cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pavement deflection vehicle weighing method with embedded piezoelectric sensor

In weigh-in-motion (WIM) system, the gross weight or the axle weight of the passing vehicle can be measured dynamically by the sensors installed in or on the pavement. One of the WIM sensors is piezoelectric sensor. Although piezoelectric sensor has limited measurement accuracy, it is widely deployed for its low cost and easy installation. To use the piezoelectric sensor, several factors have to be considered for the WIM site itself to ensure the vehicle passing over the sensor with a relative stable state. In addition, the piezoelectric sensor is seldom used for low speed measurement because of the piezoelectric material's performance. Traditional measurement method just uses the interactions between the sensor and the vehicle's tires that make the measurement inaccurate because the sensor cannot cover the whole tire patch along the driving direction. In this paper, the pavement deflection by the vehicle under measurement is introduced. New weighing method is developed for embedded piezoelectric sensors. Field tests are performed and the measurement errors are calculated based on the static weights measured from a static scale. Comparing to the traditional method, the proposed method is proved to have a higher accuracy and require less from installation site and vehicles under measurement. Furthermore, the method shows a better performance at low vehicle speed.
EXTERNAL ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS OF HYDROGENIC ATOMS AND GALILEAN INVARIANCE.

The external electromagnetic interactions of hydrogenic atoms, which exhibit global Galilean invariance but preserve the relativistic description of the electron, are investigated. The Hamiltonian for the free atom consists of the Breit Hamiltonian for a relativistic electron interacting with a nonrelativistic spinless proton. Approximate generators of the Galilean group are constructed in terms of individual-particle position, momentum, and spin operators in several unitarily equivalent representations. In one of these the Hamiltonian is separable in conventional relative and center-of-mass coordinates. This separability facilitates the treatment of a number of external-field problems. An effective Hamiltonian for the interaction of the atom with a constant external electric field is given and compared to that obtained by other authors. The low-energy theorem for Compton scattering from the composite system is explicitly verified including corrections due to atomic binding. This also gives an independent verification of recently obtained bound-state corrections to the atomic magnetic moment. Finally, an effective interaction of a charged Dirac particle with a hydrogenic atom is given in the representation in which the atomic Hamiltonian is separable.
Experimental determination of the density matrix describing collisionally produced H(n=3) atoms

An experimental technique and analysis procedure is described for determining the axially symmetric density matrix for collisionally produced H(n = 3) atoms by measuring the Stokes parameters which characterize the emitted Balmer- radiation as a function of axial and transverse electric fields applied in the collision cell. The electric fields induce strong characteristic variations in the Stokes parameters. The 14 independent elements of the density matrix are determined by fitting the observed Stokes parameters with signals calculated from a theoretical analysis of the experiment. The physical interpretation of the density matrix is presented in terms of graphs of the electron probability distribution and the electron current distribution. Examples of the determination of the density matrix are given for 40-, 60-, and 80-keV H +He electron-transfer collisions.
Effects of dietary instruction and sodium excretion feedback in hypertension clinic patients

Black and White patients from a VA Medical Center hypertension clinic serving a rural, elderly population were randomly assigned to one of three interventions : a) one session of individualized instruction for 87 mmol/day reduced sodium diet; b) one session of 87 mmol/day reduced sodium diet instruction plus a means of estimating urine electrolyte excretion at home; or c) instructions to maintain the usual diet until reevaluated (control). At 3-month follow-up, reduction in 24-hour urine sodium excretion was significantly greater in participants receiving dietary instructions with feedback than in controls. White participants with access to feedback had the greatest reduction in urine sodium. Results support the feasibility of significant sodium reduction in hypertensive patients following a single intervention session.
Operational principles of electrochemical nanoemitter solar cells for photovoltaic and photoelectrocatalytic applications

Abstract The principle design of nanoemitter solar cells is described and their multiple applicability in photoelectrochemical solar cells that operate in the regenerative photovoltaic/photoelectrocatalytic mode as well as in solid state photovoltaics, is emphasized. For sustained operation, photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion systems have to be stabilized against corrosion processes at the reactive electrolyte interface. In the nanoemitter concept, the inclusion of passive films in the cell design allows physical stabilization of photoelectrodes. The individual steps in the preparation of photovoltaic and photoelectrocatalytic electrochemical solar cells with n- and p-type Si are described and the electronic properties of nanoemitter solar cells at the solid–liquid phase boundary are analyzed. The influence of the spatially anisotropical electrostatic potential in the nanoemitter composite structures is outlined and trajectories for the excess minority carriers are deduced that explain observed spectral properties. Routes to overcome the contact potential limitation of p-Si photocathodes for light-induced H2 evolution are described and parameters that determine the photoelectrochemical current at the employed metallic nanoemitters which form highly local MOS (metal–oxide–semiconductor) structures are identified.
Adenyl cyclase in human platelets: Activity and responsiveness

Abstract Hormonally responsive adenyl cyclase activity was measured in lysates of human platelets. Activity was stimulated by fluoride, prostaglandin E/, and glucagon; and was inhibited by thrombin, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. The results suggest that adenosine-3/, 5/ monophosphate (cyclic AMP) may be important in the regulation of platelet adhesiveness.
Nicotiana chloroplast genome III. Chloroplast DNA evolution.

