cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Edge Dynamics and Switching Complexity

In this chapter, the switchability and attractivity of edge flows to the lower-dimensional edges will be discussed with a generation of the theory of switchability and attractivity for domain and boundary flows. The basic properties of edge flows to a specific edge will be discussed first. The coming, leaving and tangency of an edge flow to a specific edge will be presented through the separation boundaries. The switchability and passability of an edge flow from an accessible edge to another accessible edge (or boundary or domain) will be discussed with a switching rule. Similarly, the equi-measuring edge for edge flows will be introduced, and the attractivity of an edge flow to the lower-dimensional edge will be presented. Finally, a bouncing edge flow to a specific lower-dimensional edge will be discussed as well. The switchability of a flow in a 2-DOF frictional oscillator will be discussed as a sample problem to illustrate edge dynamics.
Homozygous sickle cell anemia and secondary complications: a case study.

A 26-year-old African-American male presented with chest and back pain, fatigue and a history of the following: homozygous sickle cell anemia, pain crises, stroke, hip replacement following avascular necrosis of the femoral head, priapism, chronic transfusions, iron overload, hypertension, migraine headaches, port infections, depression and type II diabetes. ABBREVIATIONS: ACS = acute chest syndrome; AVN = avascular necrosis; CVA = cerebrovascular accident; MRI = magnetic resonance imaging; NTBI = non-transferrin bound iron; PHT = pulmonary hypertension; TCD = transcranial Doppler ultrasonophraphy
The insulin-like growth factor 2 gene and locus in nonmammalian vertebrates: Organizational simplicity with duplication but limited divergence in fish

The small, secreted peptide, insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2), is essential for fetal and prenatal growth in humans and other mammals. Human IGF2 and mouse Igf2 genes are located within a conserved linkage group and are regulated by parental imprinting, with IGF2/Igf2 being expressed from the paternally derived chromosome, and H19 from the maternal chromosome. Here, data retrieved from genomic and gene expression repositories were used to examine the Igf2 gene and locus in 8 terrestrial vertebrates, 11 ray-finned fish, and 1 lobe-finned fish representing >500 million years of evolutionary diversification. The analysis revealed that vertebrate Igf2 genes are simpler than their mammalian counterparts, having fewer exons and lacking multiple gene promoters. Igf2 genes are conserved among these species, especially in protein-coding regions, and IGF2 proteins also are conserved, although less so in fish than in terrestrial vertebrates. The Igf2 locus in terrestrial vertebrates shares additional genes with its mammalian counterparts, including tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), insulin (Ins), mitochondrial ribosomal protein L23 (Mrpl23), and troponin T3, fast skeletal type (Tnnt3), and both Th and Mrpl23 are present in the Igf2 locus in fish. Taken together, these observations support the idea that a recognizable Igf2 was present in the earliest vertebrate ancestors, but that other features developed and diversified in the gene and locus with speciation, especially in mammals. This study also highlights the need for correcting inaccuracies in genome databases to maximize our ability to accurately assess contributions of individual genes and multigene families toward evolution, physiology, and disease.
Si/SiO 2 Interlayer Coupler Based on Cylindrical Resonant Cavities

A grating-assisted-cylindrical-resonant-cavities (GARC) coupler consisting of three cavities and made of Si/SiO 2 is designed. An interlayer optical coupling efficiency of 71% for TE polarization at 1.55 μm is simulated.
Update on the Diagnosis and Management of Gastric Intestinal Metaplasia in the USA

Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) is a premalignant condition that can lead to intestinal-type gastric adenocarcinoma. It is characterized by a change in the gastric mucosa to a small-intestinal phenotype. Infection with Helicobacter pylori is the most common factor associated with GIM. Although GIM is typically a histologic diagnosis, various techniques have been developed to enable the endoscopic identification of GIM. There are presently no widely accepted guidelines on screening and surveillance strategies in patients with GIM in the USA. The aim of this review is to provide an update regarding the problem, diagnosis, and management of GIM in the USA.
Channel Modeling for Wireless Information and Power Transfer using Inductive Coupling

This paper considers multiple-input single-output (MISO) wideband simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) over inductively coupled circuits. While the model of inductive SWIPT is superficially similar to that of radio frequency (RF) SWIPT which uses propagating electromagnetic fields, conventional analysis techniques based on a linear communication model often fail to capture the effects of near-field coupling, resulting in inaccurate performance analysis. To overcome this problem, we model the input and output currents as a function of the input voltages for each narrowband channel. We derive the optimal input power allocation and voltages which maximize the delivered power for a given minimum sum data rate. The optimal input power allocations and rate-power regions for a $2\times 1$ MISO model are computed by numerical analysis.
Excretion from the gut and gastrointestinal exchange; studied by means of the inert indicator method.

