cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The crystal structure of copper(II) complexes with N-substituted o -hydroxyacetophenone imines: R = methyl, n-octyl, benzyl, and 2-phenylethyl

Abstract Crystal structures have been determined from three-dimensional X-ray diffraction data for a series of copper(II) complexes of N-substituted o -hydroxyacetophenone imines, HO−C 6 H 4 −C(CH 3 )NR, with R = methyl, n-octyl, benzyl, and 2-phenylethyl. The methyl complex was studied in two different crystalline forms. The structures of the complexes with R = isobutyl and H have been previously reported. In the yellow-brown, triclinic form of the methyl complexes, the copper(II) has achieved 5-coordination by dimer formation through long (2.378A) CuO bonds. In all other cases the copper is 4-coordinate, planar for R = H, CH 3 , i-C 4 H 9 , C 8 H 17 , distorted tetrahedral for R = CH 2 Φ, CH 2 ch 2 Φ. All of the` complexes show deviations from planarity by exhibiting either a “twist” in the coordination polyhedron from planar toward tetrahedral geometry, a “step”, or some combination of “twist” and “step”. The largest “twist” is 29.°6 (for R = CH 2 CH 2 Φ). The largest “step”, defined as the distance by which the Cu atom is out of the plane defined by the benzene ring of the o-hydroxyacetophenone residue, is 1.33 A (for R = n-C 8 H 17 ). There are correlations between the “twist” and the chelate “bite” distance, and between the “step” and the values of the angeles adjacent to the coordination polyhedron. The CC bond adjacent to the benzene ring of the o -hydroxyacetophenone residue is significantly lengthened, up to 1.473(4)A. The benzene ring itself is slightly distorted from planarity, exhibiting a tendency toward a “boat” conformation, and also contains three long and three short CC bonds in the ring. These complexes are compared to a similar series of copper(II) complexes, the N-substituted salicyaldimines. The two series show similar structural properties, except that the valus for the “step” are larger for the N-substituted o -hydroxyacetophenone imine complexes.
Applying the Fracture Splitting Technical to Connecting Rod Design

This article present the advantage of the fracture splitting process,based on the contrast of the manufacture process between Fracture splitting process and traditional forging process,and the contrast of the geometry dimension fore-and-aft the connecting rod finish dyno-test.In addition,this article present an argument that separate forging adapt to A engine,while integrative forging apply to the B engine,base on the design of this two engine connection rod.And,this article study the feasibility that the fracture splitting process applying to the B engine connection rod.
The Surface Energy of MgO: Multiscale Reconstruction from Thermal Groove Geometry

The surface energy of MgO is determined using experimental data collected from equilibrated thermal grooves circumscribing island grains. Local equilibrium assumptions at each groove require that the Herring equations be satisfied at each data site, thereby yielding a large and overdetermined system of equations involving the surface energy γ. This inverse problem is then solved using a new technique that is statistical in nature and multiscale in implementation. The resulting discrete solution represents a statistically significant representation of the surface energy of MgO as a function of surface orientation. Comparisons to results derived from a more traditional approach, along with suggested further applications, are discussed.
Comparing Measures of Voice Quality From Sustained Phonation and Continuous Speech.

Purpose The question of what type of utterance—a sustained vowel or continuous speech—is best for voice quality analysis has been extensively studied but with equivocal results. This study examines...
Could folic acid influence growth cone motility during the development of neural connectivity

Perinatal dietary supplementation, together with widespread fortification of grain-based foods with synthetic folic acid (FA) has resulted in rising concentrations of unmetabolized plasma FA in pregnant women. In a recently published study we reported on experiments in which we cultured dorsal root ganglia from chick embryos in a range of FA concentrations. We found that FA inhibited neurite extension, synaptogenesis, and growth cone motility. In this commentary we consider the possible mechanism further. The effect of FA is more likely to be on motility processes of growth cones with their exploratory filapodia than on neurotrophic stimulation. Receptors present in the filapodia membrane recognize and bind to environmental guidance cues. The presence of the NMDA receptor on filapodia, and the possible competition of FA with the neurotransmitter glutamate for binding to it, resulting in perturbation of growth cone guidance, are discussed. Whether excess FA exerts its inhibitory effects by such binding competition or via some other mechanism, further investigation is needed. Sufficient intake of folate from conception through the first month of human pregnancy is essential for neural tube closure. However, our results suggest that an upper limit for FA consumption after the first month should be considered.
Solar thermoelectric generators: Pushing the efficiency up

Concentrated thermoelectric generators convert solar energy to electricity, but historically their conversion efficiency has lagged behind their potential. Now, full system efficiencies of 7.4% are achieved by segmentation of two thermoelectric materials and a spectrally selective surface.
Nutrient Limitation and Uptake

