cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasma Relaxin Levels in Pigs with Corpora Lutea Induced During Late Pregnancy

Plasma relaxin levels were determined during late pregnancy and at parturition in gilts with only original corpora lutea (CL) of pregnancy or with only CL induced on day 83 (Group I) or day 103 (Group II) of gestation. Levels of relaxin were lower in gilts with only induced CL than in gilts with only original CL of pregnancy. Group I, with CL which were 30 days of age at the tune of parturition, had elevated levels of relaxin 1 or 2 days preceding parturition-a secretory pattern similar to that of intact gilts. In contrast, Group II, with CL 15 days of age at the time of parturition, did not have elevated levels of relaxin preceding parturition. This study indicates that the CL of pregnancy are associated with the production and/or secretion of relaxin and that the CL may have to change or mature over at least a 1 5-day period in order to perform these functions.
The role of physical examination in diagnosing common causes of vaginitis: a prospective study

Objective We evaluated agreement in diagnoses for bacterial vaginosis (BV), Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) and vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) between clinicians examining the patient and performing diagnostic tests versus a clinician with access only to the patient9s history and diagnostic findings from self-obtained vaginal swabs (SOVS). Design Women presenting with vaginal discharge to a sexually transmitted infections clinic provided SOVS for evaluation and completed the study and qualitative questionnaires. A clinician then obtained a history and performed speculum and bimanual examinations. Participants’ history and diagnostic test results from SOVS were provided to a masked non-examining clinician who rendered independent diagnoses. Overall agreement in diagnoses and κ statistics was calculated. Results The prevalence of infections among the 197 participants was 63.4% (BV), 19% (TV) and 14% (VVC). The per cent agreement between the examining and non-examining clinician for the diagnoses of BV was 68.5%, 90.9% for TV and 91.9% for VVC. Of the 105 women diagnosed with BV by the examining clinician, 34 (32%) were missed by the non-examining clinician. The non-examining clinician missed 13 (48%) of 27 women and 12 (34%) of 35 women treated for VVC and TV, respectively. Four women who all presented with abdominal pain were diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory disease. Conclusions Tests from SOVS and history alone cannot be used to adequately diagnose BV, TV and VVC in women presenting with symptomatic vaginal discharge. Cost benefits from eliminating the speculum examination and using only tests from SOVS may be negated by long-term costs of mistreatment.
Three-dimensional structure of a light chain dimer crystallized in water: Conformational flexibility of a molecule in two crystal forms

Abstract The three-dimensional structure of an immunoglobulin light chain dimer (Mcg) crystallized in deionized water (orthorhombic form) was determined at 2.0 A resolution by phase extension and crystallographic refinement. This structure was refined side-by-side with that of the same molecule crystallized in ammonium sulfate (trigonal form). The dimer adopted markedly different structures in the two solvents. “Elbow bend” angles between pseudo 2-fold axes of rotation relating pairs of “variable” (V) and “constant” (C) domains were found to be 132 ° in the orthorhombic form and 115 ° in the trigonal form. Modes of association of the V domains and, to a lesser extent, the pairing interactions of the C domains were different in the two structures. Alterations in the V domain pairing were reflected in the shapes of the binding regions and in the orientations of the side-chains lining the walls of the binding sites. In the trigonal form, for instance, the V domain interface was compartmentalized into a main binding cavity and a deep pocket, whereas these spaces were continuous in the orthorhombic structure. Patterns of ordered water molecules were quite distinct in the two crystal types. In some cases, the solvent structures could be correlated with conformational changes in the proteins. For example, close contacts between V and C domains of monomer 1 of the trigonal form were not retained in orthorhombic crystals. Ordered water molecules filled the space created when the two domains moved apart.
Manifestations and mechanisms of stem cell aging

Adult stem cells exist in most mammalian organs and tissues and are indispensable for normal tissue homeostasis and repair. In most tissues, there is an age-related decline in stem cell functionality but not a depletion of stem cells. Such functional changes reflect deleterious effects of age on the genome, epigenome, and proteome, some of which arise cell autonomously and others of which are imposed by an age-related change in the local milieu or systemic environment. Notably, some of the changes, particularly epigenomic and proteomic, are potentially reversible, and both environmental and genetic interventions can result in the rejuvenation of aged stem cells. Such findings have profound implications for the stem cell–based therapy of age-related diseases.
Hormic and Holistic Theories

It may seem unjustified to include William McDougall in the part of our book which deals with behaviorism and conditioning. It seems to be even less justified to include K. Goldstein in the very same chapter. All his life, McDougall was opposed to behaviorism, and Goldstein has little, if anything, in common with McDougall.
Performances of sampled amplitude sequence detectors on a partial erasure magnetic recording channel