Intake-excretion studies supply inadequate information about absorption and exchange of such readily exchangeable substances as cholesterol. An inert indicator method applies a modification of the well-known Fick principle to the study of excretion in the stools. Excretion in the stools of the stable compound and excretion of the portion unabsorbed of the corresponding isotopically labeled compound that had been added to the food can be determined nearly simultaneously. From these data complete information about exchange, including quantity of substance secreted into the intestine and the total amount absorbed, can be calculated. In order to take into consideration alterations of the material while in the lumen of the gut, or to prevent conversion to other substances, the qualitative aspects of the metabolism of the compound must be known. As an example, the gastrointestinal exchange of cholesterol is described in detail.
The Discrete-Time Linear Quadratic Regulator Problem

In this section and the next, we discuss what might be construed as one of the great triumphs of modern linear system theory. There is no doubt that the linear quadratic regulator problem has spawned a vast quantity of research, both theoretical and applied; the simplicity of its formulation, the elegance of its solution, and its evident relevance to applications in a variety of contexts make it the heart of perhaps the most widely understood and heavily applied body of system theoretic results. Moreover, the problem illustrates in a beautiful way the manner in which properties of a system such as reachability and observability manifest themselves as intuitively appealing and mathematically transparent sufficient conditions for the unraveling of a problem whose solution is by no means obvious at first glance.
Transanal Endorectal Pull-Through for Hirschsprung’s Disease in the Neonate and Early Infant

The transanal endorectal pull-through emerged in the late 1990s has drastically changed the treatment of Hirschsprung’s disease. This operation provides the advantages of a minimal invasive approach with shorter hospital stay, shorter time to full feeding, less pain, and improved cosmesis with excellent outcomes. This chapter ascertains the feasibility and safety of totally transanal pull-through in the neonatal period with organized approach to the common problem of obstructive symptoms after the transanal pull-through.
Introduction to this book

The Tower of Hanoi is a famous puzzle invented by Edouard Lucas in 1883. There are three pegs and eight disks of all different sizes. Initially the disks are stacked on one peg in decreasing size from the bottom up.
Spatially and spectrally resolved orbital angular momentum interactions in plasmonic vortex generators

Understanding the near-field electromagnetic interactions that produce optical orbital angular momentum (OAM) is crucial for integrating twisted light into nanotechnology. Here, we examine the cathodoluminescence (CL) of plasmonic vortices carrying OAM generated in spiral nanostructures. The nanospiral geometry defines a photonic local density of states that is sampled by the electron probe in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), thus accessing the optical response of the plasmonic vortex with high spatial and spectral resolution. We map the full spectral dispersion of the plasmonic vortex in spiral structures designed to yield increasing topological charge. Additionally, we fabricate nested nanospirals and demonstrate that OAM from one nanospiral can be coupled to the nested nanospiral, resulting in enhanced luminescence in concentric spirals of like handedness with respect to concentric spirals of opposite handedness. The results illustrate the potential for generating and coupling plasmonic vortices in chiral nanostructures for sensitive detection and manipulation of optical OAM. Nano-sized spiral structures developed by researchers in the US provide an excellent platform to generate and detect light beams carrying angular momentum. This so-called twisted light, with a helical wave shape, could be used to manipulate tiny objects in future devices such as quantum computers. Jordan Hachtel at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee and co-workers fabricated ‘nanospirals’ on silver-coated silicon nitride membranes, and bombarded the samples with a high-energy electron beam from a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM). The beam excites a coupled light-electron surface state called a plasmonic vortex, which emits twisted light. Crucially, the STEM technique can observe the luminescence coming from the vortex with nanoscale spatial resolution across the entire visible-light regime.
Constructing a Design Framework and Pedagogical Approach for Adaptive Learning in Higher Education: A Practitioner's Perspective.

While adaptive learning is emerging as a promising technology to promote access and quality at a large scale in higher education (Becker et al., 2018), the implementation of adaptive learning in teaching and learning is still sporadic, and it is unclear how to best design and teach an adaptive learning course in a higher education context. As early adopters, a team of instructors, instructional designers, and administrators at the University of Central Florida (UCF) identified five key design features as an adaptive learning design framework to guide the unique course design process. These five features involve deliberate design and development efforts that could bring significant benefits to student learning. The purpose of this field note is to present a design framework and best practices for teaching from both a systems and a pedagogical approach in the context of implementation at UCF. We also share the rationale and classification framework UCF has adopted to ensure the term “adaptive learning” is universally understood across campus. This paper offers insights into the design, delivery, and implications of utilizing adaptive learning systems in higher education courses at a public research university and attempts to capture the intimacy of lessons learned and best practices gathered since the project’s inception in 2014.
Scalable Variational Gaussian Process Regression Networks.