Nicotiana chloroplast genomes exhibit a high degree of diversity and a general similarity as revealed by restriction enzyme analysis. This property can be measured accurately by restriction enzymes which generate over 20 fragments. However, the restriction enzymes which generate a small number (about 10) of fragments are extremely useful not only in constructing the restriction maps but also in establishing the sequence of ct-DNA evolution. By using a single enzyme, Sma I, a elimination and sequential gain of its recognition sites during the course of ct-DNA evolution is clearly demonstrated. Thus, a sequence of ct-DNA evolution for many Nicotiana species is formulated. The observed changes are all clustered in one region to form a “hot spot” in the circular molecule of ct-DNA. The mechanisms involved for such alterations are mostly point mutations but inversion and deficiency are also indicated. Since there is a close correlation between the ct-DNA evolution and speciation in Nicotiana a high degree of cooperation and coordination betwen organellar and nuclear genomes is evident.
Unconventional states and geometric effects in mesoscopic systems of ultra-cold atomic Fermi gases

During the last decade, experiments all over the world started to test the superconducting state of matter using a newly developed mesoscopic tunable system: trapped ultra-cold atomic gases. Theorists and experimentalists hand-in-hand are now able to advance our understanding of the superconducting state by asking new questions that probe further into the physical mechanisms underlying the phenomenon and the door is open to the exploration of exotic unconventional superconducting states. In particular, a series of experiments on systems of trapped cold atomic gases were aimed at studying the effects of polarization on superconducting pairing. Two different experimental groups encountered surprising qualitative and quantitative discrepancies which seemed to be a function of the confining geometry and the cooling protocol. Our numerical studies demonstrate a tendency towards metastability and suggest an explanation for the observed discrepancy. From our calculations, the most likely solution which is consistent with the experiments supports a state strikingly similar to the so called FFLO state (after Ferrell, Fulde, Larkin and Ovchinnikov), which had been theorized long ago but eluded detection so far. Moreover, the three-dimensional scenario described above is reminiscent of predictions for one-dimensional systems of dilute polarized attractive gases and another set of ultra-cold-atom experiments incorporates optical lattices to study this reduced-dimensionality setting. The measurements are in quantitative agreement with theoretical calculations (using a wide array of numerical and analytic techniques) in which a partially polarized phase is found to be the one-dimensional analogue of the FFLO state. Moreover, exploring the dimensional-crossover regime, our latest findings indicate that the mesoscopic nature of these quasi-one-dimensional systems favors the appearance of a new type of Mott phase transition involving an emergent pair-superfluid of equal-spin fermions.
The kinetics of clonal dominance in myeloproliferative disorders.

To study clonal evolution in myeloproliferative disorders, we used stochastic models of hematopoiesis for mouse and cat, species for which the in vivo kinetics of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have been experimentally defined. We determined the consequence if 1 HSC became able to survive without the support of a microenvironmental niche while the rest of its behavior did not change. Neoplastic cells persisted and dominated hematopoiesis in 14% of mice and 17% of cats, requiring mean times of 2.5 ± 0.5 and 7.0 ± 1.2 years, respectively (n = 1000 simulations/species). In both species, when the number of neoplastic HSCs exceeded 0.5% of all HSCs, clonal dominance was inevitable. Our results can explain the absence of clonal myeloproliferative disorders in mice (lifetime, 2 years), are consistent with clinical observations in cats, and provide insight into the progression of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in humans. They also demonstrate that competition for microenvironmental support can lead to the suppression of normal hematopoiesis as neoplasia evolves. Toxic or immunologic suppression of normal HSCs is not required.
Motivation for Attending Higher Education From the Perspective of Early Care and Education Professionals

The field of early care and education has been challenged to raise the level of quality for young children by increasing the number of practitioners with college degrees. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of early care and education professionals working in the field and enrolled in community college early childhood classes, about the benefits of attending classes, and the factors that motivated them to pursue a college degree. The majority of the participants were not attending college for the first time and previously attempted to return to school to complete a certificate or an associate degree. Motivational factors and perceived benefits, which varied by teachers and directors, were influenced by the number of years that the practitioners worked in the field. Personal goals and professional development were main motivators, but younger teachers also valued the degree for their future careers. Directors played a pivotal role in motivating teachers to enroll in college, while scho...
Behavioral evaluation of transgenic mice with CNS expression of IFN-α by elevated plus-maze and Porsolt swim test

