-type cycloaddition of an electronically matched pair of saccharide-linked conjugated dienes and a dienophile-equipped protein gives neoglycoproteins at ambient temperature in pure water with a reaction half-life of approximately 2 h. Uncoupled saccharides can be recovered by diafiltration with complete conservation of the diene moiety, thus allowing their repeated use. The procedure described is the first for creating a carbon−carbon covalent bond in the bioconjugation step between a saccharide and a protein.
The plane solution for bending of joined dissimilar elastic semi-infinite strips

Abstract The problem is reduced to a system of two singular integral equations for determining the interface slope and shear stress. The dominant part of the system is analyzed to determine the order of the stress singularity and its dependence on the elastic constants. After removing logarithmic singularities from the right hand sides we solve these equations numerically for several chosen composites and the interface slope and traction are exhibited graphically. The solution should be relevant in studying adhesive joints by means of a bending test.
Clinical hepatitis after transplantation of hepatitis C virus-positive kidneys: HLA-DR3 as a risk factor for the development of posttransplant hepatitis.

Background. Exposure to hepatitis C virus (HCV) and subsequent infection after renal transplantation lead to significant clinical hepatitis in approximately 50% of graft recipients. Methods. One hundred thirty-two consecutive renal allotransplant patients, who underwent transplantation of kidneys from HCV-positive cadaveric donors, were studied to investigate the relationship between donor and recipient HLA type and the risk of developing clinical hepatitis. Specific attention was directed toward the DR3 and DR4 alleles, as these had previously been associated with worse prognoses in autoimmune and viral hepatitis. Results. Overall, 42% of patients receiving kidneys from donors seropositive for HCV developed clinical hepatitis. This was unrelated to preoperative recipient HCV serum reactivity (P=0.65). Patients receiving kidneys from seropositive donors with HCV RNA as detected by PCR were more likely to develop hepatitis than those receiving kidneys from PCR-negative donors (56% vs. 11%; P=0.005). The presence of the DR3 allele was associated with a significant risk of clinical hepatitis (P=0.025); 80% of DR3-positive recipients (n=34) progressed to hepatitis compared with 42% of DR3-negative patients. No other recipient HLA type was significantly related to prognosis. All patients receiving a donated kidney that expressed the B41 allele developed hepatitis, compared with 55% of recipients of non-B41 grafts (P=0.039). No association between the development of clinical hepatitis and HLA compatibility was found. Conclusions. These results suggest that both HLA type and viral presence as assayed by polymerase chain reaction, influence the risk of disease progression after transplantation of HCV-positive kidneys. Application of these associations may decrease the relative risk of a recipient contracting HCV hepatitis after cadaveric renal transplantation.
Inflation and Social Pacts in Brazil and Mexico

The politics of inflation in Latin AmericaIn recent years inflation has accelerated in Latin America to become a seemingly intractable problem. In many countries, even when high inflation or hyperinflation has been brought down, the inflationary ‘floor’ has remained high, with all the appearance of a series of upward and irreversible steps. The underlying average annual rate of inflation has tended to rise steadily, as can be seen in the table overleaf.The reasons for persisting high inflation and for the seeming inability of government policy to bring inflation down in a lasting manner are complex and controversial. Moreover, as a number of authors have noted,1 the reasons for the failure of anti-inflationary policy are often, in some measure, political as well as purely economic. For one thing, inflation, and efforts to control inflation, involve a redistributive struggle the political costs of which the government may be unable or unwilling to bear. In addition, the government simply may not have the administrative capacity to implement certain measures effectively. For example, one way of restoring fiscal balance may be to increase taxes on wealth-holders, but this may not be a politically feasible option for many governments. Central governments may have limited control over the spending of regional and local governments, or over state-owned corporations, and may therefore have difficulty in controlling expenditure. Moreover, effective anti-inflationary policy may require political conditions that may simply not be present in many Latin American political systems. For example, in September 1989, towards the end of the Sarney government in Brazil, inflation was running at 38% per month.
Race, Class, and Educational Opportunity: Trends in the Sociology of Education

This essay examines some of the trends in educational, sociological, and social psychological research on inequality of educational opportunity for African Americans in the United States. A review of theoretical approaches and methodological developments is followed by an overview of research and theory in selected substantive areas; social allocation processes in schools (ability grouping, tracking, etc.), the relationship of poverty to academic achievement, and educational attainment. The article concludes with recommendations for future research.
Television production techniques as communication