The performance of sampled amplitude sequence detectors are evaluated for a model of the magnetic recording channel. In particular, the performance of detectors currently used with run-length-limited codes having d=0 and d=1 constraints are compared including code rate loss, practical equalization and partial erasure effects. It is shown that a d=0 PR4 detector performs slightly better than a d=1 EEPR4 detector at reasonable user densities when the channel is linear. However, in the partial erasure channel model used, the d=1 detector has a significant advantage.
History of venous ultrasound.

enous ultrasound is the modality of choice for the diagnosis of acute venous thrombosis of the lower extremities. It is sobering to consider that in less than 20 years, a diagnosis that previously required venipuncture, radiation, and intravenous contrast material has been replaced by a completely noninvasive technique: venous ultrasound examination. This article reviews the brief history of venous ultrasound, extending over a quarter century, and comments about its future. Before 1980, assessment of venous clots in the lower extremities was generally performed with venography. Because venography was an invasive test, it was requested
Optimal Geometric Mean Returns of Stocks and Their Options

The optimal geometric mean return is an important property of an asset. As a derivative of the underlying asset, the option also has this property. In this paper, we show that the optimal geometric mean returns of a stock and its option are the same from Kelly criterion. It is proved by using binomial option pricing model and continuous stochastic models with self-financing assumption. A simulation study reveals the same result for the continuous option pricing model.
An integrated acoustic and electromagnetic wave-based technique to estimate subbottom sediment properties in a freshwater environment

An integrated acoustic and electromagnetic (EM) wave-based technique was developed to estimate sediment porosity and top-layer thickness in shallow freshwater environments. The integrated methodology reduces the limitation of each of the individual techniques and combines the data for a more robust inversion solution. The acoustic and EM-wave reflection coefficients are determined based on the ratios of reflected signal strengths from sediments and a reference aluminium plate. An iterative algorithm that uses reflection coefficients to optimize the sediment porosity was developed. Once the optimal sediment porosity is obtained, the acoustic and EM wave speeds and then the top-layer thickness were evaluated. In comparison with ground truth data, the measured and estimated sediment porosity and top-layer thickness show differences less than 8.6%. The new integrated method provides an efficient and accurate methodology to obtain sediment properties under different sediment conditions.
Misexpression of the Niemann-Pick disease type C1 (NPC1)-like protein in Arabidopsis causes sphingolipid accumulation and reproductive defects

Misexpression of the AtNPC1 - 1 and AtNPC1 - 2 genes leads to altered sphingolipid metabolism, growth impairment, and male reproductive defects in a hemizygous Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) double-mutant population. Abolishing the expression of both gene copies has lethal effects. Niemann-Pick disease type C1 is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the NPC1 gene. At the cellular level, the disorder is characterized by the accumulation of storage lipids and lipid trafficking defects. The Arabidopsis thaliana genome contains two genes (At1g42470 and At4g38350) with weak homology to mammalian NPC1. The corresponding proteins have 11 predicted membrane-spanning regions and contain a putative sterol-sensing domain. The At1g42470 protein is localized to the plasma membrane, while At4g38350 protein has a dual localization in the plasma and tonoplast membranes. A phenotypic analysis of T-DNA insertion mutants indicated that At1g42470 and At4g38350 (designated AtNPC1-1 and AtNPC1-2, respectively) have partially redundant functions and are essential for plant reproductive viability and development. Homozygous plants impaired in the expression of both genes were not recoverable. Plants of a hemizygous AtNPC1-1/atnpc1-1/atnpc1-2/atnpc1-2 population were severely dwarfed and exhibited male gametophytic defects. These gene disruptions did not have an effect on sterol concentrations; however, hemizygous AtNPC1-1/atnpc1-1/atnpc1-2/atnpc1-2 mutants had increased fatty acid amounts. Among these, fatty acid α-hydroxytetracosanoic acid (h24:0) occurs in plant sphingolipids. Follow-up analyses confirmed the accumulation of significantly increased levels of sphingolipids (assayed as hydrolyzed sphingoid base component) in the hemizygous double-mutant population. Certain effects of NPC1 misexpression may be common across divergent lineages of eukaryotes (sphingolipid accumulation), while other defects (sterol accumulation) may occur only in certain groups of eukaryotic organisms.
Infobuttons and classification models: A method for the automatic selection of on-line information resources to fulfill clinicians' information needs

Objective: Infobuttons are decision support tools that offer links to information resources based on the context of the interaction between a clinician and an electronic medical record (EMR) system. The objective of this study was to explore machine learning and web usage mining methods to produce classification models for the prediction of information resources that might be relevant in a particular infobutton context. Design: Classification models were developed and evaluated with an infobutton usage dataset. The performance of the models was measured and compared with a reference implementation in a series of experiments. Measurements: Level of agreement (@k) between the models and the resources that clinicians actually used in each infobutton session. Results: The classification models performed significantly better than the reference implementation (p<.0001). The performance of these models tended to decrease over time, probably due to a phenomenon known as concept drift. However, the performance of the models remained stable when concept drift handling techniques were used. Conclusions: The results suggest that classification models are a promising method for the prediction of information resources that a clinician would use to answer patient care questions.
Priority queue schedulers with approximate sorting in output-buffered switches