Abstract In this chapter, we describe nutrient limitation in stream ecosystems, the problems associated with elevated nutrient loading caused by human activities in the watershed, and how streams process and transform nutrients prior to downstream export. We provide a basic method for quantifying nutrient limitation of stream biofilms using nutrient diffusing substrata. We also detail two advanced methods that can be used to quantify nutrient spiraling within streams using experimental addition approaches: a short-term nutrient release and a 15N stable isotope tracer addition. Finally, we describe several modifications to the various methods that could expand their application to various research questions or to allow for customization depending on specific research questions. Understanding the nutrient limitation status and quantifying nutrient uptake in streams is vital because these are key components of ecosystem function, providing information on how streams retain nutrients from watersheds prior to downstream export.
Improving quadrotor trajectory tracking by compensating for aerodynamic effects

In this work, we demonstrate that the position tracking performance of a quadrotor may be significantly improved for forward and vertical flight by incorporating simple lumped parameter models for induced drag and thrust, respectively, into the quadrotor dynamics and modifying the controller to compensate for these terms. We further show that the parameters for these models may be easily and accurately identified offline from forward and vertical flight data. We demonstrate that the simple drag compensating controller can reduce the position error in the direction of forward flight in steady state by 75%, and that the controller using a more accurate thrust model, dubbed the “refined” thrust model, can improve the position error by 72% in the vertical direction.
Women and the Experience of Pain and Opioid Use Disorder: A Literature-based Commentary

It is generally understood that pain experience and opioid abuse have relied on male-dominated models. However, sex and gender play a role in both pain experience and opioid use disorder. Using the previously validated Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Sex and Gender Specific Health PubMed Advanced Search Tool, the authors used pertinent literature to develop this literature-based commentary on sex and gender differences in pain experience and opioid use disorder. Women report their experience of pain more frequently, have increased rates of diagnoses related to pain, have increased pain sensitivity, and have a variable response to pain and analgesia. This variable response is due to anatomic, physiologic, hormonal, psychological, and social factors that differ by sex and gender. Women have been found to be at greater risk for opioid abuse in all age groups. This may be due to the differences in pain experience, as well as sex and gender differences in prescribing patterns, cultural norms, and the increased likelihood to experience dependency and withdrawal. Approaches to the treatment of opioid use disorder are also subject to sex and gender differences-an area in need of further investigation.
Engaging linguistically diverse populations: Gatekeepers in rural and sparsely populated areas of the U.S. Midwest

In the Midwestern U.S., there is a growing population of Latin American immigrants. This increase is driven largely by employment opportunities in generally low-skilled, low wage fields such as meat processing and packing, and other agricultural fields. As a result, rural towns with relatively few resources are welcoming a growing number of non-English speaking immigrants who may not have experience with the practices and institutions of the U.S. such as libraries, schools, hospitals, or social support services. The agencies that usually work with linguistically diverse immigrant populations are churches, schools, and university extension departments. Building off previous research, this paper reports on ten interviews with gatekeepers about their work in reaching and engaging with Latin American immigrant populations. Three interrelated themes emerged from the interviews: the importance of language, of providing relevant services, and of cultivating trust. Drawing from the experiences reported by the gatekeepers as well as the literature, the authors discuss implications for small rural libraries that might not be equipped to take over gatekeeping roles, but that want to work with immigrant communities. Ultimately, the authors recommend that rural libraries liaise with established gatekeepers to the greatest extent possible.
The European Court of Justice as an Engine of Economic Integration: Reconsidering Evidence that the ECJ has Expanded Economic Exchange in Europe

Membership in the European Union involves a commitment to economic liberalization regarding the movement of goods, services, capital, and labor. But what the treaty articles and secondary legislation mean in practice - particularly when brought into conflict with national laws, depends on judicial interpretation by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Stone Sweet and his collaborators (Stone Sweet 2004; Stone Sweet and Brunell 1999; Fligstein and Stone Sweet 2002; Stone Sweet and Caporaso 1998) argue that the European Court of Justice's rulings have played an important role in completing the internal market through market liberalizing rulings. Specifically, they argue that the increased use of the preliminary reference procedure over time provided the ECJ with greater opportunities to rule on the validity of national barriers to free movement and this in turn produced increasing exchange of goods among the member states. I test this proposition with a novel dataset. The results indicate that, on average, market liberalizing rulings on preliminary references system. Moreover, this effect is not among the EU member states.
Integration of Central and Peripheral Regulation of the Circulation during Exercise: Acute and Chronic Adaptations