In recent years, mass communication scholars have exhibited an increasing willingness to regard television programming as a visual text or message system. One approach to television as text is the encoding/decoding model of Stuart Hall. While a substantial body of research has grown from this model, it has tended to focus almost exclusively on the process of decoding. By comparison, the process of encoding has been virtually ignored. The significance of the encoding of televisual discourse is explored by examining two programs with distinct narrative structures, All in the Family and M∗A∗S∗H. It is argued that the communicative ability of any television narrative is, in large part, a function of this encoding process or, more specifically, the production techniques utilized in its creation.
Tracing the evaluation of APL expressions

The ability to trace each step in the evaluation of an APL expression is useful for debugging and improving APL code as well as for teaching APL. This facility can be provided by the APL interpreter, however, it is not clear what form of display is most suitable for this purpose. In this paper three alternate forms of display are described, illustrated and compared. The question of how this capability should be invoked is also addressed.
Elementary Students' Sleep Habits and Teacher Observations of Sleep-Related Problems

ABSTRACT: Sleep affects the health and well-being of children and plays a key role in preventing disease and injury, stability of mood, and ability to learn. Unfortunately, children often do not get adequate sleep on a regular basis. This study surveyed 199 fifth-grade students regarding their sleep habits using the Sleep Self-Report (SSR) instrument (child's form), the Morningness/Eveningness (M/E) Scale, and additional demographic questions. Students' teachers also were asked to evaluate their students' behavior using the Teacher's Daytime Sleepiness Questionnaire (TDSQ). Results indicated many students experienced problems with sleep-related behavior. However, correlating the TDSQ scale with the SSR Daytime Sleepiness Subscale produced a weak correlation coefficient, indicating teachers may not be able to accurately identify students with sleep problems. Overall findings indicated these students displayed sleep behavior similar to other US children. However, research involving children's sleep behavior is limited, and more research is needed. Parents should monitor their children's sleep times, and teachers need to be aware how sleep deprivation can affect children's mood, reaction time, and concentration. Health education curricula need to include sleep-related instruction at all grade levels to address this concern.
Mechanical deflection of cantilever microbeams: A new technique for testing the mechanical properties of thin films

The mechanical deflection of cantilever microbeams is presented as a new technique for testing the mechanical properties of thin films. Single-layer microbeams of Au and SiO2 have been fabricated using conventional silicon micromachining techniques. Typical thickness, width, and length dimensions of the beams are 1.0,20, and 30 μm, respectively. The beams are mechanically deflected by a Nanoindenter, a submicron indentation instrument that continuously monitors load and deflection. Using simple beam theory and the load-deflection data, the Young’s moduli and the yield strengths of thin-film materials that comprise the beams are determined. The measured mechanical properties are compared to those obtained by indenting similar thin films supported by their substrate.
Unique molecular species composition of glycerolipids of frog rod outer segments

The composition and metabolism of molecular species of glycerolipids, including phosphatidic acid (PA), phosphatidylinositol (PI) and diacylglycerol (DG), were studied in four frog retinal fractions prepared by discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation. Six glycerolipid classes were isolated from the lipid extracts of each fraction and converted to their corresponding 1,2-diacylglycerol acetates by acetolysis for quantitation of their molecular species by HPLC. Rod outer segments (ROS) showed a distinctive molecular species composition in all glycerolipid classes except phosphatidylcholine (PC). The relative amounts of dipolyunsaturated species in ROS were higher in phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS), and PA, compared to the other retinal fractions. PI and DG of ROS had a similar molecular species composition and contained only small amounts of dipolyunsaturated species. A unique feature of the molecular species of ROS PI and DG was that they had high amounts of species containing docosahexaenoic acid (22: 6 omega 3), while PI and DG from the other retinal membranes consisted mostly of species containing arachidonic acid (20: 4 omega 6). Following in vitro incubation of frog retinas with [2-3H] glycerol, the mass and radioactivity distributions among molecular species were determined following HPLC fractionation. The unique species composition of PS in ROS is determined mainly by selective translocation from the inner segments to ROS, since the dpm %, representative of newly synthesized species composition of the same glycerolipid classes in the other membrane fractions. This suggests that the distinctive species composition of PE and PA in ROS is determined not by selective translocation from the inner segments, but by remodeling processes taking place in the ROS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Localization of mechanoreceptors in the protozoan, Stentor coeruleus.