All recently proposed packet-scheduling algorithms for output-buffered switches that support quality-of-service (QoS) transmit packets in some priority order, e.g., according to deadlines, virtual finishing times, eligibility times, or other time stamps that are associated with a packet. Since maintaining a sorted priority queue introduces significant overhead, much emphasis on QoS scheduler design is put on methods to simplify the task of maintaining a priority queue. In this paper, we consider an approach that attempts to approximate a sorted priority queue at an output-buffered switch. The goal is to trade off less accurate sorting for lower computational overhead. Specifically, this paper presents a scheduler that approximates the sorted queue of an earliest-deadline-first (EDF) scheduler. The approximate scheduler is implemented using a set of prioritized first-in/first-out (FIFO) queues that are periodically relabeled. The scheduler can be efficiently implemented with a fixed number of pointer manipulations, thus enabling an implementation in hardware. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the worst-case delays of the scheduler with approximate sorting are presented. Numerical examples, including traces based on MPEG video, demonstrate that in realistic scenarios, scheduling with approximate sorting is a viable option.
Review quality aware collaborative filtering

Probabilistic matrix factorization (PMF) and other popular approaches to collaborative filtering assume that the ratings given by users for products are genuine, and hence they give equal importance to all available ratings. However, this is not always true due to several reasons including the presence of opinion spam in product reviews. In this paper, the possibility of performing collaborative filtering while attaching weights or quality scores to the ratings is explored. The quality scores, which are determined from the corresponding review data are used to "up-weight" or "down-weight" the importance given to the individual rating while performing collaborative filtering, thereby improving the accuracy of the predictions. First, the measure used to capture the quality of the ratings is described. Different approaches for estimating the quality score based on the available review information are examined. Subsequently, a mathematical formulation to incorporate quality scores as weights for the ratings in the basic PMF framework is derived. Experimental evaluation on two product categories of a benchmark data set from Amazon.com demonstrates the efficacy of our approach.
Acute ethanol inhibits extracellular signal-regulated kinase, protein kinase B, and adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate response element binding protein activity in an age- and brain region-specific manner.

Background: As little as a single episode of exposure of the developing brain to ethanol can result in developmental neuropathology and mental retardation. Extracellular signal–regulated kinases (ERKs), protein kinase B (PKB), and adenosine 3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB) are messenger molecules that play important roles in neuronal plasticity and survival. This study was undertaken to examine the effects of acute ethanol on ERK, PKB, and CREB activation in the brain. Methods: Immunoblot analysis was used to determine the effects of a 1-hr exposure of ethanol on levels of phospho-ERC in primary cortical cultures and in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum of postnatal day 5 (PN5), postnatal day 21 (PN21), and adult rats. Results: In cortical cultures, ethanol (100 mM) significantly reduced activity-dependent activation of phospho-ERK, phospho-PKB, and phospho-CREB by approximately 50%. In PN5 rats, ethanol (3.5 g/kg) inhibited both phospho-ERK and phospho-PKB in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus but was without effect in the cerebellum. A similar brain region–specific inhibition of phospho-ERK was observed in PN21 rats, whereas in adult rats, ethanol inhibited phospho-ERK in all three brain regions. In contrast, ethanol had no effect on phospho-PKB in either PN21 or adult rats. Without exception, ethanol inhibited phospho-CREB in an identical brain region– and age-dependent manner as was observed for phospho-ERK. Finally, administration of the NMDA antagonist MK-801 (0.5 mg/kg) to PN5 rats had no effect on phospho-ERK or phospho-PKB levels in any brain region. Conclusion: The results demonstrate that acute ethanol inhibits ERK/PKB/CREB signaling in brain. This inhibition occurs in an age- and brain region–specific manner, with inhibition of PKB restricted to a time during the brain growth-spurt period. Furthermore, the lack of effect of MK-801 suggests that inhibition of NMDA receptors is unlikely to play a major role in binge ethanol inhibition of ERK/PKB/CREB signaling in vivo.
Temperature requirements for after-ripening in buried seeds of four summer annual weeds