Abstract Chronic IFN-α treatment as an antiviral or anti-cancer therapy can lead to severe psychiatric complications, including depression and anxiety in patients. In many animal models of IFN-α-induced behavioral dysfunction, the opposite results have frequently been reported. In an attempt to overcome the limitation of pharmacological studies, IFN-α-transgenic mice with CNS-targeted expression of the IFN-α transgene were used to study depression and anxiety-like behaviors by Porsolt swim and elevated plus-maze assays, respectively. Interestingly, chronic stimulation of IFN-α signaling in mouse brains did not cause depression or anxiety as measured by these tests in comparison with wild-type littermates. This observation suggests that factors other than IFN-α may be necessary for the development of psychiatric complications following IFN-α therapy in patients.
Staff- and School-Level Predictors of School Organizational Health: A Multilevel Analysis

Background: An organizationally healthy school environment is associated with favorable student and staff outcomes and thus is often targeted by school improvement initiatives. However, few studies have differentiated staff-level from school-level predictors of organizational health. Social disorganization theory suggests that school-level factors, such as faculty turnover, student mobility, and concentration of student poverty, would be negatively associated with school organizational health, but these relationships may be moderated by staff-level factors. Methods: The present study examined the association among school- and staff-level predictors of staff-perceived school organizational health (eg, academic emphasis, collegial leadership, and staff affiliation), as measured by the Organizational Health Inventory. Results: Multilevel analyses on data from 1395 staff across 37 elementary schools indicated that school membership accounted for between 26% and 35% of the variance in different components of staff-perceived organizational health. Two-level hierarchical analyses indicated that both school- and staff-level characteristics are important predictors of organizational health. Furthermore, some school and staff characteristics interacted to predict staff affiliation and collegial leadership. Conclusions: Findings suggest that factors at both the school and staff level are important potential targets for school improvement. Administrators aiming to improve relationships among staff members should be cognizant of staff-level characteristics (race, age, and role in school) associated with less favorable perceptions of the school environment, whereas efforts to enhance student work ethic and discipline should target schools with specific school-level characteristics (high rates of faculty turnover and student mobility).
Using dialogic reading to enhance emergent literacy skills of young dual language learners

This study examined the effects of an early reading intervention on preschool-age dual language learners' (DLL) early literacy skills. Instruction in phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge was embedded in interactive reading strategies, also known as dialogic reading. A single subject multiple baseline across subjects design was applied to 15 DLL preschool children. The intervention was delivered in participating children's home language, Spanish (L1). Children's growth in emergent literacy skills in Spanish and in English was monitored during baseline and intervention conditions. Visual analysis of single subject graphs indicated gains across all participants. In addition, paired-samples t-tests showed significant growth between pre- and post-tests in both English and Spanish of participating children. The findings have implications for research, practice, and policy-making.
Interaction effects in the optical conductivity of bilayer graphene: Drude-interband coupling and screening

We present a theory of the influence of band renormalization and excitonic electron-electron interaction effects on the optical conductivity $\ensuremath{\sigma}(\ensuremath{\omega})$ of doped bilayer graphene. Using the Keldysh formalism, we derive a kinetic equation from which we extract numerical and approximate analytic results for $\ensuremath{\sigma}(\ensuremath{\omega})$. Our calculations reveal a previously unrecognized mechanism which couples the Drude and interband response and renormalizes the plasmon frequency, and suggest that screening must play an essential role in explaining the weakly renormalized conductivity seen in recent experiments.
The process of melting by rolling contact

Abstract This paper describes the fundamentals of the heat transfer melting process occurring in the narrow rolling contact region between a body of phase-change material and a solid body that acts as a heater. The theory is based on the following assumptions : (i) the phase-change material is at the melting point temperature, (ii) the surface of the solid is isothermal, (iii) the effect of frictional heating in the liquid gap is negligible, (iv) the peripheral length of the liquid region is much smaller than the radius of the roller, (v) the liquid gap region is slender, and (vi) the effect of surface tension is negligible. The general solution constructed in this manner relates the mechanical loading of the roller (normal force, tangential force, applied torque) to the angular speed of the roller, the temperature difference between the heater and the phase-change material and the thermophysical properties of the liquid phase. Simpler calculation procedures are developed for two special applications : (a) the melting of a cylinder mounted freely on its axle, and (b) the melting of a turning cylinder the axle of which is stationary relative to the heater surface.
RANDOM PROCESS METHODS AND ENVIRONMENTAL DATA: THE 1996 HUNTER LECTURE

Random processes are basic to the study of environmental data, particularly data in time and space. This work presents three data analyses based on random process models: (a) a trend analysis, based on tting a monotonic trend to river heights; (b) an analysis of point process data, with ordinal-valued marks, for damage assessment following an earthquake, and (c) an analysis of spatial-temporal meteorological data to estimate the speed of motion of a 500 mbar surface. There is discussion of stochastic processes generally. Environmetrics, 8, 269-281 (1997) No. of Figures: 8. No. of Tables: l. No of References: 22
Napping and the selective consolidation of negative aspects of scenes.

