cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physical fitness in older adults: Is there a relationship with the modified Functional Movement Screen™?

Abstract Introduction The modified Functional Movement Screen™ (mFMS) has been used to screen for mobility, stability, motor control, and balance in older adults, yet, its relationship to measures of physical fitness is not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between mFMS scores and measures of physical fitness in older adults. A secondary aim was to determine physical fitness differences depending on mFMS Lower Body Motor Control Screen scores. Methods One hundred and eight older adults completed this cross-sectional study. Measurements of physical fitness included: Handgrip Strength (HG), Back-Leg Strength Dynamometer (BLS), 8 foot Up and Go (8UG), Vertical Jump (VJ), Medicine Ball Throw (MBT), Chair Stand (CST), Arm Curl (AC), and 6-Minute Walk test (6 MW). The mFMS consisted of four screens: Shoulder Mobility Screen (SMS), Deep Squat (DS), Active Straight Leg Raise (ASLR), and a Lower Body Motor Control Screen (LB-MCS). Spearman's R correlations determined associations between physical fitness tests and mFMS scores (DS, SMS, ASLR). Independent t-tests or Mann Whitney U tests determined whether individuals who passed the LB-MCS displayed higher physical fitness scores. Results The DS was significantly correlated with all fitness measures (p Discussion & conclusion Higher DS scores are associated with higher physical fitness scores. Individuals who passed the LB-MCS displayed better physical fitness scores. Practitioners may desire to use the mFMS to measure physical fitness in older adults.
THE CARNEGIE-SPITZER-IMACS REDSHIFT SURVEY OF GALAXY EVOLUTION SINCE z = 1.5. I. DESCRIPTION AND METHODOLOGY*

We describe the Carnegie-Spitzer-IMACS (CSI) Survey, a wide-field, near-IR selected spectrophotometric redshift survey with the Inamori Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph (IMACS) on Magellan-Baade. By defining a flux-limited sample of galaxies in Spitzer Infrared Array Camera 3.6 μm imaging of SWIRE fields, the CSI Survey efficiently traces the stellar mass of average galaxies to z ~ 1.5. This first paper provides an overview of the survey selection, observations, processing of the photometry and spectrophotometry. We also describe the processing of the data: new methods of fitting synthetic templates of spectral energy distributions are used to derive redshifts, stellar masses, emission line luminosities, and coarse information on recent star formation. Our unique methodology for analyzing low-dispersion spectra taken with multilayer prisms in IMACS, combined with panchromatic photometry from the ultraviolet to the IR, has yielded high-quality redshifts for 43,347 galaxies in our first 5.3 deg2 of the SWIRE XMM-LSS field. We use three different approaches to estimate our redshift errors and find robust agreement. Over the full range of 3.6 μm fluxes of our selection, we find typical redshift uncertainties of σ z /(1 + z) 0.015. In comparisons with previously published spectroscopic redshifts we find scatters of σ z /(1 + z) = 0.011 for galaxies at 0.7 ≤ z ≤ 0.9, and σ z /(1 + z) = 0.014 for galaxies at 0.9 ≤ z ≤ 1.2. For galaxies brighter and fainter than i = 23 mag, we find σ z /(1 + z) = 0.008 and σ z /(1 + z) = 0.022, respectively. Notably, our low-dispersion spectroscopy and analysis yields comparable redshift uncertainties and success rates for both red and blue galaxies, largely eliminating color-based systematics that can seriously bias observed dependencies of galaxy evolution on environment.
High-Throughput Culture Method of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Alveolar Epithelial Cells Using Floating Matrigel Droplets