Summary Freshly matured, seeds of the four summer annuals Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Polygonum pensylvanicum, Amaranthus hybridus and Chenopodium album were buried in soil at (12/12 h) daily thermoperiods of 15/6, 20/10, 25/15, 30/15 and 35/20°C and at a constant temperature of 5°C. After 0, 1, 3 and 5 months, seeds of each species at each temperature were exhumed and tested at a 14-h daily photoperiod at all six temperatures. Fresh seeds of A. artemisiifolia and P. pensylvanicum did not germinate at any temperature, those of A, hybridus germinated to 4 and 64% at 30/15 and 35/20°C, respectively, and those of C. album to 11–20% at 25/15, 30/15 and 35/20°C. Seeds of A. artemisiifolia and P. pensylvanicum, which germinate only in spring, required exposure to low (5, 15/6°C) temperature to after-ripen completely (i.e., to gain the ability to germinate over a wide range of temperatures), and little or no after-ripening occurred at high (25/15, 30/15 and 35/20°C) temperatures. Seeds of A. hybridus and C. album, which germinate in spring and summer, required exposure to low temperature to after-ripen completely, but at high temperatures they rapidly gained the ability to germinate at high temperatures. Regardless of the burial temperatures and species, when after-ripening occurred, seeds firs germinated at high and then at low temperatures. The minimum germination temperature for a species decreased with after-ripening temperature and with an increase in the length of the burial period.
Sexual and AIDS-related knowledge attitudes and behaviors of adolescents in Sierra Leone West Africa.

A survey of 307 Sierra Leonean adolescents between the ages of thirteen and nineteen was assessed to determine their sexual and AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Results indicate high sexual activity rates among the sampled group; 89 percent of the males and 68 percent of the females had engaged in sexual intercourse. The mean age at first sexual intercourse was found to be 14.4 years for males and 15.1 years for females. Sixty-five percent of the males and 35 percent of the females reported having three or more sexual partners over their lifetime. Other findings included high rates of STDs and HIV/AIDS, low reported condom use, low reported use of other birth control methods, and low knowledge scores concerning pregnancy prevention, HIV/AIDS and STDs. Implications of these findings are discussed.
The pH of chemistry assays plays an important role in monoclonal immunoglobulin interferences.

Abstract Objectives Immunoglobulin paraproteins can interfere with multiple chemistry assays. We want to investigate the mechanisms of immunoglobulin interference. Design and methods Serum samples containing paraproteins from the index patient and eight additional patients were used to investigate the interference with the creatinine and total protein assays on the Beckman Coulter AU5400/2700 analyzer, and to determine the effects of pH and ionic strength on the precipitation of different immunoglobulins in these patient samples. Results The paraprotein interference with the creatinine and total protein assays was caused by the precipitation of IgM paraprotein in the index patient's samples under alkaline assay conditions. At extremely high pH (12–13) and extremely low pH (1–2) and low ionic strength, paraprotein formed large aggregates in samples from the index patient but not from other patients. Conclusions The pH and ionic strength are the key factors that contribute to protein aggregation and precipitation which interfere with the creatinine and total protein measurements on AU5400/2700. The different amino acid sequence of each monoclonal paraprotein will determine the pH and ionic strength at which the paraprotein will precipitate.
Models of resistance: "victims" lead.

This author has found through professional and personal experience that throughout the world, women directly affected by injustice have led demands for accountability. The purpose of this article is to challenge mainstream human rights groups to create a different type of partnership between themselves and the people for whom they advocate by seeking the involvement of "victims", including leaders of successful "victim-led" initiatives. This approach will result in more appropriate policy recommendations and will enhance both entities' capacity for outreach. Moreover, it will bring mainstream human rights organizations into greater compliance with their own stated values, as well as exemplifying the same respect, flexibility, and accommodation that these groups often recommend to governmental, political, and institutional entities. Language: en
A Practitioner’s Guide to Prescribing Ethosuximide for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities

We developed this ethosuximide guideline using drug prescribing ­information and reviewing the available literature on relevant neuropsychiatric disorders in populations without intellectual disabilities because of the dearth of available literature on the population with intellectual disabilities. This guideline includes indications; contraindications; assessments prior to and during treatment; dosing with particular focus on dosing modifications required by drug–drug interactions, personal characteristics; and adverse drug reactions. The procedures contained in this guideline may not fully account for all of the possible risks of treatment in this population because of the limited studies available; thus, there will be a need to periodically update this guideline as new information becomes available. Nevertheless, we believe that this guideline provides a useful resource for clinicians who treat epilepsy in adult individuals with intellectual ­disabilities. An ethosuximide drug utilization review that summarizes this guideline is described.
Biometric Recognition via Eye Movements: Saccadic Vigor and Acceleration Cues

Previous research shows that human eye movements can serve as a valuable source of information about the structural elements of the oculomotor system and they also can open a window to the neural functions and cognitive mechanisms related to visual attention and perception. The research field of eye movement-driven biometrics explores the extraction of individual-specific characteristics from eye movements and their employment for recognition purposes. In this work, we present a study for the incorporation of dynamic saccadic features into a model of eye movement-driven biometrics. We show that when these features are added to our previous biometric framework and tested on a large database of 322 subjects, the biometric accuracy presents a relative improvement in the range of 31.6--33.5p for the verification scenario, and in range of 22.3--53.1p for the identification scenario. More importantly, this improvement is demonstrated for different types of visual stimulus (random dot, text, video), indicating the enhanced robustness offered by the incorporation of saccadic vigor and acceleration cues.
The Impact of Third Generation Antitakeover Laws on Shareholder Wealth