Gaussian process regression networks (GPRN) are powerful Bayesian models for multi-output regression, but their inference is intractable. To address this issue, existing methods use a fully factorized structure (or a mixture of such structures) over all the outputs and latent functions for posterior approximation, which, however, can miss the strong posterior dependencies among the latent variables and hurt the inference quality. In addition, the updates of the variational parameters are inefficient and can be prohibitively expensive for a large number of outputs. To overcome these limitations, we propose a scalable variational inference algorithm for GPRN, which not only captures the abundant posterior dependencies but also is much more efficient for massive outputs. We tensorize the output space and introduce tensor/matrix-normal variational posteriors to capture the posterior correlations and to reduce the parameters. We jointly optimize all the parameters and exploit the inherent Kronecker product structure in the variational model evidence lower bound to accelerate the computation. We demonstrate the advantages of our method in several real-world applications.
Deep agroecology: farms, food, and our future: by Steven McFadden, Lincoln, Light and Sound Press, 2019, 294 pp., ISBN 978-1-7923-0928-1

Steven McFadden’s Deep Agroecology: Farms, Food, and Our Future is an accessible read which builds a bridge between today’s farming-alienated societies and a wealth of agroecological wisdom. McFadd...
Maximum AmbiGuity Distance for Phase Imaging in Detection of Traumatic Cerebral Microbleeds: An Improvement over Current Imaging Practice

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Developed using a rigorous mathematic framework, Maximum AmbiGuity distance for Phase Imaging (MAGPI) is a promising phase-imaging technique that provides optimal phase SNR and reduced susceptibility artifacts. We aimed to test the potential of MAGPI over routinely used SWI in the detection of traumatic cerebral microbleeds in athletes diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, 10 athletes (18–22 years of age, 3 women/7 men) diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury were enrolled. Brain MRIs were performed using 3T MR imaging at 2 days, 2 weeks, and 2 months after head trauma. The imaging protocol included whole-brain T1 MPRAGE, T2 FLAIR, conventional SWI, and the MAGPI multiecho sequence. Phase images from MAGPI were put through a previously described SWI process to generate MAGPI-SWI. Conventional and MAGPI-SWI were assessed independently by a board-certified neuroradiologist for the presence of contusions and cerebral microbleeds. All participants had routine neuropsychological assessment and Visuo-Motor Tests. RESULTS: At initial assessment, 4 of the participants had visuo-motor performance indicative of mild traumatic brain injury, and 4 participants had a Post-Concussion Symptom Scale score of >21, a threshold that has been used to define moderate impairment. Cerebral microbleeds were identified in 6 participants on MAGPI-SWI, 4 of whom had evidence of concurrent contusions on FLAIR imaging. None of these cerebral microbleeds were identified confidently on conventional SWI due to substantial distortion and susceptibility artifacts. CONCLUSIONS: Optimal phase unwrapping with reduced susceptibility in MAGPI-SWI can clarify small microbleeds that can go undetected with routinely used conventional SWI.
Swimming upstream: navigating ethical practices in the creation of a participatory youth media workshop

Despite the growing popularity of participatory video as a tool for facilitating youth empowerment, the methodology and impacts of the practice are extremely understudied. This paper describes a study design created to examine youth media methodology and the ethical dilemmas that arose in its attempted implementation. Specifically, elements that added “rigor” to the study (i.e., randomization, pre- and post-measures, and an intensive interview) conflicted with the fundamental tenets of youth participation. The paper concludes with suggestions for studying participatory media methodologies that are more in line with an ethics of participation.
Temporal analysis of individual ethanol consumption in socially housed mice and the effects of oxytocin

The majority of preclinical studies assessing treatments for alcohol use disorder use singly housed animals. Because social factors affect ethanol intake, studies investigating such treatments in group-housed animals are needed. We investigated the effects of repeated oxytocin treatment on ethanol intake in socially housed male and female C57BL/6J mice. We used the novel “Herdsman” system implementing radiotracking technology to measure individual ethanol intake in group-housed animals. Mice were housed in same-sex groups of 4 per cage and exposed to 3 and 6% ethanol solutions. After baseline drinking was established, half of the animals in each cage received repeated intraperitoneal injections of 3 mg/kg oxytocin. During baseline, females consumed more ethanol than males partly due to greater number of ethanol drinks taken by females. We also observed a gradual development of two peaks of ethanol consumption during the dark phase of the circadian cycle. The effects of oxytocin treatment were short-acting and varied across treatment days. Oxytocin significantly decreased ethanol intake on three out the four treatment days. On the fourth treatment day, oxytocin decreased ethanol intake and water intake. The greater intake of ethanol in female mice is associated with the number of drinks taken. Oxytocin treatments not only cause an acute decrease in ethanol consumption, but can also change in efficacy over time. While the oxytocin system remains a promising therapeutic target for alcoholism, studies investigating longer periods of repeated oxytocin treatment and those using additional oxytocin receptor agonists are warranted.
Design of Beam Steering Patch Arrays Using Self-Phased Metasurface Pixels