Purpose Induced pluripotent stem cell derived alveolar epithelial cells (iPSC-AECs) are a patient specific cell source for bio-engineering of human pulmonary epithelium. Disease modeling and therapeutic applications require cost effective and technically feasible differentiation and expansion protocols. Current culture protocols are labor and resource intensive and not scalable for large animal or human studies. We developed a scalable culture protocol switching from adherent hydrogel drops to suspension culture. Methods Genetically modified iPSCs with fluorescent reporters for Nkx2.1 and SPC underwent differentiation in a stepwise culture protocol that mimics lung development. Cells were purified, sorted and embedded in a liquid Matrigel precursor. Homogenous liquid precursor was added to culture plates to form adherent droplets or to a silicone mold to form cell laden Matrigel spheroids which were subsequently transferred to spinner flasks with media as floating droplets. After culture, monolayer spheres of iPSC-AECs were digested and trypsinized to form single cell suspensions. Equal numbers of iPSC-AECs from the two culture conditions were seeded into decellularized lung scaffolds. Results iPSC-AECs cultured in floating droplets were more proliferative than adherent droplets, with significantly higher total cell counts and Ki67 expression. Equivalent expression of the distal lung markers Nkx2.1, SPC, and AQP5 was observed for both culture conditions in isolated iPSC-AECs and iPSC-AECs from recellularized lung scaffolds. Similar histologic appearance was appreciated on lungs recellularized from both culture groups. The floating droplet method was more time and cost efficient. Conclusion We report a simple, scalable, new culture method for iPSC-AECs with stable cellular phenotype that could support large animal and human studies. Our protocol enhanced proliferation and reduced labor requirements compared to previously reported methods.
Hypothetical manner constructions in world-wide perspective

Similatives (e.g. she swims like a fish) have been the focus of a number of investigations (e.g. Treis & Vanhove 2017). However, hypothetical manner constructions (e.g. She treats me as if I were a stranger) have received little attention cross-linguistically. Therefore, our typological knowledge of this type of comparative clause is still in its infancy. This paper offers an analysis of the cross-linguistic variation in the expression of hypothetical manner constructions in a sample of 61 languages. Among the most common strategies found are similative ‘like’ markers and free adverbial conjunctions. Also discussed are other rare strategies, which seem to show clear areal patterns. In particular, some languages from Mesoamerica use correlative words, some Australian languages use counterfactual mood markers and some African languages employ head nouns meaning ‘thing’. This paper also explores whether hypothetical manner constructions show formal resemblances to other constructions.
Integrated Multilevel Model for Branching Assessment, Instructional Assessment, and Profile Assessment

Publisher Summary To investigate the role of neurocognitive processes related to the acquisition of reading and writing in school-age children, the assessment and instructional research at the University of Washington (UW) is organized around a three-tier model. This research program has three specific aims regarding assessment: (1) identifying research-supported assessment for early identification of at-risk children and early intervention treatments (tier one), (2) developing instructionally based assessment procedures to monitor student responses to modified or supplementary instructions and to identify why some students do not respond to such instructions (tier two), and (3) validating assessment measures for differential diagnosis of specific learning disabilities on the basis of inclusionary criteria (tier three). This chapter focuses on research-supported assessment practices at tiers one and two. The chapter also discusses three kinds of assessment that are relevant at tiers one and two: branching assessment, instructional assessment, and profile assessment. The purpose of branching assessment is to give only the minimum number of achievement and process measures to identify the students who are likely to benefit from supplementary instruction. The purpose of instructional assessment is to monitor the student's responses to an early intervention or general education curriculum modification to determine progress adequacy. The purpose of profile assessment in the primary grades, a developmentally critical period in learning to read and write and do arithmetic is to describe the student's individual profile, on the basis of intellectual abilities, achievement in specific academic domains, and measures of processes related to learning in specific academic domains.
Novel mutations in yeast topoisomerase II that confer hypersensitivity to mAMSA.