Mechanoreceptor channels were localized by using the ligands, tubocurarine (TC), decamethonium (Deca), and gallamine (Gall), which have been shown to bind specifically to these channels. The binding of radioactively labeled TC (TC*) was found to be directly proportional to the cell surface area suggesting that the channels are uniformly distributed over the cell surface. Intracellular TC and Gall injections did not depress mechanical stimulus sensitivity though these drugs did depress sensitivity when applied extracellularly at the same concentrations; therefore, the ligand binding sites are on or near the external surface of the cell. Autoradiographs revealed that radioactively labeled Deca (Deca*) bound to the pigmented stripes but not to the ciliary stripes or membranellar band. Further,Stentor induced to shed their membranellar band through exposure to 8% urea were more sensitive to mechanical stimuli than were controls; therefore, the membranellar cilia do not appear to contain mechanoreceptor channels. Collectively, these data indicate that the mechanoreceptor channels are located in the somatic surface covering the pigmented stripes. The density of mechanoreceptor channels in the plasma membrane covering the somatic surface is tentatively estimated to be between 5500 and 14500 μm−2 based on the density of TC* binding, the apparent number of TC molecules binding per mechanoreceptor channel, and data suggesting that only one fifth to one fourth of the bound TC* is bound to structures in the plasma membrane.
Evaluation of pharmacy faculty knowledge and perceptions of the patient-centered medical home within pharmacy education

Abstract Purpose To assess pharmacy faculty knowledge about key patient-centered medical home (PCMH) principles and evaluate pharmacy faculty perception of inclusion of PCMH information in didactic and/or experiential pharmacy education. Methods E-mail addresses of 6433 pharmacy faculty members were obtained from the 2011–2012 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) roster. In an online survey, faculty rated their familiarity with key PCMH principles, indicated whether PCMH concepts are currently included and/or should be included in pharmacy education, and where and how this information should be taught. Results Responses are included from 781 faculty members (12.1%). Among them, 641 (82%) respondents reported being aware of PCMH. A total of 207 (27%) respondents report PCMH is taught didactically and 203 (28%) report inclusion in experiential education. Faculty members were most likely to indicate that PCMH should be incorporated into required lectures and workshops in the first, second, and third professional didactic years, and into experiential education in the third and fourth years. Conclusion Many faculty members agree that it is important to teach about the PCMH health care model, but there is a low level of faculty familiarity with the standards and principles that guide this health care paradigm. Future pharmacists have an important opportunity to advance practice by participating in PCMH team care, and pharmacy education has a central responsibility in incorporating these concepts into the didactic and experiential curriculum in order to prepare pharmacists to effectively contribute in this setting.
Allelic variation of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor 2DS5 impacts glycosylation altering cell surface expression levels

Abstract Natural killer cell stimulatory receptor gene, KIR2DS5 , is polymorphic. While KIR2DS5 ∗ 002 is most frequently observed, other alleles have also been found. The proteins encoded by these alleles ( KIR2DS5 ∗ 002– ∗ 009 ) are expressed at varying levels on the surface of NKL and Jurkat transfectants. Gel electrophoresis of all allelic products showed two isoforms which differ in the extent of maturation of N-linked glycosylation. These isoforms differed in intensity and molecular weight among the allelic products. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to identify polymorphic variation at residues 123 and 157 as key in altering glycosylation and levels of surface expression.
Optimizing Marketing Impact through Data Driven Decisioning

Is my marketing working, how much is marketing helping the business and which campaigns and channels are effective? The key challenge for the Chief Marketing Officer is to tie investment in marketing to business results. In an increasingly complex marketing environment -- marketing organizations are being called upon to prove and optimize the return on marketing investment across different paid earned and owned marketing channels. In this talk we will show how data science and optimization techniques can be applied to cross channel data to attribute marketing effectiveness, drive media planning and real-time optimization of campaigns. Using terabytes of multi-channel data we answer questions such as what is the impact of different marketing campaigns on our business, how should we allocate our marketing dollars between different channels and when should I spend them and how do we execute our marketing campaigns based on the synergies of the different channels.
Current and Emerging Water Main Renewal Technologies