In this paper, we present a new design concept of microstrip patch antenna arrays that have analog beam steering without using phase shifters external to the array elements. This can be achieved by combining traditional probe-fed microstrip patch antenna arrays with anisotropic Huygens metasurfaces. A metasurface pixel is fed by a microstrip patch, forming the phased-array element. The phase shifts between antenna elements are obtained by the Huygens' metasurface pixel. Three layers of a metallic mesh are separated by two dielectric substrates to form the Huygens metasurface pixel, which has an overall thickness of about one third the operating wavelength. A proposed phased array is designed and simulated. The radiation pattern is shown to be able to steer the beam from minus 20 degrees to plus 20 degrees in analog fashion. This novel technique can greatly reduce the cost of a phased-array system, especially in 5G massive MIMO system.
Effect of perioperative acetaminophen on pain management in patients undergoing rotator cuff repair: a prospective randomized study.

Background Limiting opioid use in perioperative pain management is currently an important focus in orthopedic surgery. The ability of acetaminophen to reduce postoperative opioid consumption while providing acceptable pain management has not been thoroughly investigated in patients undergoing rotator cuff repair (RCR). Methods Patients undergoing primary arthroscopic RCR were prospectively randomized to 1 of 3 treatment groups: Group 1 (control) received both 5 mg of oxycodone every 6 hours as needed and 1000 mg of acetaminophen orally every 6 hours as needed after surgery and had the option to take either medication or both. Group 2 (control) received only 5 mg of oxycodone every 6 hours as needed without any additional acetaminophen after surgery. Group 3 received 1000 mg of acetaminophen orally every 6 hours for 1 day prior to and after surgery, which was subsequently decreased to administration every 8 hours during postoperative days 2-5. Group 3 patients were also allowed to take 5 mg of oxycodone every 6 hours as needed after surgery. All patients received interscalene blocks with liposomal bupivacaine (Exparel). Opioid use, pain scores, side effects, and overall satisfaction were assessed daily for the first week after surgery. Results A total of 57 patients (mean age, 57.8 ± 9.55 years) were included in this study. Baseline demographic characteristics including age, sex, and body mass index were similar between the groups (P > .05). Patients in group 3 took significantly fewer narcotics overall (P = .017) and took significantly fewer pills each day compared with group 2. Group 3 also reported significantly better overall pain control compared with the other groups (P = .040). There were no significant differences in overall patient satisfaction between the groups (P > .05). Additionally, there were no significant differences between groups regarding postoperative medication-associated side effects (P > .05). Conclusion Perioperative acetaminophen represents an important component of multimodal analgesia in appropriately selected patients undergoing shoulder surgery. In this study, the use of perioperative acetaminophen significantly decreased opioid consumption and improved overall pain control after primary arthroscopic RCR.
Reach-Set Estimation for DAE Systems under Uncertainty and Disturbances Using Trajectory Sensitivity and Logarithmic Norm

Abstract Trajectory sensitivity analysis is useful for analyzing the dynamic behaviour of differential-algebraic equation (DAE) systems under uncertain initial conditions and/or parameters. However, the approximate trajectories obtained using trajectory sensitivities are not accompanied by explicit error bounds. In this paper, we provide an efficient method to obtain a numerical error bound for the first-order trajectory approximation. This approach uses second-order trajectory sensitivities. A theoretical result quantifying the excursion of trajectories induced by uncertain initial conditions and external disturbances is derived based on the logarithmic norm, and is extended to DAE systems. Although this result itself provides a guaranteed over-approximation of the reach-set of nonlinear DAE systems, by combining this result with the efficient bound obtained from trajectory sensitivities, we are able to provide a much less conservative reach-set estimate for systems under uncertain initial conditions and/or parameters, and external disturbances.
ATP and acetylcholine interact to modulate vascular tone and α1-adrenergic vasoconstriction in humans.

The results of this study highlight the vascular endothelium as a critical site for integration of vasomotor signals in humans. For the first time, to our knowledge, we demonstrate that combined st...
Preparing Law Enforcement Officers to Engage Successfully with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Evaluation of a Performance-Based Approach

Law enforcement officers (LEOs) may use physical force unnecessarily or escalate problem behavior when attempting to gain the compliance of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (Copenhaver & Tewksbury in American Journal of Criminal Justice 44:309-333, 2019). Although specialized training may remedy this problem, the relatively small literature on such training programs indicates the need for further research (Railey et al. in Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 2020). This study used simulations with actors to evaluate the outcomes of performance-based instruction on strategies to promote compliance when LEOs respond to calls involving individuals with ASD. Results for three LEOs and 24 police cadets demonstrated the efficacy of behavioral skills training (BST) for teaching LEOs how to interact more effectively with individuals with ASD. Results also suggested that hands-on training should supplement commonly used forms of didactic instruction.
Prioritization Framework for Rockfall Countermeasures for Rock-Cut Slopes for Rural Roads