Physical movement lasting any more than a few seconds (e.g., exercise), requires coordination of motor control with concomitant changes in the cardiovascular and respiratory support necessary to respond to the rapid increases in metabolic demand. Without such coordination, delivery of oxygen and removal of waste products become rate limiting and will restrict the duration, speed, and quality of movement. Fortunately, under healthy conditions, the central and peripheral nervous systems contribute importantly to this remarkable level of coordination via complex mechanisms that remain to be fully elucidated. The purposes of this review are to present the current state of knowledge regarding: (i) mechanisms by which the body maintains appropriate perfusion pressure to all organs during acute bouts of exercise, and (ii) alterations occurring in these mechanisms via central nervous system adaptations when exercise is performed or not performed on a regular basis (e.g., physically active versus sedentary lifestyle, respectively). Results from studies performed in humans and laboratory animals provide the reader a well-rounded knowledge base. They are intended to instill an appreciation of what is known, and not known, about how the brain regulates the cardiovascular system during acute bouts of exercise, and the adaptations that occur when individuals exercise regularly versus when chronically sedentary. Discussion of the latter is intended to provide novel mechanisms for the increased incidence of cardiovascular disease in sedentary individuals versus a reduced incidence in individuals who are regularly active. © 2018 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 8:103-151, 2018.
A Feature-Based Diagnosis Framework for Power Plant Model Validation

There has been increasing recognition of the importance of utilizing phasor measurement units (PMUs) for power plant model validation (PPMV). In North America, the PMU-based PPMV is typically performed manually by utilities and independent system operators (ISOs) for diagnosing and calibrating power plant model problems. In order to guarantee the accuracy of the calibration results, engineers need to provide manual judgment to the mismatched PPMV cases, so that the type of the modeling problem (such as wrong machine parameters, missing governor models, etc.) can be determined before the model is sent for a detailed calibration. This manual judgment process has become the major bottleneck for automating the PMU-based PPMV. To overcome this difficulty, this paper proposes a feature-based diagnosis framework to determining the types of the power plant model problems. It mimics the human engineering judgment process via a supervised learning approach. Instead of applying purely curve fitting or sensitivity analysis, this approach uses the engineering experience extracted from the labeled historical PPMV cases, establish the critical feature space, and then perform artificial learning to determine the type of a power plant model problem. The proposed framework could serve as a screening tool for the PPMV engineering judgment process, which could potentially help automate the entire PMU-based PPMV applications.
The Kibble balance and the kilogram

Abstract Dr. Bryan Kibble invented the watt balance in 1975 to improve the realization of the unit for electrical current, the ampere. With the discovery of the Quantum Hall effect in 1980 by Dr. Klaus von Klitzing and in conjunction with the previously predicted Josephson effect, this mechanical apparatus could be used to measure the Planck constant h. Following a proposal by Quinn, Mills, Williams, Taylor, and Mohr, the Kibble balance can be used to realize the unit of mass, the kilogram, by fixing the numerical value of Planck's constant. In 2017, the watt balance was renamed to the Kibble balance to honor the inventor, who passed in 2016. This article explains the Kibble balance, its role in the redefinition of the unit of mass, and attempts an outlook of the future.
THE MEASUREMENT OF ABSOLUTE ABSORPTIVITY VALUES IN INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

Summary * The inter-relation of infrared absorptivity data among instruments and laboratories has not been possible with any useful precision. Lack of adequate resolution and photometric standards have been largely responsible for this situation. With the advent of commercially available infrared grating spectrophotometers, such as the Beckman IR-7, sufficient resolution is available to measure the true intensity of liquid and solid state absorption bands. Photometric standards composed of calcium fluoride plates offer promise for photometric standards. The absorptivity of such plates can be expressed in a mathematical equation involving only thickness and frequency. Actual determination of absolute absorptivity data requires careful consideration of instrument and sample band widths. Tracking error must be recognized. Problems associated with the photometric resolution as distinguished from frequency resolution, are discussed.
Renal Mass Biopsy

Evaluation of renal masses is critical for proper patient management. Clinical and radiological evaluation are paramount with the latter indicating whether a renal mass is solid or cystic and the complexity of a radiographically detected cyst using the Bosniak criteria. Historically, virtually all solid or complex cystic renal masses were surgically resected without biopsy confirmation as it did not alter management and was viewed as introducing unnecessary morbidity. Over the past two decades, clinical thinking has gradually changed to accept the safety and utility of renal mass biopsy for subsets of patients for whom histologic biopsy diagnosis is potentially useful. While the large majority of patients who undergo surgical resection of their renal masses are still not biopsied, many patients with smaller tumors who are candidates for ablation or surveillance or patients with advanced disease are increasingly biopsied in contemporary practice. Accordingly, we will discuss the clinical situations where renal mass biopsy may be indicated, its performance characteristics, as well as the general approach to pathologic evaluation and limitations of renal mass biopsy.
Postoperative Management of Patients Undergoing Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