5522 Topoisomerase II (Top2) is the principal target of several important anti-cancer agents. Top2 targeting agents in clinical use are referred to as topoisomerase poisons, because these compounds convert an enzyme essential for DNA metabolism into an agent that generates a unique type of DNA damage: a protein-linked double strand break. There are two broad classes of Top2 poisons: DNA intercalators, such as doxorubicin and mAMSA, and agents that have negligible interactions with DNA, such as etoposide and teniposide. Although there has been much structural and biochemical information on eukaryotic Top2, the mechanism of drug action has remained elusive. One standard approach to studying drug:protein interactions, the identification of drug resistant Top2 mutants, has proven disappointing, probably because drug resistance can occur non-specifically through mutations that reduce Top2 activity. We developed an alternate approach, the isolation and characterization of mutants of Top2 with enhanced drug sensitivity. We isolated several mAMSA hypersensitive alleles of yeast Top2, and have begun to characterize their biochemical activities. Mutations changing Pro473 to Leu (homologous to Pro485 in human TOP2α) or Gly737 to Ser (homologous to Gly760 in human TOP2α) both confer 50-fold increases in sensitivity to mAMSA in yeast cells. The mutant proteins have been purified, and encode active enzymes, although the Pro473Leu mutant protein has reduced strand passage activity compared to the wild type enzyme. The mutant enzymes exhibit elevated levels of mAMSA induced DNA cleavage, consistent with the observed drug hypersensitivity in vivo. We have directly demonstrated that Pro473Leu protein exhibits decreased religation in the presence of mAMSA compared to the wild type protein, consistent with the elevated levels of cleavage observed with the mutant protein. Interestingly, the Pro473Leu mutant also exhibits greater sensitivity to enzymatic inhibition by intercalators such as ethidium bromide than the wild type protein. Our results demarcate two distinct domains important for the action of DNA intercalating agents. While it is not surprising that Gly737 affects the action of intercalating agents, since is near a DNA binding domain of the enzyme, the strong effect of the Pro473Leu mutation is surprising and implicates regions of the enzyme that do not directly participate in DNA binding in the action of intercalating Top2 poisons. These results also provide important new reagents for understanding the action of an important class of Top2 targeting drugs.
The Probability of Relatively Prime Polynomials

(2007). The Probability of Relatively Prime Polynomials. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 80, No. 3, pp. 196-202.
Infiltrated Phlogopite Micas with Superior Thermal Cycle Stability as Compressive Seals for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Thermal cycle stability is one of the most stringent requirements for sealants in solid oxide fuel cell stacks. The sealants have to survive several hundreds to thousands of thermal cycles during lifetime operation in stationary and transportation applications. Recently, researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed a novel method to infiltrate the mica flakes with a wetting or liquid forming material such that the leak path will be reduced from 3-D to 2-D and achieve good thermal cycle stability with low leak rates.
Curriculum Transformation in China: Trends in Student Perceptions of Classroom Practice and Engagement

In the late-1990s, education policymakers began a process of curriculum reform with the goal of transforming Chinese schooling from exam-oriented education to student-centered learning. Traditional education practices have expected students to passively accept and memorize material presented by teachers, and to reproduce the knowledge on often high-stakes examinations. The new curriculum is designed to reduce teacher-centered instruction in favor of student-centered learning characterized by active learners creatively solving problems, challenging existing knowledge, and participating in lively discussion. Despite such a dramatic shift in curriculum policy, little is known about the whether reform efforts are truly transforming the educational experiences of students. In this paper, we describe these changes in curriculum policy. Second, using data from three waves of the Gansu Survey of Children and Families (2000, 2004, 2007), we investigate how student perceptions of classroom and teaching practices have changed as over time as the new curriculum has been implemented. Finally, we examine the relationship between new curriculum practices and student engagement. The perspective of the students is a crucial dimension to understanding the shift in the practices of teaching and learning that seek to cultivate creativity and innovativeness in students to bolster China’s entrance into the global information age. Comments Adams, J. & Sargent, T. C. (2012) Curriculum Transformation in China: Trends in Student Perceptions of Classroom Practice and Engagement (Working Paper). Gansu Survey of Children and Families. This working paper is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/gansu_papers/34 Curriculum Transformation in China: Trends in Student Perceptions of Classroom Practice and Engagement † Jennifer Adams Stanford University Tanja Carmel Sargent Rutgers University 2012 Jennifer Adams Assistant Professor Stanford University School of Education 485 Lasuen Mall Stanford, CA 94305 jennifer.adams@stanford.edu Tanja Sargent Assistant Professor Rutgers University Graduate School of Education 10 Seminary Place New Brunswick, NJ 08901 tsargent@rci.rutgers.edu Acknowledgments: The Gansu Survey of Children and Families is supported by a grant from the United Kingdom Economic and Social Research Council and Department for International Development (ESRC RES-167-25-0250). Earlier support for data collection came from The Spencer Foundation Small and Major Grants Programs, The World Bank, and NIH Grants 1R01TW005930-01 and 5R01TW005930-02. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Asian Studies, March 2009, Chicago, IL.
Low Aspartate Transaminase Activity in Serum of Patients Undergoing Chronic Hemodialysis

Glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase (aspartate transaminase) activity is decreased in serum of patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis. The reason may be the repeated dialysis, pyridoxine depletion, or both.
HANDBOOK OF RESEARCH IN SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING

HANDBOOK OF RESEARCH IN SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING. Eli Hinkel (Ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 2005. Pp. xxii + 1144. $260.00 cloth, $99.95 paper.Hinkel's ambitious tome is the newest addition to handbooks in the field of applied linguistics. The volume is composed of eight sections: “Important Social Contexts in Research on Second Language Teaching and Learning,” “Methods in Second Language Research,” “Applied Linguistics and Second Language Research,” “Second Language Processes and Development,” “Methods and Curricula in Second Language Teaching,” “Second Language Testing and Assessment,” “Identity, Culture, and Critical Pedagogy in Second Language Learning and Teaching,” and “Language Planning and Policy and Language Rights.” Each section includes an introduction and 3–12 chapters written by researchers who are well known in their respective areas.
Nearshore internal bores increase hypoxia risk

In the coastal ocean, internal waves that break on the continental shelf can send pulses of water, known as bores, into the shallows. These internal bores can cause dramatic and rapid changes in the density of the water and the concentration of dissolved oxygen when they transport cold, low-oxygen waters from the deeper parts of the ocean into the nearshore coastal environment. Such a rapid, shock-like decrease in oxygen concentration can have serious ecological consequences.
Room-temperature fluorescence spectrometry of some pharmaceutical compounds

Abstract Room-temperature fluorescence of 66 pharmaceutical drugs are presented using a mixture of ethanol/water as solvent. The analytical figures of merit for the fluorescent species are reported with limits of detection ranging between 1 and 30 ng/ml for most of them and with average blank standard deviation of 7.6%. The spectral band half-widths are also reported.
RECENT ADVANCES IN PROTEIN SEQUENCING BY MASS SPECTROMETRY INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

During the past few years, developments in mass spectrometry have taken place that have had considerable impact on protein sequencing methodology. Fast atom (or ion) bombardment (FAB) ionization (Barber et al., 1981) has made it possible to determine the molecular weights of peptides and small proteins (Mr < 15 kDa) with an accuracy of ± 0.01% (i.e., ±0.1 to ± 1.5 Da), depending on molecular weight. More recently, the introduction of matrix-assisted laser desorption (MALD) (Karas and Hillenkamp, 1988) and electrospray (ES) (Meng et al., 1988) ionization have extended the range to hundreds of kilodaltons with a similar accuracy (0.01–0.1%).
Geodesics in gauge supersymmetry

The exact geodesic equations of curved superspace are derived. These are expanded in terms of the metric through second order in the Fermi coordinates ${\ensuremath{\theta}}^{i}$. The zeroth-order equations are the same as Einstein's geodesic equations. The first- and second-order equations are also found to be compatible with the field equations, separately implying the proper magnitude for the Lorentz force. This compatibility holds only if the $f$ field as well as the ${L}_{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\nu}}$ field of Arnowitt and Nath develops a superheavy mass through spontaneous symmetry breaking. This mass growth for the $f$ field has recently been shown actually to occur.
Ethanol induces FOS immunoreactivity in the rat brain

Abstract The expression of the FOS proto-oncogene protein has been used as an anatomical marker of activated brain areas. Detection of FOS immunoreactivity can provide information about the sites of action of various stimuli at the level of single cell resolution. Following the intraperitoneal injection of ethanol (16% W/V), FOS immunoreactivity was induced in several rat brain areas including the bed nucleus, hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, central nucleus of the amygdala, Edinger-Wesphal nucleus, locus coeruleus nucleus, parabrachial nucleus. The induction was dose-dependent, and the length of activation time was different in each nucleus. FOS immunoreactivity in the supraoptic nucleus only appeared with injection of the higher concentration of ethanol. Repeated administration of ethanol twice daily for 17 days resulted in a desensitization of FOS immunoreactivity in these nuclei. These data suggest that the induction of FOS immunoreactivity can be used to determine the sites at which ethanol acts on the brain, and may provide important information about the mechanisms underlying the tolerance and physical dependence of alcohol usage.
Functional and molecular diversity of dynein heavy chains