AbstractRockfalls can have devastating consequences to motorists and road facilities. Over time, countermeasures have been considered technically viable to mitigate these events. Rockfall hazard as...
ALL-323: Preliminary, Updated Outcomes of the Modified, Pediatric-Based USC ALL Frontline Regimen in Hispanics and Non-Hispanics

Context: In 2014, USC reported use of multiple doses of pegaspargase (PEG) for newly diagnosed ALL patients (7-year overall survival [OS] 51%). This is currently part of the NCCN Guidelines for frontline ALL treatment. Since then, the regimen consisting of 2 induction phases (IP) was modified, with fractionated doses of cytarabine changed to a single dose and consolidations increased to six cycles (six doses of PEG total). Objective: Outcomes since modification of the USC ALL induction regimen, with immunotherapies given when appropriate, in Hispanics versus non-Hispanics. Design: Retrospective chart review. Setting: Single institution, academic center/county hospital. Patients or Other Participants: Male/female patients (18–99 years) with any type of ALL diagnosed by bone-marrow/tissue biopsies during 1/2016–12/2020, treated at our institution. Patients who did not receive the modified USC ALL induction regimen with/without PEG were excluded. Interventions: Ninety-four ALL patient chart reviews. Main Outcomes Measures: OS, event-free survival (EFS) at 5 years, CR/CRi, minimal residual disease (MRD) flow; 2-sided p-value ≤0.05 was considered significant. Results: Among 63 Hispanics and 31 non-Hispanics, 67 achieved CR/CRi, 39 had MRD flow negativity after IP1; 50 CR/CRi, and 29 had MRD flow negativity after IP2. PEG was given in 59% Hispanics and 60% non-Hispanics. Salvage BiTE was given to 30 patients (Hispanic, 63%). Median follow-up for Hispanics was 17 (0.5–60) months and 21 (0.1–53) months for non-Hispanics. Median OS not-reached (NR) in both groups. Estimated OS for Hispanics at 5 years was 80% and 51% for non-Hispanics (p=0.020). Median EFS for Hispanics was 46 months and 34 months for non-Hispanics (p=0.306). Conclusions: CR/CRi and MRD flow negativity were appreciable with the median OS NR. Interestingly, a significant improvement in Hispanic OS versus non-Hispanics was noted. An explanation could be on how more Hispanics received salvage BiTE (63.3% of 30 patients). Also, 40% of Hispanics were able to receive stem cell transplant versus 33% of non-Hispanics. No significant difference in median EFS between Hispanics and non-Hispanics was noted.
Facilitators and Barriers to the Adoption of Telemedicine During the First Year of COVID-19: A Systematic Review (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Background: The virulent and unpredictable nature of COVID-19 combined with a change in reimbursement mechanisms both forced and enabled rapid adoption of telemedicine around the world. What were the effects of this rapid adoption? Are barriers the same today after the rapid adoption compared to pre-pandemic conditions? OBJECTIVE Objective: The objective of this systematic literature review was to examine research literature published during the pandemic to identify facilitators, barriers, and associated medical outcomes as a result of adopting telemedicine to determine if changes have occurred in the industry. METHODS Methods: Conducting the review in accordance with the Kruse Protocol and reporting the results in accordance with PRISMA, we analyzed 46 research articles from five continents published during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in four research databases: PubMed (MEDLINE), CINAHL, Science Direct, and Web of Science. RESULTS Results: Reviewers identified 25 facilitator themes and observations, 12 barrier themes and observations, 14 results (compared to a control group) themes and observations. Twenty-two percent of the articles analyzed reported strongly satisfied or satisfied (zero reported a decline in satisfaction), 27% reported an improvement in administrative or efficiency results (as compared with a control group), 14% reported no statistically significant results from the control group, and 40% and 10% reported an improvement in, or no statistically significant difference in medical outcomes using the telemedicine modality over the control group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Conclusion: The pandemic encouraged rapid adoption of telemedicine, which also encouraged practices to adopt the modality regardless of the challenges previous research have identified. Several barriers still exist for health policy makers to address, but healthcare administrators can feel confident in the modality as the evidence shows it is safe, effective, and widely accepted. CLINICALTRIAL This systematic review was registered in PROSPERO on 2/8/2021: ID CRD42021235933.
Tail Dependence Functions, Statistical Inference for

Predicting extreme events plays an important role in environmental risk management. Tail dependence functions are naturally adopted in statistical inference of extreme events. In this article, we review some methodologies proposed in the literature. Keywords: extreme values; prediction; tail dependence function; parametric inference; nonparametric inference
Dynamic control of human eye on head system