AbstractThe funding needed to address aging water infrastructure ranges in the hundreds of billions of dollars over the next 25 years, and at current replacement rates, pipes are being expected to last for 200 years, although pipes are designed for 100 years or less. In addition to funding needs, utility congestion is making water main replacement more difficult, as is the lack of public tolerance for the disruption from construction. The increased availability of pipe-renewal technologies provides solutions that minimize these problems while providing cost-effective alternatives to traditional replacement. The primary contribution of this paper is the state-of-the-art review of current and emerging renewal technologies used for the repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of water mains. This paper also discusses the data and capability gaps in terms of needs that are unmet by the current renewal technologies. To overcome these gaps, recommendations include conducting renewal technology demonstrations in ...
Characterization Of Thymic Atrophy and the Mechanism of Thymocyte Depletion after in Vivo Exposure to a Mixture Of Herbicides

3,4-Dichloropropionanilide (propanil) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) are two commonly used herbicides that are marketed as a chemical mixture. It was hypothesized that the interaction between these two herbicides, when administered as a mixture, would result in a greater effect on the immune system than the individual components of the mixture. The present study demonstrates in a murine model that a mixture of propanil and 2,4-D, when compared to single herbicide exposures, exacerbates decreases in thymocyte populations 2 d postexposure and inhibits the repopulation of T-cells in the thymus 7 d postexposure. Exposure to 150 mg herbicide/kg body weight of propanil or 2,4-D alone had no effect on thymus weight. In contrast, decreases in the ratio of thymus weight to body weight (TW:BW) occurred 2 d after treatment with the mixture of 150 mg propanil/kg body weight + 150 mg 2,4-D/kg body weight (150/150). Thymic atrophy was associated with a decrease in the double-positive thymocyte population (C...
Modular Utilization of Distal cis-Regulatory Elements Controls Ifng Gene Expression in T Cells Activated by Distinct Stimuli

Distal cis-regulatory elements play essential roles in the T lineage-specific expression of cytokine genes. We have mapped interactions of three trans-acting factors-NF-kappaB, STAT4, and T-bet-with cis elements in the Ifng locus. We find that RelA is critical for optimal Ifng expression and is differentially recruited to multiple elements contingent upon T cell receptor (TCR) or interleukin-12 (IL-12) plus IL-18 signaling. RelA recruitment to at least four elements is dependent on T-bet-dependent remodeling of the Ifng locus and corecruitment of STAT4. STAT4 and NF-kappaB therefore cooperate at multiple cis elements to enable NF-kappaB-dependent enhancement of Ifng expression. RelA recruitment to distal elements was similar in T helper 1 (Th1) and effector CD8(+) T (Tc1) cells, although T-bet was dispensable in CD8 effectors. These results support a model of Ifng regulation in which distal cis-regulatory elements differentially recruit key transcription factors in a modular fashion to initiate gene transcription induced by distinct activation signals.
Frontotemporal dementia, sociality, and identity: Comparing adult-child and caregiver-frontotemporal dementia interactions

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the prefrontal cortex, and impairs various aspects relevant to social cognition. Such impairments can emerge as a visible phenomenon in social interaction and therefore can have very real consequences for those who interact with the afflicted (Goodwin, 2003). In this article, I examine how attitudes toward FTD patients are indexed through speech features employed by their interlocutors. I focus on three different speech features typically employed by adults and directed towards subordinates or children: directives, let’s/we framed sequences, and initiation-response-evaluation sequences. These forms are used as strategies to affect and guide FTD patient behaviors, and index how FTD patients are socially constructed as ‘child-like’ and in need of assistance and guidance though not necessarily warranted. Thus, FTD patients may be subject to a diminished status as a result of their social impairments.
Exchange rate volatility and domestic consumption: a multicountry analysis

Inflation uncertainty, measured by the volatility of inflation, is said to have a negative effect on domestic consumption by making the public more cautious about their spending. Since exchange rate volatility contributes to inflation volatility, we conjecture that it could have a direct effect on domestic consumption. We demonstrate our conjecture by specifying a consumption function that includes a measure of exchange rate volatility, in addition to its usual determinants. The model is estimated for each of the 17 countries in the sample using the boundstesting approach to cointegration and error-correction modeling. The results reveal that in 12 of the countries, exchange rate volatility has short-run effects on consumption. Long-run effects are observed in only 9 countries.