We examine the impact of nine third generation state antitakeover laws on stock returns. At conventional levels of significance, six of the nine types of laws appear to have statistically significant negative CARs' surrounding the passage date, for firms without prior antitakeover charter amendments. However, these results are not supported using a Bonferroni analysis. Contrary to Karpoff and Malatesta (1989) we, also, test for support for the shareholder interest hypothesis by comparing firms with and without golden parachutes. At conventional significance levels, four of the nine laws had significant differences in returns between firms with and firms without golden parachutes. Again, the Bonferroni analysis rejects any significant differences in returns. Previous papers studying antitakeover legislation did not examine many laws or they did not control for the number of event windows. CARs may appear significant at conventional levels; however, after controlling for the number of events using a Bonferroni statistic it is found that these CARs are not significant. This study concludes that these nine types of antitakeover legislation have no impact on stock returns.
Estimating the rates of deaths by suicide among adults who attempt suicide in the United States.

Abstract Background In 2012, over 1.3 million U.S. adults reported that they attempted suicide in the past year, and 39,426 adults died by suicide. This study estimated national suicide case fatality rates among adult suicide attempters (fatal and nonfatal cases) and examined how they varied by sociodemographic characteristics. Methods We pooled data on deaths by suicide (n = 147,427, fatal cases in the U.S.) from the 2008–2011 U S. mortality files and data on suicide attempters who survived (n = 2000 nonfatal cases) from the 2008–2012 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. Descriptive analyses and multivariable logistic regression models were applied. Results Among adult suicide attempters in the U.S., the overall 12-month suicide case fatality rate was 3.2% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.9%–3.5%). It varied significantly by sociodemographic factors. For those aged 45 or older, the adjusted suicide case fatality rate was higher among men (7.6%) than among women (2.6%) (suicide case fatality rate ratio (SCFRR) = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.83–4.79), was higher among non-Hispanic whites (7.9%) than among non-white minorities (0.8–2.5%) (SCFRRs = 3.2–9.9), and was higher among those with less than high school education (16.0%) than among college graduates (1.8%) (SCFRR = 8.8, 95% CI = 3.83–20.16). Across male and female attempters, being aged 45 or older and non-Hispanic white and having less than secondary school were at a higher risk for death by suicide. Conclusions Focusing on these demographic characteristics can help identify suicide attempters at higher risk for death by suicide, inform clinical assessments, and improve suicide prevention and intervention efforts by increasing high-risk suicide attempters’ access to mental health treatment.
Multi-photon Quantitative Sensing of Electrostatic Molecular Interactions

Physics Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA Abstract (35 word) Femtosecond 2-photon absorption spectroscopy is used to determine the strength of local electrostatic field in the molecular vicinity of dissolved dipolar chromophores. Experimental techniques facilitating high accuracy 2-photon cross section measurements will be discussed.
Conductive thin films of pristine graphene by solvent interface trapping.

Graphite’s insolubility in conventional solvents is a major obstacle to its utilization. This challenge is typically addressed by chemical modification such as oxidation, followed by reduction. However, pristine graphene possesses superior properties as oxidation and reduction lead to degradation of the graphene. Here we demonstrate the use of an interfacial trapping technique to assemble laterally macroscopic films of pristine graphene that are up to 95% transparent. This is accomplished by modest sonication of natural flake graphite in a water/heptane mixture to form continuous films at the interface between two immiscible liquids. Furthermore, the graphene sheets readily climb hydrophilic solid substrates, forming a homogeneous thin film one to four layers thick. These films are composed of a network of overlapping graphene sheets and shown to have long-range structure with conductivities on the order of 400 S/cm.
Assimilation and transfer of mirex in colonies of Texas leaf-cutting ants.

Foraging workers from colonies of the Texas leaf-cutting ant, Atta texana (Buckley), feed directly on bait containing mirex. They pass the toxicant to other ants by regurgitation. Because mirex is a slow-acting stomach poison, workers have time to distribute it throughout the colony.
Effect of Dimensionality on the Photocatalytic Behavior of Carbon–Titania Nanosheet Composites: Charge Transfer at Nanomaterial Interfaces

Due to their unique optoelectronic structure and large specific surface area, carbon nanomaterials have been integrated with titania to enhance photocatalysis. In particular, recent work has shown that nanocomposite photocatalytic performance can be improved by minimizing the covalent defect density of the carbon component. Herein, carbon nanotube-titania nanosheet and graphene-titania nanosheet composites with low carbon defect densities are compared to investigate the role of carbon nanomaterial dimensionality on photocatalytic response. The resulting 2D-2D graphene-titania nanosheet composites yield superior electronic coupling compared to 1D-2D carbon nanotube-titania nanosheet composites, leading to greater enhancement factors for CO2 photoreduction under ultraviolet irradiation. On the other hand, 1D carbon nanotubes are shown to be more effective titania photosensitizers, leading to greater photoactivity enhancement factors under visible illumination. Overall, this work suggests that carbon nanomaterial dimensionality is a key factor in determining the spectral response and reaction specificity of carbon-titania nanosheet composite photocatalysts.
Authors’ reply to Perry