In this paper we study the human eye movement, when the eye shifts its gaze between two possible gaze directions, as a simple mechanical control system. When the head is restrained to remain fixed, eye movements obey Listing's constraint, which states that the allowed orientations of the eye are obtained by rotating a fixed ‘primary gaze direction’ by a subclass of rotation matrices. These rotation matrices have their axes of rotation restricted to a fixed plane perpendicular to the primary gaze direction. Under head fixed restriction, eye movement satisfies the Listing's constraint throughout its entire trajectory. On the other hand, when the head is allowed to move, the eye orientations satisfy the Listing's constraint only at the beginning and at the end of a trajectory. Intermediate points of the trajectory, do not satisfy the Listing's constraint. In this paper, we study the dynamic control of eye movement with or without satisfaction of the Listing's constraint. The control has been synthesized by a suitable choice of a potential function and an externally added damping term.
Do principal preparation and teacher qualifications influence different types of school growth trajectories in Illinois? : A growth mixture model analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the independent effects of principal background, training and experience as well as teacher academic qualifications on school proficiency growth through time. Design/methodology/approach – The authors analyzed the entire population of all elementary and middle schools in the state of Illinois, n=3,154 schools, from 2000 to 2001 through 2005-2006 using growth mixture modeling. The authors examined growth at the school level in the percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards on the Illinois Standard Achievement Test, analyzing separate models for Chicago and non-Chicago schools. Findings – The results suggest that there are two statistically significantly different latent school proficiency trajectory subgroups through the six-year time period, one high and one low, for both Chicago and non-Chicago schools. In addition, the models suggest that teacher academic qualifications, principal training, principal experience as a principal and an assistant ...
High-field liquid-neon-cooled electromagnets.

Two large liquid-neon-cooled electromagnets using very high-purity aluminum as the conductor material have been fabricated, along with the necessary equipment for their operation, and the systems are in preliminary operational status. The 4½-in. bore colls of one electromagnet have already produced 200 kG, and when the 12-in. bore coils of the other are operated at the same current, they will produce over 150 kG, The coils were originally conceived as magnetic mirrors for plasma research. It now appears that high-field superconductors can fill that need, releasing the cryogenic colls for solid-state research and possibly biological experiments.
Creating Intelligent, Coordinated Transit: Moving New Mexico the Smart Way

New Mexico is among the first states in the United States to develop, implement, and deploy contactless, smart card technology in a rural area. The Alliance for Transportation Research Institute, working with the New Mexico Department of Transportation’s Public Transportation Programs Bureau, developed the Intelligent, Coordinated Transit (ICTransit) smart card technology and the Client, Referral, Ridership, and Financial Tracking (CRRAFT) software. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s FTA–FHWA Joint Program Office provided federal funding for the project. The ICTransit smart card functions as a universal use electronic fare card, enabling passengers to transfer between transit providers to access jobs, education, and health care beyond their local rural communities. ICTransit’s Global Positioning System receiver and Pocket PC capture the time and location that passengers board and exit the vehicle and the passenger miles traveled on the vehicle. The CRRAFT software system for express scheduling, automatic generation of monthly financial reports, and onboard tracking of ridership provides increased efficiency in rural areas. The ICTransit system with CRRAFT can overcome barriers to coordinated interagency transportation and provide increased access and mobility to all, but especially to those underserved by public transportation. ICTransit with CRRAFT can empower states to build coordinated transportation networks that provide safe and seamless movement of people and enhance the quality of life.
Level structure of dual-resonance models

In this paper the level structure of narrow-resonance models with duality is considered. We shall use to this purpose the multiparticle dual amplitudes recently proposed by several authors and shall study the structure of the residue of each pole in what concerns its factorizability. We find that for each energy eigenvalueE n =√s n the residue does indeed factorize in a finite number of terms (number of degenerate levels) and that this number increases withn like exp [cEn]. The physical interpretation of this wild increase is found in the essential many body nature of models consistent with duality. The appearence of states with imaginary coupling follows easily from the covariant, four-dimentional approach that we have taken and that insures absence of kinematical singularities. It is nevertheless found that a cancellation mechanism analogous to the one existing in Q.E.D. (Ward identities) occurs here too. Although the problem of a systematic cancellation of all ghosts in a realistic case has not been solved, we see that the leading and most troublesome ghosts are indeed eliminated in this way.
Usage of commercial satellite systems for homeland security communications

Since the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks on September 11th, homeland security has been redirected to account for potential terrorist attacks and other national disasters. The difficulty of many of the first responders (such as local fire, police, and search and rescue departments) to communicate with themselves and other federal agencies confirmed the need for an interoperable and flexible communication infrastruchke. In a disaster situation, such as that experienced after the September 11th attacks, the communication links used by emergency response agencies can be greatly damaged or even destroyed. Since many of these agencies must make timecritical decisions, there may not be enough time for communication links to be restored using conventional mobile ground or airborne nodes. Communication volume and connectivity during and immediately following a major event is typically very chaotic and can involve multiple systems as a function of time or distance from the focal point of activity. Nominally it is quite likely the communication requirements in the immediate vicinity of an event will be extensive, and the need to communicate beyond those boundaries will evolve with time as information is obtained and support is needed from other entities. Providing additional communication links from the immediate vicinity to regional and extended reach zones could be accomplished with access to commercial satellite networks. In this paper, the application of commercial satellite systems to aid and supplement communications for homeland security is investigated.
Comment on "Voltage-Current Characteristics of the Two-Dimensional Gauge Glass Model"