After information is encoded into memory, it undergoes an offline period of consolidation that occurs optimally during sleep. The consolidation process not only solidifies memories, but also selectively preserves aspects of experience that are emotionally salient and relevant for future use. Here, we provide evidence that an afternoon nap is sufficient to trigger preferential memory for emotional information contained in complex scenes. Selective memory for negative emotional information was enhanced after a nap compared to wakefulness in two control conditions designed to carefully address interference and time-of-day confounds. Although prior evidence has connected negative emotional memory formation to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep physiology, we found that non-REM delta activity and the amount of slow wave sleep (SWS) in the nap were robustly related to the selective consolidation of negative information. These findings suggest that the mechanisms underlying memory consolidation benefits associated with napping and nighttime sleep are not always the same. Finally, we provide preliminary evidence that the magnitude of the emotional memory benefit conferred by sleep is equivalent following a nap and a full night of sleep, suggesting that selective emotional remembering can be economically achieved by taking a nap.
Synergistic effects of prolactin and testosterone in the restoration of rat prostatic epithelium following castration.

Prolactin is known to enhance the uptake and metabolism of testosterone in male accessory sex organs and to increase the weight of accessory sex organs from castrated rats over those from controls treated with testosterone alone. The present study was directed toward defining fine structural changes detectable with scanning and transmission electron microscopy which might accompany such responses. Accordingly, rat ventral prostrate gland was examined from castrated animals which had received testosterone propionate and ovine prolactin singly or together, or which had received vehicle only. Unoperated ani-mals served as additional controls. Post-castration glandular atrophy was not influenced by prolactin treatment alone. Testosterone restored epithelial height, secretory product, Golgi complexes and rough endoplasmic reticulum, such that cellular and tissue morphology was generally indistinguishable from that of unoperated controls. Prostatic tissue from animals given testosterone and prolactin simultaneously exhibited pleomorphic, cytoplasmic apical projections which extended into the acinar lumen. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that these blebs were devoid of organelles and microvilli; scanning electron microscopy revealed that the blebs were highly wrinkled and more numerous than were the projections observed in tissue from animals treated with testosterone alone, or in tissue from unoperated controls. It is suggested that such blebbing may reflect enhanced apocrine secretion in prolactin/testosterone stimulated restoration of the prostate gland in castrated rats.
A demonstration-based approach for designing domain-specific modeling languages

Domain-Specific Modeling Languages (DSMLs) have been recognized as a viable solution for reducing the gap between domain abstractions and computational expression within specific domains. In several domains and contexts, DSMLs have been applied successfully to various areas (e.g., finance, combat simulation, and image manipulation) and have shown improvements to productivity and quality. However, development of a new DSML is not an easy task for either computer scientists or end-users because designing and implementing a DSML requires profound knowledge of the domain and deep experience in modeling language development. To address the challenges of DSML development, this doctoral symposium abstract outlines a new approach for building DSMLs that represents a demonstration-based technique for specifying the details of a new modeling language. The approach provides an environment for describing and generating the abstract and concrete syntax of a DSML. Initial work on describing the semantics of a new DSML is also a focus of the work. The research represents an investigation into a technique that allows end-users to sketch (or demonstrate) a domain model with free-form shapes. The goal of the proposed research is to develop the underlying science and tool support to enable end-users to assist in designing a DSML for their domain, while minimizing the typical mundane tasks of DSML development involving many accidental complexities.
Glycogen synthase kinases 3α and 3β in cardiac myocytes: regulation and consequences of their inhibition

Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) as a consequence of its phosphorylation by protein kinase B/Akt (PKB/Akt) has been implicated in cardiac myocyte hypertrophy in response to endothelin-1 or phenylephrine. We examined the regulation of GSK3α (which we show to constitute a significant proportion of the myocyte GSK3 pool) and GSK3β in cardiac myocytes. Although endothelin increases phosphorylation of GSK3 and decreases its activity, the response is less than that induced by insulin (which does not promote cardiac myocyte hypertrophy). GSK3 phosphorylation induced by endothelin requires signalling through the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) cascade and not the PKB/Akt pathway, whereas the reverse is true for insulin. Cardiac myocyte hypertrophy involves changes in morphology, and in gene and protein expression. The potent GSK3 inhibitor 1-azakenpaullone increases myocyte area as a consequence of increased cell length whereas phenylephrine increases both length and width. Azakenpaullone or insulin promotes AP1 transcription factor binding to an AP1 consensus oligonucleotide, but this was significantly less than that induced by endothelin and derived principally from increased binding of JunB protein, the expression of which was increased. Azakenpaullone promotes significant changes in gene expression (assessed by Affymetrix microarrays), but the overall response is less than with endothelin and there is little overlap between the genes identified. Thus, although GSK3 may contribute to cardiac myocyte hypertrophy in some respects (and presumably plays an important role in myocyte metabolism), it does not appear to contribute as significantly to the response induced by endothelin as has been maintained.
Voltage‐dependent currents in isolated cells of the frog retinal pigment epithelium.

1. Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells were isolated enzymatically from bullfrog retinae. The patch-clamp technique was employed to investigate whole-cell currents under voltage-clamp conditions. 2. Isolated RPE cells were columnar or cuboidal in form, often with long processes protruding from the apical surface. Distinct apical and basal membrane domains were maintained for several hours following isolation. 3. The mean membrane capacitance was 62 pF. The resting potential averaged -30 mV, but it was as high as -75 mV in some cells. 4. Three voltage-dependent currents were observed: a time-independent and inwardly rectifying current and two time-dependent outwardly rectifying currents that had distinct kinetic properties. 5. Voltage pulses from a holding potential of -70 mV to potentials ranging from -30 to -120 mV produced membrane currents that were essentially time independent. The I-V relationship in this voltage range depended on the resting potential. It was usually inwardly rectifying in cells with resting potentials negative to about -50 mV, but tended to be linear in cells with more positive potentials. Three observations strongly suggested that the inwardly rectifying current is carried by K+. First, increasing the extracellular K+ concentration [( K+]) from 2 to 112 mM shifted the zero-current potential of the I-V relationship in the positive direction from an average value of -60 mV to 0 mV. Second, the addition of the K+ channel blockers Ba2+ (2 mM) or Cs+ (5 mM) to the extracellular solution inhibited a major component of the inwardly rectifying current. Finally, the reversal potential (Vr) of the Ba2(+)-sensitive current averaged -90 mV, near the K+ equilibrium potential (EK). 6. In approximately 50% of the cells, depolarizing voltage pulses to potentials more negative than -30 mV evoked an outward current that resembled the delayed rectifier present in other non-excitable cells. It activated with sigmoidal kinetics in less than 100 ms following a brief delay and then declined exponentially with a time constant of approximately 1 s. The peak chord conductance associated with this current was half-maximal at +14 mV. Several observations indicated that this outwardly rectifying current is carried primarily by K+: its Vr closely matched EK over a wide range of extracellular [K+]; it was inhibited 80% by exposure to the K+ channel blockers 4-aminopyridine (1 mM) and tetraethylammonium (20 mM); and it was abolished by intracellular dialysis with a K(+)-free solution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Contractile elements in endothelial cells as potential targets for drug action

Abstract It is now evident that vascular permeability to macromolecules is subject to a direct pressure-independent physiological and pharmacological regulation. Mediator-stimulated increases in vascular permeability and edema formation may be prevented by treatment with endothelial cell stabilizers which function as physiological mediator antagonists. These unique anti-permeability agents inhibit increases in vascular permeability produced by various inflammatory mediators. Since large junctional gap formation in venules is a characteristic feature of inflammation and so many chemically diverse inflammatory mediators participate in inflammatory responses, the development of a novel class of anti-inflammatory agents which act directly on the venular endothelial cell to inhibit mediator-stimulated increases in vascular permeability may well be warranted. George Grega reviews the evidence for supporting this proposal.
Wer? Was? Wann? Wo? Wie? Warum? Wozu?

Die Wirtschaftsthemen CSR und Nachhaltigkeit sind in kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen (KMUs) haufig hoch angesiedelt und gleichzeitig mit einem Mangel an strukturierter Aufbereitung, Zielorientierung und Kommunikation verbunden. Berater und Dienstleister aus der Organisationsentwicklung und den Public Relations konnen KMUs darin unterstutzen, individuelle Erfolgspotentiale von CSR und Nachhaltigkeit aufzuzeigen, sofern sie an der spezifischen Unternehmenskultur ihrer Klientel ansetzen und sich auf deren Sprach- und Denkgewohnheiten einlassen. Die andere Seite der Medaille professioneller Kommunikation zeigt: Journalisten behandeln CSR und Nachhaltigkeit, zumindest was den unternehmerischen Mittelstand betrifft, eher zuruckhaltend. Mangelt es ihnen an Modellen und Formaten fur eine fachlich tiefgreifende und ausgewogene Berichterstattung? Kritisch hinterfragt: Sind CSR und Nachhaltigkeit uberhaupt einen journalistischen Beitrag wert?
Application of the Adjustment Model to the East German Transformation