Patients undergoing complex cytoreduction with or without heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy consist of a heterogenous group of patients, each with their unique post-operative needs. Expertise in postoperative care is necessary for safety and improved outcomes. In this chapter, we will first summarize key general issues that form the foundation of uncomplicated postoperative recovery. We will then discuss strategies to prevent common complications. Best available evidence for treatment strategies will be presented as well as potential new directions.
Assessing Burnout and Interest in Wellness Programs in Physician Assistant Students.

Purpose Burnout among health care professionals and preprofessional health care students is of growing concern because of its detrimental effects on performance, mental health, and physical health. Research to date has focused primarily on physicians and medical students. The purpose of this study was to assess burnout and the quality of life among physician assistant (PA) students and gauge their interest in specific wellness interventions that address those issues in their PA program. Methods An online survey consisting of validated measures for burnout and quality of life was completed by 320 PA students from all 8 Virginia PA programs (n = 8). Additionally, student interest in various wellness interventions was assessed, including preferences for timing and delivery, to inform development of a tailored well-being component in the PA curriculum to reduce burnout. Results We found burnout to be prevalent among PA students, with 79.69% reporting high levels of emotional exhaustion; 56.56% of students met the criteria for cynicism. Survey participants rated stress reduction (n = 290, 90.63%) and burnout (n = 299, 93.44%) as primary issues that need to be addressed in the PA student population. Furthermore, 77.50% of participants expressed interest in participating in a wellness intervention designed to reduce burnout. Conclusion Given the high prevalence of burnout in the PA students surveyed, resources and potential interventions that reduce burnout need to be identified. The current study identified PA students' perceived needs and interest in various aspects of potential wellness interventions in the PA program. Students preferred an emphasis on stress reduction and burnout, which can be used to develop a tailored well-being curriculum to promote work-life balance and stress management for PA students.
Community-based social determinants of three measures of mortality in Rhode Island cities and towns

Efforts to understand and address the causes of place-based health disparities have focused primarily on understanding the social determinants of health on a large geographic level, such as the region, state, or county. However, there is a growing need to assess and understand how place-based characteristics at smaller geographic areas relate to of local place-based neighborhood characteristics on population health. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the magnitude of the associations between social determinants of health and life expectancy (LE) and related measures on the community level. LE at birth (LE0), remaining LE at age 65 (LE65), and age-specific mortality rates (ASMR) were calculated from mortality data (2009–2011) collected by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDoH) using abridged life table methods for each RI city/town. The city/town-specific LE and ASMR were linked to data collected by the US Census, RIDoH, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other databases that include information about multiple social, environmental, and demographic determinants of health. Bivariate correlations between city/town-level LE0, LE65, and ASMR and social determinants: demographics, household composition, income and poverty, education, environment, food insecurity, crime, transportation, and rural-urban status were examined. LE0 (range: 75.9–83.3 years) was strongly associated with the percent of the population with a graduate/professional degree (r = 0.687, p < 0.001), violent crime rate (r = − 0.598, p < 0.001), and per capita income (r = 0.553, p < 0.001). Similar results were observed for ASMR: ASMR was associated with the percent of the population with a graduate/professional degree (r = − 0.596, p < 0.001), violent crime rate (r = 0.450, p = 0.005), and per capita income (r = − 0.533, p < 0.001). The associations between LE65 and social determinants were more attenuated. Of note, none of the measures (LE0, LE65, or ASMR) were associated with any of the race/ethnicity variables. There are several important place-based characteristics associated with mortality (LE and ASMR) among RI cities/towns. Additionally, some communities had unexpectedly high LE and low ASMR, despite poor social indicators.
Color-Coded Activity Charts and Beachbody: “Momming” in COVID-19

This piece is an invitation.Our work consists of poetry by three moms, writing in the middle of a global pandemic about the realities of “momming” in these times. Why poems? We want the article to ...
Autoschizic Death of Human Ovarian Carcinoma (MDAH 2774) Cells: LM and SEM Aspects