Li (Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 69},1819 (1992)) has computed the current-voltage characteristics (CVC) of a disordered two-dimensional (2D) Josephson-junction array and claimed that his data(nonlinear CVC for small temperatures), gives evidence for a finite-temperature phase transition in the 2D gauge-glass model in contradiction to the result of equilibrium simulations. In this Comment I show that the nonlinear CVC, found by Li, is merely a single-junction effect.
All Optical Platform for Parallel and Spatiotemporal Control of Neuronal Activity

The platform is realized by delivering spatiotemporally complex optical stimuli through a digital micromirror spatiotemporal light modulator to cells expressing the light-activated channels, which have been labeled with a calcium dye to report of activity.
Object persistence in object-oriented applications

Object-oriented models have rapidly become the model of choice for programming most new computer applications. Since most application programs need to deal with persistent data, adding persistence to objects is essential to making object-oriented applications useful in practice. There are three classes of solutions for implementing persistence in object-oriented applications: the gateway-based object persistence approach, which involves adding object-oriented programming access to persistent data stored using traditional non-object-oriented data stores, the object-relational database management system (DBMS) approach, which involves enhancing the extremely popular relational data model by adding object-oriented modeling features, and the object-oriented DBMS approach (also called the persistent programming language approach), which involves adding persistence support to objects in an object-oriented programming language. In this paper, we describe the major characteristics and requirements of object-oriented applications and how they may affect the choice of a system and method for making objects persistent in that application. We discuss the user and programming interfaces provided by various products and tools for object-oriented applications that create and manipulate persistent objects. In addition, we describe the pros and cons of choosing a particular mechanism for making objects persistent, including implementation requirements and limitations imposed by each of the three approaches to object persistence previously mentioned. Given that several object-oriented applications might need to share the same data, we describe how such applications can interoperate with each other. Finally, we describe the problems and solutions of how object-oriented applications can coexist with non-object-oriented (legacy) applications that access the same data.
Ontogeny of Receptor Binding Sites for [3H]Glutamic Acid and [3H]Kainic Acid in the Rat Cerebellum

: The development of the specific binding sites for l-[3H]glutamic acid (KD= 370 nM) and for [3H]kainic acid (KD= 39 nM) was studied in the rat cerebellum. Specific binding at both sites remains low during the first week after birth but increases markedly during the second and third weeks after birth, when glutamatergic parallel fiber synaptogenesis occurs. The development of the kainate site lags behind that of the glutamate site, indicating their autonomy.
Histone deactylase inhibition combined with behavioral therapy enhances learning and memory following traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) induces a number of pathological events ranging from neuronal degeneration and tissue loss to impaired neuronal plasticity and neurochemical dysregulation. In rodents, exposure of brain-injured animals to environmental enrichment has been shown to be an effective means of enhancing learning and memory post-injury. Recently, it has been discovered that environmental enrichment may enhance neuronal plasticity through epigenetic changes that involve enhanced histone acetylation, a property that can be mimicked by the use of histone deactylase (HDAC) inhibitors. We therefore evaluated the consequences of the HDAC inhibitor sodium butyrate on the learning and memory of brain-injured mice. In contrast to a previous report using a mouse neurodegeneration model, sodium butyrate (1.2 g/kg daily for four weeks) did not improve learning and memory when tested after the completion of the drug treatment paradigm. In addition, sodium butyrate administration during the reported period of neurodegeneration (days 0-5) also offered no benefit. However, when administered concurrently with training in the Morris water maze task (beginning on day 14 post-injury), sodium butyrate improved learning and memory in brain-injured mice. Interestingly, when these mice were subsequently tested in an associative fear conditioning task, an improvement was observed. Taken together, our findings indicate that HDAC inhibition may mimic some of the cognitive improvements seen following enriched environment exposure, and that the improvement is observed when the treatment is carried out current with behavioral testing.
Comparison of prednisolone kinetics in patients receiving daily or alternate-day prednisone for asthma

Prednisolone pharmacokinetics were compared in seven patients with asthma managed by alternate-day prednisone therapy and in seven patients with asthma requiring daily doses of prednisone. Steroid requirements of these patients were carefully characterized and had been stable for at least 12 months. Prednisolone volume of distribution, elimination clearance, and elimination t½averaged 0.606 ± 0.061 and 0.553 ± 0.162 L/kg, 2.28 ± 0.43 and 1.93 ± 0.54 ml/min/kg, and 204 ± 44 and 214 ± 19 minutes in patients receiving alternate-day or daily prednisone therapy, respectively. These results indicate that differences in these pharmacokinetic parameters do not account for the well-established clinical observation that some patients require daily prednisone doses and that their disease cannot be managed with alternate-day steroid therapy. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1986) 39, 163–168; doi:10.1038/clpt.1986.28
Hematopoietic alterations produced by long-term treatment with phytohemagglutinin.