Post-privatisation policy has aimed at influencing the decision-making pattern. The chosen approach of mediation did not focus primarily on behavioural adjustment, but on the adjustment of macroeconomic aggregates. The forthcoming sections thereby look at two levels of the transformation: Firstly the transformation of the institutional framework will be analysed employing the dynamic adjustment model (section 2.8), and secondly the same model will be used to look at the adjustment of individual behaviour following these institutional changes. Section 6.2 is based on these adjustment-theoretical considerations (see chapter 2, section 2.8) as well as system-theoretical (see chapter 2, section 2.2) and analyses the institutional transformation with regard to the reaction flexibility of the former East German system and how norm changes affected partial economic systems and their interactions. The notion of compatibility of norm changes with the system changes will be looked at and the grade of the new economic system’s order considered. Section 6.3 establishes that behavioural adjustment deficiencies exist and analyses potential causes of these deficiencies. They imply a time lag of the economic adjustment process and the analysis shows that the internalisation of structural change is incomplete.
Stereotaxic aspects of percutaneous trigeminal gangliolysis.

The authors describe the technique of fluoroscopically guided percutaneous trigeminal thermogangliolysis. In 20 consecutive cases this method has proved effective, safe and expeditious.
Predictive value of the pediatric ulcerative colitis activity index in the surgical management of ulcerative colitis

Abstract Purpose The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index (PUCAI) and operative management. We also specifically evaluated those patients receiving tacrolimus for their disease. Methods A retrospective review (1/06-1/11) identified ulcerative colitis patients (≤21 years old) undergoing restorative proctocolectomy with rectal mucosectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Main outcomes included pre-operative PUCAI, combined versus staged procedure, and postoperative complications. Patients receiving tacrolimus within 3 months of surgical intervention were identified. PUCAI at tacrolimus induction and medication side effects were also noted. Results Sixty patients were identified. Forty-two (70%) underwent combined and 18 (30%) had staged procedures. Pre-operative PUCAI was lower for combined versus staged patients (p= Conclusions There is a very strong correlation between the PUCAI and the likelihood of undergoing a staged procedure. A significant improvement in PUCAI occurs following preoperative tacrolimus therapy.
Evidence for high bi-allelic expression of activating Ly49 receptors

Stochastic expression is a hallmark of the Ly49 family that encode the main MHC class-I-recognizing receptors of mouse natural killer (NK) cells. This highly polygenic and polymorphic family includes both activating and inhibitory receptor genes and is one of genome's fastest evolving loci. The inhibitory Ly49 genes are expressed in a stochastic mono-allelic manner, possibly under the control of an upstream bi-directional early promoter and show mono-allelic DNA methylation patterns. To date, no studies have directly addressed the transcriptional regulation of the activating Ly49 receptors. Our study shows differences in DNA methylation pattern between activating and inhibitory genes in C57BL/6 and F1 hybrid mouse strains. We also show a bias towards bi-allelic expression of the activating receptors based on allele-specific single-cell RT–PCR in F1 hybrid NK cells for Ly49d and Ly49H expression in Ly49h+/− mice. Furthermore, we have identified a region of high sequence identity with possible transcriptional regulatory capacity for the activating Ly49 genes. Our results also point to a likely difference between NK and T-cells in their ability to transcribe the activating Ly49 genes. These studies highlight the complex regulation of this rapidly evolving gene family of central importance in mouse NK cell function.
An exploratory analysis of mobile development issues using stack overflow

Question & answer (Q&A) websites, such as Stack Overflow (SO), are widely used by developers to find and provide answers to technical issues and concerns in software development. Mobile development is not an exception to the rule. In the latest SO dump, more than 400K questions were labeled with tags related to mobile technologies. Although, previous works have analyzed the main topics and trends in SO threads, there are no studies devoted specifically to mobile development. In this paper we used topic modeling techniques to extract hot-topics from mobile-development related questions. Our findings suggest that most of the questions include topics related to general questions and compatibility issues, and the most specific topics, such as crash reports and database connection, are present in a reduced set of questions.
Optic neuritis in neuromyelitis optica.

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an autoimmune demyelinating disease associated with recurrent episodes of optic neuritis and transverse myelitis, often resulting in permanent blindness and/or paralysis. The discovery of autoantibodies (AQP4-IgG) that target aquaporin-4 (AQP4) has accelerated our understanding of the cellular mechanisms driving NMO pathogenesis. AQP4 is a bidirectional water channel expressed on the plasma membranes of astrocytes, retinal Muller cells, skeletal muscle, and some epithelial cells in kidney, lung and the gastrointestinal tract. AQP4 tetramers form regular supramolecular assemblies at the cell plasma membrane called orthogonal arrays of particles. The pathological features of NMO include perivascular deposition of immunoglobulin and activated complement, loss of astrocytic AQP4, inflammatory infiltration with granulocyte and macrophage accumulation, and demyelination with axon loss. Current evidence supports a causative role of AQP4-IgG in NMO, in which binding of AQP4-IgG to AQP4 orthogonal arrays on astrocytes initiates complement-dependent and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and inflammation. Immunosuppression and plasma exchange are the mainstays of therapy for NMO optic neuritis. Novel therapeutics targeting specific steps in NMO pathogenesis are entering the development pipeline, including blockers of AQP4-IgG binding to AQP4 and inhibitors of granulocyte function. However, much work remains in understanding the unique susceptibility of the optic nerves in NMO, in developing animal models of NMO optic neuritis, and in improving therapies to preserve vision.
Problem Solving as a Function of Abstract or Concrete Words.