We thank Perry for raising the interesting difference between research trials where both patients and staff are blinded to whether the tablet is really a statin and everyday practice where patients and doctors know whether a statin is being taken.1 2 In the blinded trials, there …
Is God in the United States

This paper discusses whether the use of the word "God" in the United States motto, the Pledge of Allegiance, and on government buildings is a violation of the Establishment Clause.
Validation of a learning progression: relating empirical data to theory

Learning progressions (LPs) are theoretical models of learning trajectories in a domain. Recent policy reports have touted LPs as a promising approach to align standards, curriculum, and assessment. However, the scholarship on LPs is sparse, and the jury is still out on the theoretical and practical value of this approach. To realize any potential of LPs we need to systematically validate and refine these hypothetical models in real-world contexts. Such validation efforts are challenging, as they require the coordination of messy empirical data with, often, under-specified theoretical models. In this paper we report on our efforts to validate a genetics LP through a two-year longitudinal study in middle school. We describe how we used interview data to refine the hypothesized levels of progression in our LP and to identify contingencies between constructs (big ideas) within our LP. We conclude with some tentative heuristics for coordinating data and LP models.
Interpretive structural modelling to assess third party logistics providers

Third-party logistics (3PL) providers offer logistics outsourcing to firms so that companies can focus on their core competencies. Because the supply chain has such a large impact on a firm's cost and customer service, it is important to ensure that the selected 3PL understands and is capable of providing the services needed by a firm. This paper explores the use of interpretive structural modelling (ISM) in evaluating the selection of a 3PL. Based on expert opinions, the participants rated the relationships between 12 main criteria for 3PL selection and then ISM was applied. The results indicated that cost has the most dependence and least driving power, whereas financial stability has the most driving power and least dependence. Cultural alignment showed weak driving power and weak dependence. Dependent attributes which had weak driving power and strong dependence were cost, reputation, and quality. Locations, collaboration, range of services, and experience had attributes which have strong driving power and strong dependence. And finally, financial stability, flexibility, information technology, and metrics were found to have strong driving power and weak dependence.
Thriving in the Political Sport Arena: LMX as a Mediator of the Political Skill– Career Success Relationship

Organizational politics, be it in sport organizations or other business contexts, is an unavoidable aspect of work and life. Further, some individuals are better than others at navigating the political arena and advancing their careers. It is therefore important to understand what characteristics those individuals possess and how exactly those characteristics lead to desirable career outcomes. This study progresses the organizational behavioral sciences forward by examining the mediation effects of leader-member exchange (LMX) in the relationships between intern political skill and four career-related outcomes (career satisfaction, perceived external marketability, life satisfaction, and perceived effectiveness). A total of 201 sport management student subjects were obtained. A boot-strapping method estimated with structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the mediation effects. The results of the study show that all the hypothesized mediation effects were indeed supported. Therefore, we concluded that the mediated paths of political skill through LMX to support career-success outcomes were supported. These results will hopefully stimulate continued interest in the individual “skills” and intervening ways through which aspiring sport professionals can achieve success in their internships (and subsequent employment) and current sport professionals can attain beneficial career-related outcomes.
Effects On Intracranial Pressure In a Clinically Derived Fluid Resuscitation Protocol Following Hemorrhagic Shock with an Accompanying Intracranial Mass

We have previously shown, in a hemorrhagic shock — intracranial mass model, that isotonic crystalloid results in a greater and more rapid increase in ICP immediately following resuscitation than hypertonic crystalloid, colloid or a combination of crystalloid and colloid (Whitley 1988). This rapid increase in ICP may exacerbate the neurological sequelae of the shock episode by decreasing CBF following resuscitation. While the effects of resuscitation on ICP have been extensively studied, they have dealt only with the effects of a single resuscitation fluid bolus, unlike the clinical protocol where systemic hemodynamics are maintained. The present study compared the cerebrovascular effects of resuscitation with isotonic and hypertonic crystalloid, each with and without colloid (10% Pentastarch), while maintaining cardiac output above baseline levels in a hemorrhagic shock — intracranial mass model.
Experimental Anisakiasis: Cultivation and Temperature Tolerance Determinations1

All stages of the anisakine life cycle—egg, larva, and adult—have been used to initiate cultures. Eggs develop to hatching larvae at different temperatures depending on the species or strain. Newly hatched larvae of Phocanema decipiens and Contracaecum osculatum grow to an average 31.1 mm in 52 weeks and 6.5 mm in 32 weeks, respectively. Larvae from fish or those previously cultivated will molt at 35 C in a complex culture medium. P. decipiens and Anisakis marina have produced eggs in vitro. A. marina eggs from cultured females produced viable larvae. Freshness of the larvae used to initiate cultures is considered a major factor in success. The histochemistry of the composition and structure of P. decipiens cuticle in larvae from fish and cultures has been defined; experiments have demonstrated that the processes of cuticular deposition and ecdysis are independent. It has been postulated and evidence provided that a neurosecretory mechanism controls ecdysis; it has also been shown that this system can be ...
Communications-optimized task planning for maritime search and survey