La administracion de FHA, en dosis de 5 mg/100 g de peso, por periodos de 4 a 6 meses a ratones de la razas C3H y Suiza, causa hiperplasia del sistema limforeticular, que se acompana de alteraciones minimas en la sangre periferica. El numero de celulas blasticas en sangre fue bajo y dentro de los limites normales. Estos estudios indican que una dosis relativamente baja de FHA no produce un aumento permanente de celulas blasticas (reaccion leucemoide) en estas cepas de ratones.
Cycle-to-cycle variability as an optimal behavioral strategy

Aplysia feeding behavior is highly variable from cycle to cycle. In some cycles, when the variability causes a mismatch between the animal's movements and the requirements of the feeding task, the variability makes the behavior unsuccessful. We propose that the behavior is variable nevertheless because the variability serves a higher-order functional purpose. When the animal is faced with a new and only imperfectly known feeding task in each cycle, the variability implements a trial-and-error search through the space of possible feeding movements. Over many cycles, this may be the animal's optimal strategy in an uncertain and changing feeding environment.
Functional Reconstitution and Characterization of Recombinant Human α1-Glycine Receptors

By utilizing a baculoviral expression system described previously (Cascio, M., Schoppa, N. E., Grodzicki, R. L., Sigworth, F. J., and Fox, R. O. (1993)J. Biol. Chem. 268, 22135–22142), functional recombinant homomeric human α1-glycine receptors (GlyR) were overexpressed in insect cell culture, solubilized, purified, and reconstituted into lipid vesicles via gel filtration. Reconstituted GlyR channels were observed to retain native-like activity in single channel recordings of planar bilayers and in flux assays of small unilamellar vesicles, providing evidence that the recombinant homomeric receptor may be functionally reconstituted. This reconstitution is significant in that it indicates that the overexpressed homomeric receptor is an appropriate substrate for subsequent biophysical characterization aimed at the general elucidation of structure-function. Circular dichroism spectroscopy of reconstituted GlyR indicated a low α-helical content and a significant fraction of polyproline structure. The small fraction of observed α-helix is insufficient to accommodate the four helical transmembrane domains proposed in models for this receptor. By inference, other members of the homologous ligand-gated channel superfamily, which include the ionotropic γ-aminobutyric acid, acetylcholine, and serotonin receptors, may also be erroneously modeled, and alternate models should be considered.
Topotecan in the treatment of ovarian cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer and fifth most common cause of cancer-related death in women in the USA. While most women with Stage III/IV disease respond to first-line therapy with a platinum/taxane combination, only 10–30% are long-term survivors. Topotecan, a topoisomerase I inhibitor, is approved by the US FDA for the treatment of relapsed disease at a dose and schedule of 1.5 mg/m2/day for 5 days every 21 days. This schedule causes significant, noncumulative myelosuppression, and various alternate regimens have been explored. A randomized Phase II Gynecological Oncology Group trial is currently investigating weekly topotecan versus a five-times daily schedule. Multiple randomized trials have evaluated incorporation of topotecan in front-line treatment of ovarian cancer, although none have demonstrated benefit for this approach.
Temporal and spatial patterns of organic carbon are linked to egg deposition by beach spawning horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus)

The spring spawning by the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus L.) results in temporally and spatially discrete inputs of eggs onto sandy beaches in Delaware Bay, USA. We tested the hypothesis that seasonal patterns of sediment organic carbon on Delaware Bay beaches is linked to this pulsed input of horseshoe crab eggs. At a location with minimal horseshoe crab spawning activity (Higbee Beach), there was little seasonal variation in sediment organic carbon, no distinction between organic carbon levels as a function of shoreline position or sediment depth, and no significant correlation between the abundance of crab eggs and percent organic carbon. Conversely, at a prime horseshoe crab spawning habitat (North Beach), organic carbon levels were seasonally pulsed and were correlated with egg abundance. Moreover, the strongest evidence of seasonality was seen at the middle foreshore location at the 15–20 cm depth, consistent with the highest input of horseshoe crab eggs. Although some of the organic carbon contributed by horseshoe crab eggs in May–June leaves the beach in the form of hatched larvae later in the year, there is a net input of organic carbon to the system in the form of unfertilized and/or dead eggs, egg membranes, and embryonic molts. We suggest that the inputs of eggs from horseshoe crabs and other beach spawning animals, such as grunion and capelin, make significant contributions to the energy budget of sandy beaches.