Co-administration of Vitamin C (VC) and Vitamin K3 (VK3) combination (in a VC/VK3 ratio of 100:1) to several human carcinoma cell lines resulted in equivalent antineoplastic activity at concentrations that were 10-50 times lower than when either vitamin was administered alone. Peroxides generated by VC resulted in membrane lipid alteration. VC and VK3 combination resulted in cytoskeletal alterations, DNAses and RNase activation. This report documents LM and SEM morphological changes of ovarian carcinoma cells which accompany vitamin treatment and lead to autoschizic cell death.MDAH cells were cultivated in titer dishes and on coverslips coated with polylysine. After exposure to either VC, VK3, or the VC/VK3 combination for 1 hour, cells on coverslips were fixed and processed for SEM. Cells in dishes (105 cells) were harvested, centrifuged (<500 r/min), fixed and embedded in PolyBed. Sections, oneurn thick, were stained by Toluidine blue prior to LM and TEM studies.
Factors influencing chemotherapy knowledge in women with breast cancer

BACKGROUND Chemotherapy knowledge is linked to managing side effects, reducing exposure to potential infection, and adjusting lifestyle behaviors while going through treatment. However, no research exists regarding the influence of patients' personal attributes on chemotherapy knowledge. Aim The aim of this study was to describe the relationships of health literacy and demographics on chemotherapy knowledge among women with breast cancer undergoing treatment. METHOD We used a descriptive, exploratory design with convenience sampling of women with breast cancer receiving intravenous chemotherapy who completed one mandatory education session. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and three instruments: 1) Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy - Short Form (REALM-SF); 2) Shortened Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA); and 3) Leuven Questionnaire on Patient Knowledge of Chemotherapy (L-PaKC). We used univariate linear regression and ANOVA to identify how health literacy and demographics influenced chemotherapy knowledge. RESULTS The REALM-SF (p = .022) and S-TOFHLA (p = .023) scores were significantly associated with chemotherapy knowledge. Chemotherapy knowledge scores were affected by marital status (p = .018) and income (p < .001) where married women had significantly higher chemotherapy knowledge scores (M = 92.6, SD = 6.6) than women who were divorced (M = 83.3, SD = 16.7) with a knowledge score difference of -9.3 between the groups (p = .02). Comparisons showed significant differences of chemotherapy knowledge between women with differing income levels. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the relevance of considering patients' health literacy and personal attributes such as marital status and income when teaching about chemotherapy.
Design of Posynomial Models for Mosfets: Symbolic Regression Using Genetic Algorithms

We discuss the difficulties of circuit sizing and describe manual and automatic approaches to it. These approaches make use of blackbox optimization techniques such as evolutionary algorithms or convex optimization techniques such as geometric programming. Geometric programming requires posynomial expressions for a circuit’s performance measurements. We show how a genetic algorithm can be exploited to evolve a posynomial expression (i.e. model) of transistor (i.e. mosfet) behavior more accurately than statistical techniques in the literature.
Venous sinus stenting as a treatment approach in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension and encephaloceles

BackgroundStenosis of a dural venous sinus is the most common cause of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) and can be classified as either intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic stenoses are char...
Predictive Control of Connected Mixed Traffic under Random Communication Constraints

Fully connected and automated vehicles have been envisioned to help improve the driving safety and efficiency of the transportation system. However, human-driven vehicles will still be present in the near future, which will lead to connected mixed traffic instead of fully connected and automated traffic. This is challenging because of the complexity of human-driving vehicles and the potential communication constraints in the connectivity. To address this issue, this paper models the connected mixed traffic and proposes model predictive control approaches with various prediction approaches including a new inverse model predictive control (IMPC) based approach to handle random communication delays and packet losses in connectivity. The human-in-the-loop experimental results for connected mixed traffic demonstrated the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed approaches, especially the predictive control with IMPC in handling communication constraints in mixed traffic.
When Agitation, Hallucinations and Paranoia Mean More than Psychosis: The Case of an Ovarian Teratoma.

INTRODUCTION: N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antibody encephalitis (NMDAR-E) is an autoimmune/paraneoplastic syndrome previously recognized as a frequent cause of encephalitis among young individuals and adults, most often in women (1,6). In adults, it commonly presents as a paraneoplastic manifestation of an ovarian teratoma; however, this association is rare in children (1,4). Patients can present with neuropsychiatric signs and symptoms, including memory loss, hallucinations, and decreased level of consciousness (2,3). Diagnosing a paraneoplastic encephalitis may be missed in an adolescent with previous history of depression in the setting of current psychosocial stressors, leading to lethal consequences if untreated (2). NMDAR-E is treatment responsive, and tumor removal and immunotherapy are known to reverse the …
Impact Analysis: ASIC is Firm About Psychologists in Board Rooms