In this study we consider the scheduling of an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) performing search and survey of a target area (TA) based on the prediction of communications in maritime environmental conditions. While the UUV sweeps the TA, it gathers sonar data which is communicated back to the main ship via acoustic communications, and via radio frequency (RF) communications by surfacing at the end of a sweep when good communications are predicted. In this study we shown that by placing the most sweeps within the predicted good communication ranges, the information gain rate (IGR) can be maximized, therefore demonstrating the benefits of RF communications prediction capability while performing the survey mission.
Versatile Manganese Catalysis for the Synthesis of Poly(silylether)s from Diols and Dicarbonyls with Hydrosilanes

Poly(silylether)s are interesting materials because of their degradation property under hydrolytic conditions and have been prepared via hydrosilylation polymerization from dicarbonyl and hydrosilanes, and via dehydrogenative cross-coupling of diols and hydrosilanes under catalytic conditions. Here, we present a manganese–salen compound based on an inexpensive and nontoxic metal that could effectively catalyze both polymerization reactions with hydrosilane. A series of poly(silylether)s containing various aliphatic and aromatic backbones have been synthesized from diol and dicarbonyl substrates. Moderate to high yields of polymers with number-average molecular weights up to 15 kg/mol are obtained. Because of the dual activity of the manganese catalyst, unsymmetrical substrates with mixed functional groups, such as p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, p-hydroxy benzylalcohol, and 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-propanol, have been employed to afford poly(silylether)s with multiple silicon connectivity in the main chain.
Maggot débridement therapy.

Due to rising health care costs and resistance to antibiotics, maggot debridement therapy may regain popularity. Nurses must learn about this unusual therapy and be prepared to assist patients who want to try it.
Teachers’ Work in China’s Migrant Schools:

In recent years, scholars have begun to document the emergence of private migrant schools in urban China. However, neither education nor labor scholars have empirically investigated teachers’ work....
Hierarchical Control Architecture for Real-time Traffic Management

Abstract The paper discusses issues in the design of a real-time traffic control system for an urban network, and proposes a design architecture that is based on a hierarchical decomposition of the overall control problem. The decision problem at each hierarchical level is discussed. The proposed architecture allows for a modular implementation of many of the subsystems within the control structure and the incorporation of new technologies (e.g. new vehicle sensors) when they become available.
Factors Influencing Suicide Risk Assessment and Management in VA Primary Care Clinics: A Qualitative Study of Provider Perspectives

This study obtained the perspectives of 11 providers employed in Veteran Affairs (VA) primary care clinics across 4 states regarding the factors that influence the assessment and management of suic...
Effects of Solvent and Temperature on Free Radical Formation in Electronic Cigarette Aerosols

The ever-evolving market of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) presents a challenge for analyzing and characterizing the harmful products they can produce. Earlier we reported that e-cigarette aerosols can deliver high levels of reactive free radicals; however, there are few data characterizing the production of these potentially harmful oxidants. Thus, we have performed a detailed analysis of the different parameters affecting the production of free radical by e-cigarettes. Using a temperature-controlled e-cigarette device and a novel mechanism for reliably simulating e-cigarette usage conditions, including coil activation and puff flow, we analyzed the effects of temperature, wattage, and e-liquid solvent composition of propylene glycol (PG) and glycerol (GLY) on radical production. Free radicals in e-cigarette aerosols were spin-trapped and analyzed using electron paramagnetic resonance. Free radical production increased in a temperature-dependent manner, showing a nearly 2-fold increase between 100 ...
From Leisure Ethic to Reindustrialization

(1981). From Leisure Ethic to Reindustrialization. Journal of Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 52, Including Leisure Today, pp. 38-39.
Development and Validation of a Semi-Empirical Model for Two-Phase Heat Transfer from Arrays of Impinging Jets