Abstract Two groups of undergraduates were required to verbally reorder previously memorized pairs of nouns to detect the underlying structural relationship or chain among certain memorized pairs. While the types of word chains were always structurally identical for the two groups, the groups differed as to whether the list of word pairs were concrete or abstract nouns. Subjects who received concrete words both memorized the pairs and solved the problems in less time than did subjects who received abstract word pairs. Superior performance was supposedly due to the differential effect of imaginai versus verbal encoding. Implications were discussed regarding both educational and psychological issues.
Toward More Joyful Learning: Integrating Play Into Frameworks of Middle Grades Teaching

Recent efforts to define qualities of effective teaching practice have done little to capture the role of play, imagination, and creativity in classroom teaching. Drawing on theories of play and data from a two-year case study that included classroom observations, interviews, artifact collection, and surveys, the author examines the ways in which elements of play were present across the practice of eight novice middle grades teachers. Building on examples of play in these classrooms, the author proposes adding the dimension of play to frameworks of middle grades teaching—a dimension that encompasses young adolescents’ engagement in classroom work that involves choice and self-direction, imaginative creations, and a nonstressed state of interest and joy.
Guided test generation for database applications via synthesized database interactions

Testing database applications typically requires the generation of tests consisting of both program inputs and database states. Recently, a testing technique called Dynamic Symbolic Execution (DSE) has been proposed to reduce manual effort in test generation for software applications. However, applying DSE to generate tests for database applications faces various technical challenges. For example, the database application under test needs to physically connect to the associated database, which may not be available for various reasons. The program inputs whose values are used to form the executed queries are not treated symbolically, posing difficulties for generating valid database states or appropriate database states for achieving high coverage of query-result-manipulation code. To address these challenges, in this article, we propose an approach called SynDB that synthesizes new database interactions to replace the original ones from the database application under test. In this way, we bridge various constraints within a database application: query-construction constraints, query constraints, database schema constraints, and query-result-manipulation constraints. We then apply a state-of-the-art DSE engine called Pex for .NET from Microsoft Research to generate both program inputs and database states. The evaluation results show that tests generated by our approach can achieve higher code coverage than existing test generation approaches for database applications.
A computational Fourier series solution of the BenDaniel-Duke Hamiltonian for arbitrary shaped quantum wells

A new technique for solving the BenDaniel-Duke Hamiltonian using a Fourier series method is discussed. This method Fourier transforms the effective mass and potential profiles to calculate the eigenenergies and probability densities in transform space. Numerical solutions of the eigenenergies of a rectangular quantum well are compared to the finite difference, finite element, and transfer matrix methods. The eigenenergies of the envelope functions are computed and compared to the exact case made under a constant effective mass approximation for an asymmetric triangular and parabolic shaped quantum well. The necessity of using a variable effective mass in the BenDaniel-Duke Hamiltonian is shown by a comparison of the eigenenergies in the constant and variable effective mass cases. The Fourier series method is then used to analyze the effects of compositional gradients and electric fields on the eigenenergies and envelope functions for asymmetric coupled asymmetric triangular quantum wells. >
Resource/accuracy tradeoffs in software-defined measurement

Previous work on network measurements have explored several primitives of increasing complexity for measurement tasks at individual nodes, ranging from counters to hashing to arbitrary code fragments. In an SDN network, these primitives may require significant bandwidth, memory and processing resources, and the resources dedicated to these can affect the accuracy of the eventual measurement. In this paper, we first qualitatively discuss the tradeoff space of resource usage versus accuracy for these different primitives as a function of the spatial and temporal measurement granularity, then quantify these tradeoffs in the context of hierarchical heavy hitter detection.
Analysis of the Pathogenicity Locus in Clostridium difficile Strains

The genes for Clostridium difficile toxins A and B (tcdA and tcdB) are part of a 19.6-kb pathogenicity locus (PaLoc) that includes the genes tcdD, tcdE, and tcdC. To determine whether the C. difficile PaLoc is a stable and conserved genetic unit in toxigenic strains, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze 50 toxigenic, 39 nontoxigenic, and 2 toxin-defective isolates. The respective amplicons were identified for tcdA-E in the toxigenic isolates; these were absent in the nontoxigenic isolates. C. difficile P-829 lacked at least a fragment of tcdD, tcdB, tcdE, and tcdC, but tcdA was present. C. difficile 8864 had deletions in the tcdA and tcdC genes. These data suggest that the PaLoc is highly stable in toxigenic C. difficile, nontoxigenic isolates lack the unit, and isolates with a defective PaLoc can still cause clinical disease. Further studies are needed to define the role of individual genes in the pathogenesis of C. difficile-associated diarrhea.
Influence of psychotherapy attendance on buprenorphine treatment outcome.