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) Chairman, Mr James Shipton, has “dug his heels in” and is moving forward on his experimental plan to place psychologists into board rooms, on a “voluntary basis”, despite mounting criticism from regulators and behavioural experts. A similar program was used by the Dutch Central Bank and, while short-comings were evident, overall it was seen as a success.
Voting Assemblies and Boosting

A popular way of dealing with difficult problems is to organize a brainstorming session in which experts from different fields share their knowledge, exchanging diverse points of view that complement each other in ways likely to inspire unexpected solutions. Something similar can be done in machine learning, as well. A group of classifiers is created, each of them somewhat different. When they vote about a class label, their “collective wisdom” often compensates for each individual’s imperfections. This results in higher classification performance.
Opinion Versus Reality: How Should Wrongfully Convicted Individuals be Compensated Versus How They Are Actually Compensated

Securing compensation following exoneration is an important step for wrongfully convicted individuals in getting some semblance of a normal life post-release. This study seeks to determine what the public believes to be fair compensation for individuals who were wrongfully incarcerated for ten years prior to exoneration, as compared to how much compensation a state would offer the same exoneree. Prior research has tracked what compensation is offered to exonerees through state statutes and detailed difficulties in securing compensation at trial, yet little is known about how statutory compensation compares to what the public believes exonerees should receive. Through two experimental surveys, the current study surveys over 200 students and online respondents to determine how much compensation is fair to individuals, and compares these amounts to what states give to qualifying exonerees. Results indicate that individuals give more compensation on average to a fictional exoneree than do state governments; though the dollar amounts were not statistically significantly different, respondents gave millions more to exonerees than did state statutes. The significance of these findings and avenues for future research are examined.
Support Services for the Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics

Raytheon has provided support services for the Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics under NASA contract NAS5-32993. The final metric and progress reports are here provided.
Factors affecting mathematics achievement among 6th graders in three sub-Saharan African countries: The use of hierarchical linear models (HLM)

This study used the Wiley-Harnischfeger model of school processes to examine student and teacher variables associated with mathematics achievement. The samples for this study included 6th graders from Botswana, Namibia, and Lesotho. A multilevel regression model (Hierarchical linear model) was used to analyse the three samples of data. Each of the three samples was submitted to the exact same model. The most consistent results across all three countries were the significant relationship between the Teacher's Test Score and Teacher Gender with students' mathematics achievement. Teacher's Test Score had a positive impact on students' mathematics achievement while female teachers were better mathematics teachers than their male counterparts. Discussion of the results and recommendations for future study are also provided.
Posttranslational Regulation of a Leishmania HEXXH Metalloprotease (gp63) THE EFFECTS OF SITE-SPECIFIC MUTAGENESIS OF CATALYTIC, ZINC BINDING, N-GLYCOSYLATION, AND GLYCOSYL PHOSPHATIDYLINOSITOL ADDITION SITES ON N-TERMINAL END CLEAVAGE, INTRACELLULAR STABILITY, AND EXTRACELLULAR EXIT

Leishmanolysin (EC 3.4.24.36) (gp63) is a HEXXH metalloprotease, encoded by multicopied genes in Leishmania and implicated in the infectivity of these parasitic protozoa. We examined posttranslational regulation of gp63 expression by site-specific mutagenesis of the predicted catalytic/zinc-binding sites in the H264EXXH motif, the potential sites of N-glycosylation and glycosyl phosphatidylinositol addition. Mutant and wild-type genes were cloned into a Leishmania-specific vector for transfecting a deficient variant, which produced gp63 ~20-fold less than wild-type cells. The selective conditions chosen fully restored this deficiency in transfectants with the wild-type gene. Under these conditions, all transfectants were found comparable in both the plasmid copy number per cell and elevation of gp63 transcripts. Mutant and wild-type products in the transfectants were then compared quantitatively and qualitatively by specific immunologic and protease assays. The results indicate the following. 1) Glu-265 in the HEXXH motif is indispensable for the catalytic activity of gp63. The propeptide of the inactive mutant products was cleaved, suggestive of a non-intramolecular event. 2) Substitution of either His residue in HEXXH leads to apparent intracellular degradation of the mutant products, pointing to a role for zinc binding in in vivo stability of gp63. 3) The three potential sites of N-glycosylation at Asn-300, Asn-407, and Asn-534 are all utilized and contribute to intracellular stability of gp63. 4) Substitution of Asn-577 causes release of all mutant products, indicative of its specificity as a glycosyl phosphatidylinositol addition site for membrane anchoring of gp63. It is suggested that expression of gp63 as a functional protease is regulated by these posttranslational modification pathways.
Active power control of solar PV generation for large interconnection frequency regulation and oscillation damping