Abstract Two-phase jet impingement is a compact cooling technology that provides high-heat-flux dissipation at manageable pressure drop, with applications in cooling power electronics and server modules. The extensive set of geometrical parameters and operating conditions that determine the heat transfer behavior of jet impingement systems provide an attractive level of design flexibility. In the present study, a semi-empirical approach is developed to predict heat transfer from arrays of jets of liquid that undergoes phase change upon impingement. In the modeling approach developed, the jet array is divided into unit cells centered on each orifice that are assumed to behave identically. Based on prior experimental observations, the impingement surface in each unit cell is divided into two distinct regions: a single-phase heat transfer region directly under the jet, and a surrounding boiling heat transfer region along the periphery. Single-phase convection and boiling heat transfer correlations available in the literature are used to estimate the heat transfer coefficient distribution in each region, and the mean surface temperature of the unit cell is estimated via area-averaging. An analysis is performed to show that the model outputs are sensitive to the heat transfer coefficient correlations used as inputs, with the choice depending on the heat flux input and the expected operating regime. Experiments are performed to validate the area-averaged thermal performance predictions. The model results are also compared against experimental data in the literature. The semi-empirical modeling approach developed in this work successfully represents the different heat transfer modes and transitions that occur during two-phase jet impingement. The location of transition to boiling predicted by the model is consistent with prior experimental observations of an inward-creeping boiling front with increasing heat flux. The predicted temperature difference between the surface and the jet inlet across all experimental comparisons has a mean absolute percentage error of 3.88%. The proposed modeling approach is demonstrated to be a practical tool in the development of two-phase jet array impingement devices, allowing for parametric exploration across the expansive design space.
Experimental myopia increases and scleral crosslinking using genipin inhibits cyclic softening in the tree shrew sclera.

Purpose Myopia progression is thought to involve biomechanical weakening of the sclera, which leads to irreversible deformations and axial elongation of the eye. Scleral crosslinking has been proposed as a potential treatment option for myopia control by strengthening the mechanically weakened sclera. The biomechanical mechanism by which the sclera weakens during myopia and strengthens after crosslinking is not fully understood. Here, we assess the effect of lens-induced myopia and exogenous crosslinking using genipin on the inelastic mechanical properties of the tree shrew sclera measured by cyclic tensile tests. Methods Cyclic tensile tests were performed on 2-mm wide scleral strips at physiological loading conditions (50 cycles, 0-3.3 g, 30 s cycle-1 ). Two scleral strips were obtained from each eye of juvenile tree shrews exposed to two different visual conditions: normal and 4 days of monocular -5 D lens wear to accelerate scleral remodelling and induce myopia. Scleral strips were mechanically tested at three alternative conditions: immediately after enucleation; after incubation in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) for 24 h at 37°C; and after incubation for 24 h in PBS supplemented with genipin at a low cytotoxicity concentration (0.25 mm). Cyclic softening was defined as the incremental strain increase from one cycle to the next. Results -5D lens treatment significantly increased the cyclic softening response of the sclera when compared to contralateral control eyes (0.10% ± 0.029%, mean ± standard error, P = 0.037). Exogenous crosslinking of the lens treated sclera significantly decreased the cyclic softening response (-0.12% ± 0.014%, P = 2.2 × 10-5 ). Contrary to all other groups, the genipin-cross-linked tissue did not exhibit cyclic softening significantly different from zero within the 50-cycle test. Conclusions Results indicated that cyclic tensile loading leads to an inelastic, cyclic softening of the juvenile tree shrew sclera. The softening rate increased during lens-induced myopia and was diminished after genipin crosslinking. This finding suggests that axial elongation in myopia may involve a biomechanical weakening mechanism that increased the cyclic softening response of the sclera, which was inhibited by scleral crosslinking using genipin.
Exploring Hispanic parents’ beliefs and attitudes about deaf education

Beliefs about disability play an enormous role in shaping parents’ decisions about the education of their children with disabilities. Using the Beliefs and Attitudes about Deaf Education Scale, we ...
Models for Enzymatically Active Membranes

In this chapter we discuss modeling and control problems arising in the study of enzymatically active membranes. These discussions are based on the work of Kernevez and Thomas and more detailed accounts of these investigations may be found in [63,112–117,130]. Throughout this chapter we shall, in agreement with the works cited above, use the Briggs-Haldane expressions (e.g. (1.6), (1.16), etc.) for reaction velocities during the time course of the reaction, i.e. $$ v\left( t \right) = \frac{{{V_{M}}S\left( t \right)}}{{{K_{M}} + S\left( t \right)}}. $$
Developmental Tasks of Pregnancy and Transition to Parenthood

This chapter embodies two closely related foci. The first involves a presentation of the developmental tasks of pregnancy (especially as they stand out during the first pregnancy). The second describes a conceptual framework and a clinical approach for using such developmental information in assessing the status of the pregnant woman’s assets and liabilities and for developing an action-oriented approach to intervention where that is indicated. The learning of normal function and normal modes of adaptation must have practical application for the clinician and consultant or they will soon be forgotten. Retention of such knowledge is rapidly lost unless it is used on a daily basis in the helping process. It is for this reason that the two foci mentioned before are not presented consecutively in this chapter. Rather, an effort is made to interweave them so that the evolving developmental process of pregnancy is presented as a basis for organizing an interview process that integrates that developmental model. This is particularly important during pregnancy because the eliciting of isolated behavioral phenomena through unstructured interviewing or, conversely, highly structured rating scales may mislead the examiner into exaggerating the importance of an isolated episode. The context in which such behavior occurs during pregnancy is all important.