We evaluated the influence of psychotherapy attendance on treatment outcome in 90 dually (cocaine and heroin) dependent outpatients who completed 70 days of a controlled clinical trial of sublingual buprenorphine (16 mg, 8 mg, or 2 mg daily, or 16 mg every other day) plus weekly individual standardized interpersonal cognitive psychotherapy. Treatment outcome was evaluated by quantitative urine benzoylecgonine (BZE) and morphine levels (log-transformed), performed three times per week. Repeated-measures linear regression was used to assess the effects of psychotherapy attendance (percent of visits kept), medication group, and study week on urine drug metabolite levels. Mean psychotherapy attendance was 71% of scheduled visits. Higher psychotherapy attendance was associated with lower urine BZE levels, and this association grew more pronounced as the study progressed (p = 0.04). The inverse relationship between psychotherapy attendance and urine morphine levels varied by medication group, being most pronounced for subjects receiving 16 mg every other day (p = 0.02). These results suggest that psychotherapy can improve the outcome of buprenorphine maintenance treatment for patients with dual (cocaine and opioid) dependence.
Functional Analysis of a Novel Motif Conserved across Geminivirus Rep Proteins

Members of the Geminiviridae have single-stranded DNA genomes that replicate in nuclei of infected plant cells. All geminiviruses encode a conserved protein (Rep) that catalyzes initiation of rolling-circle replication. Earlier studies showed that three conserved motifs—motifs I, II, and III—in the N termini of geminivirus Rep proteins are essential for function. In this study, we identified a fourth sequence, designated GRS (geminivirus Rep sequence), in the Rep N terminus that displays high amino acid sequence conservation across all geminivirus genera. Using the Rep protein of Tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV AL1), we show that GRS mutants are not infectious in plants and do not support viral genome replication in tobacco protoplasts. GRS mutants are competent for protein-protein interactions and for both double- and single-stranded DNA binding, indicating that the mutations did not impair its global conformation. In contrast, GRS mutants are unable to specifically cleave single-stranded DNA, which is required to initiate rolling-circle replication. Interestingly, the Rep proteins of phytoplasmal and algal plasmids also contain GRS-related sequences. Modeling of the TGMV AL1 N terminus suggested that GRS mutations alter the relative positioning of motif II, which coordinates metal ions, and motif III, which contains the tyrosine involved in DNA cleavage. Together, these results established that the GRS is a conserved, essential motif characteristic of an ancient lineage of rolling-circle initiators and support the idea that geminiviruses may have evolved from plasmids associated with phytoplasma or algae.
Interlaminar contact development during thermoplastic fusion bonding

Fabrication of layered thermoplastics and thermoplastic-matrix composites using processes such as tow placement, tape laying, and resistance welding is fundamentally based on the principle of fusion bonding, which involves applying heat and pressure to contacting thermoplastic surfaces. One of the important processing steps-intimate contact development-is considered in this paper. Interlaminar intimate contact development has a strong dependency on the thermoplastic surface geometry. Profilometric measurements of common thermoplastic prepreg tows, such as AS4/PEEK and IM7/PIXA, show that surface roughness features appear at several length scales and that the surfaces have fractal asperity structures. In this paper, principles of fractal geometry are used to describe prepreg surfaces. Based on this description, a microscale fluid flow model is developed to relate a degree of intimate contact to the process parameters (pressure, temperature, and time) and the fractal parameters of the surface. The model development and comparisons with experimental data are presented and discussed.
Severe burns as a consequence of seizures in patients with epilepsy

We report 10 seizure-related thermal injuries severe enough to require hospitalization in patients with epilepsy. Eight of the ten incidents were with patients who had had seizures with impaired consciousness two or more times a month. This suggests that seizure frequency is a risk factor and implies the importance of striving for optimal seizure control. Two burns each occurred from an electric iron, a hand-held hair dryer, and stove-top cooking. Minimizing these activities, especially in patients with frequent consciousness-altering seizures, may be useful. Three burns occurred while showering; these resulted in the most severe injuries, with hospital stays of 29, 30, and 41 days. Simple plumbing devices may have prevented these injuries.