Summary Because of zero greenhouse gas emission and decreased manufacture cost, solar photovoltaic (PV) generation is expected to account for a significant portion of future power grid generation portfolio. Because it is indirectly connected to the power grid via power electronic devices, solar PV generation system is fully decoupled from the power grid, which will influence the interconnected power grid dynamic characteristics as a result. In this paper, the impact of solar PV penetration on large interconnected power system frequency response and inter-area oscillation is evaluated, taking the United States Eastern Interconnection (EI) as an example. Furthermore, based on the constructed solar PV electrical control model with additional active power control loops, the potential contributions of solar PV generation to power system frequency regulation and oscillation damping are examined. The advantages of solar PV frequency support over that of wind generator are also discussed. Simulation results demonstrate that solar PV generations can effectively work as ‘actuators’ in alleviating the negative impacts they bring about. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A model of Na-K-2Cl cotransport based on ordered ion binding and glide symmetry

In the duck red blood cell, Na-K-2Cl cotransport exhibits two modes of ion movement: net cotransport and obligate cation exchange. In high-K cells, the predominant exchange is K/K (or K/Rb). In high-Na cells, it becomes Na/Na (or Na/Li). Both represent partial reactions in which a fully loaded carrier releases part of its cargo, rebinds fresh ions, and returns back across the membrane fully loaded. Net cotransport occurs when the carrier unloads completely and returns empty. This mode has a fixed stoichiometry of 1Na:1K:2Cl under all conditions tested. The ion requirements of the two exchanges differ: K/K exchange requires only K and Cl outside but all three ions inside. Na/Na exchange requires all three ions outside but only Na inside. We propose a simple model in which the carrier can only move when either fully loaded or completely empty and in which the ions bind in a strictly ordered sequence. For example, externally, a Na binds first and then a Cl, followed by a K and a second Cl. Internally, the first on is the first off (glide symmetry), so the Na is released first and then the first Cl, followed by the K and finally by the second Cl. Only then can the empty form return to the outside to start a new cycle.
Teaching medical ethics to meet the realities of a changing health care system.

The changing context of medical practice—bureaucratic, political, or economic—demands that doctors have the knowledge and skills to face these new realities. Such changes impose obstacles on doctors delivering ethical care to vulnerable patient populations. Modern medical ethics education requires a focus upon the knowledge and skills necessary to close the gap between the theory and practice of ethical care. Physicians and doctors-in-training must learn to be morally sensitive to ethical dilemmas on the wards, learn how to make professionally grounded decisions with their patients and other medical providers, and develop the leadership, dedication, and courage to fulfill ethical values in the face of disincentives and bureaucratic challenges. A new core focus of medical ethics education must turn to learning how to put ethics into practice by teaching physicians to realistically negotiate the new institutional maze of 21st-century medicine.
Polymorphic transitions of cocoa butter affected by high hydrostatic pressure and sucrose polyesters

Form V to Form VI transitions of cocoa butter (CB) were investigated by varying the temperature between 28 and 21°C during storage. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatments of CB melt at 60 or 21°C did not affect the rate of Form V to Form VI transitions in CB crystallized in Form V during temperature fluctuations. The HHP treatments with 100, 300, or 600 MPa of CB crystallized in Form V crystals did not alter the rate of Form V to Form VI transitions of CB. The addition of sucrose polyesters to CB melts altered the rate of Form V to Form VI transitions of CB and was dependent on the FA chain lengths and hydrophilelipophile balance (HLB) values of the SPE. The addition of most SPE to CB melts promoted the polymorphic transitions; however, sucrose polyester S-170 containing FA of chain length similar to CB with small HLB values inhibited Form V to Form VI transitions of CB for 10 temperature fluctuation cycles. Therefore, HHP treatments can be applied to foods containing high fat with little effect on the polymorphic transitions, and selected SPE may be used to retard adverse polymorphic transitions.
RNA affinity for molecular L-histidine; genetic code origins.

Selection for affinity for free histidine yields a single RNA aptamer, which was isolated 54 times independently. This RNA is highly specific for the side chain and binds protonated L-histidine with 102−103-fold stereoselectivity and a dissociation constant (K D ) of 8–54 μM in different isolates. These histidine-binding RNAs have a common internal loop–hairpin loop structure, based on a conserved RAAGUGGGKKN0–36 AUGUN0–2AGKAACAG sequence. Notably, the repetitively isolated sequence contains two histidine anticodons, both implicated by conservation and chemical data in amino acid affinity. This site is probably the simplest structure that can meet our histidine affinity selection, which strengthens experimental support for a “stereochemical” origin of the genetic code.
Developing an empirical density model of the plasmasphere using IMAGE/RPI observations

Abstract The radio plasma imager (RPI) on the IMAGE satellite performs radio sounding in the magnetosphere, transmitting coded signals stepping through the frequency range of interest and receiving the returned echoes. The measurements provide the echo amplitude as a function of frequency and echo delay time on a so-called plasmagram. A newly developed algorithm inverts the echo traces on a plasmagram to electron density spatial distributions. Based on these observed density distributions, an empirical model is constructed to describe the two-dimensional density distribution in the inner magnetosphere.
BIRD: Binary Interpretation using Runtime Disassembly

The majority of security vulnerabilities published in the literature is due to software bugs. Many researchers have developed program transformation and analysis techniques to automatically detect or eliminate such vulnerabilities. So far, most of them cannot be applied to commercially distributed applications on the Windows/x86 platform, because it is almost impossible to disassemble a binary file with 100% accuracy and coverage on that platform. This paper presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of a binary analysis and instrumentation infrastructure for the Windows/x86 platform called BIRD (binary interpretation using runtime disassembly), which provides two services to developers of security-enhancing program transformation tools: converting binary code into assembly language instructions for further analysis, and inserting instrumentation code at specific places of a given binary without affecting its execution semantics. Instead of requiring a high-fidelity instruction set architectural emulator, BIRD combines static disassembly with an on-demand dynamic disassembly approach to guarantee that each instruction in a binary file is analyzed or transformed before it is executed. It takes 12 student months to develop the first BIRD prototype, which can successfully work for all applications in Microsoft office suite as well as Internet explorer and IIS Web server, including all DLLs that they use. Moreover, the additional throughput penalty of the BIRD prototype on production server applications such as Apache, IIS, and BIND is uniformly below 4%.
Deconstructing development density: Quality, quantity and price effects on household non-work travel

Abstract Smart growth and transit-oriented development proponents advocate increasing the density of new land development and infill redevelopment. This is partly in order to reduce auto use, by reducing distances between trip origins and destinations, creating a more enjoyable walking environment, slowing down road travel, and increasing the market for transit. But research investigating how development density influences household travel has typically been inadequate to account for this complex set of hypotheses: it has used theoretically unjustified measures, has not accounted for spatial scale very well, and has not investigated potentially important combinations of measures. Using data from a survey of metropolitan households in California, measures of development density corresponding to the main hypotheses about how density affects travel—activity density affecting distance traveled, network load density affecting the speed of auto travel, and built form density affecting the quality of walking—are tested as independent variables in models of auto trip speed and individual non-work travel. Residential network load density is highly negatively correlated with the speed of driving, and is also highly correlated with non-work travel, both singly and in combination with other measures. Activity density and built form density are not as significantly related, on their own. These results suggest that denser development will not influence travel very much unless road level-of-service standards and parking requirements are reduced or eliminated.
Classification aided cardinalized probability hypothesis density filter

Target class measurements, if available from automatic target recognition systems, can be incorporated into multiple target tracking algorithms to improve measurement-to-track association accuracy. In this work, the performance of the classifier is modeled as a confusion matrix, whose entries are target class likelihood functions that are used to modify the update equations of the recently derived multiple models CPHD (MMCPHD) filter. The result is the new classification aided CPHD (CACPHD) filter. Simulations on multistatic sonar datasets with and without target class measurements show the advantage of including available target class information into the data association step of the CPHD filter.
Malformation of the human superior olive in autistic spectrum disorders.

Abstract Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) comprise a continuum of psychosocial disorders clinically characterized by social difficulties, impaired communication skills and repetitive behavioral patterns. Despite the prevalence of ASD, the neurobiology of this disorder is poorly understood. However, abnormalities in neuronal morphology, cell number and connectivity have been described throughout the autistic brain. Further, there is ample evidence that auditory dysfunction is a common feature of autism. Our preliminary investigation of neuronal morphology in the auditory brainstem of individuals with ASD focused on the medial superior olive (MSO) and revealed that neurons in this region were significantly smaller and rounder than in controls. In this report, we expand our investigation to examine all nuclei within the human superior olivary complex (SOC), an important auditory brainstem center. We examine neuronal morphology and neuronal number in four control (average age = 15 years) and 9 autistic brains (average age = 15 years). This detailed investigation supports our previous descriptions of the MSO, and also reveals significant dysmorphology in five other SOC nuclei. Moreover, we provide evidence of a consistent and significant decrease in the number of SOC neurons in the autistic brain. Our studies implicate an extensive malformation of the auditory brainstem in the hearing and language difficulties in individuals with ASD. The results from this investigation suggest that neonatal testing of auditory function may aid in the identification of individuals with ASD earlier than presently possible.