Abstract The directed translocation of dynein along microtubules is the basis for a wide variety of essential cellular movements. In eukaryotic flagella and cilia, dynein produces the active sliding of outer doublet microtubules that underlies axonemal bending. Several dynein heavy chain isoforms are precisely located in the axoneme in order to initiate and propagate bends, and it is believed that these different isoforms produce distinct shear forces. Analysis of the sequences of dynein isoforms suggests that the specialization in force production may be a consequence of the protein sequence of the dynein catalytic domain. Recent evidence for multiple isoforms of cytoplasmic dynein leads to the hypothesis that cytoplasmic dynein isoforms are individually tailored to produce specific forces or to carry separate cargoes.
Hedonic Interactions of Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Nucleus Reticularis Gigantocellularis

It has been shown that 'pure reward' and 'reward-escape' sites in the lateral hypothalamus (LH) of rats respectively ameliorate and exacerbate nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis (NGC) stimulation-induced aversion52. Conversely, the present studies found that 'rewarding' medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) stimulation increased escape from NGC stimulation regardless of whether the MPFC site tested was 'pure reward' or 'reward-escape' in type. This suggested that a simple algebraic summation model of positive and negative affective processes may not adequately describe the NGC-MPFC interaction. In a subsequent study, rats were observed both to barpress less to obtain, and more to escape from, 'rewarding' MPFC stimulation during continuous NGC stimulation, supporting the hypothesis that the observed MPFC stimulation-mediated increase in NGC stimulation escape reflected an exacerbation of aversion. Finally, NGC stimulation was seen to increase barpressing to obtain 'subreward' MPFC current trains, indicating a potentiation of the reward value of such current. Results of this series of studies suggests a hedonic interaction model of NGC and MPFC characterized by reciprocal neuromodulation. The model is conceptualized as a 'neural opponent process' subserving affective 'balance' and 'feature enhancement', and its possible relevance to the putative role of the MPFC in cocaine use is discussed.
Synthesis and activity of ruthenium olefin metathesis catalysts coordinated with thiazol-2-ylidene ligands.

A new family of ruthenium-based olefin metathesis catalysts bearing a series of thiazole-2-ylidene ligands has been prepared. These complexes are readily accessible in one step from commercially available (PCy_3)_2Cl_2Ru CHPh or (PCy_3)Cl_2Ru CH(o-iPrO−Ph) and have been fully characterized. The X-ray crystal structures of four of these complexes are disclosed. In the solid state, the aryl substituents of the thiazole-2-ylidene ligands are located above the empty coordination site of the ruthenium center. Despite the decreased steric bulk of their ligands, all of the complexes reported herein efficiently promote benchmark olefin metathesis reactions such as the ring-closing of diethyldiallyl and diethylallylmethallyl malonate and the ring-opening metathesis polymerization of 1,5-cyclooctadiene and norbornene, as well as the cross metathesis of allyl benzene with cis-1,4-diacetoxy-2-butene and the macrocyclic ring-closing of a 14-membered lactone. The phosphine-free catalysts of this family are more stable than their phosphine-containing counterparts, exhibiting pseudo-first-order kinetics in the ring-closing of diethyldiallyl malonate. Upon removing the steric bulk from the ortho positions of the N-aryl group of the thiazole-2-ylidene ligands, the phosphine-free catalysts lose stability, but when the substituents become too bulky the resulting catalysts show prolonged induction periods. Among five thiazole-2-ylidene ligands examined, 3-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)- and 3-(2,6-diethylphenyl)-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-ylidene afforded the most efficient and stable catalysts. In the cross metathesis reaction of allyl benzene with cis-1,4-diacetoxy-2-butene increasing the steric bulk at the ortho positions of the N-aryl substituents results in catalysts that are more Z-selective.
Employment-based social capital, job stress, and employee burnout: A public child welfare employee structural model

Abstract This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between employment-based social capital, job stress and burnout among public child welfare workers in a Northeastern state. Since one of the core functions of social capital is support, this study examines how employees' perception of support from multiple organizational dimensions, such as trust, social relationships with coworkers and supervisors, organizational commitment, communication, influence, and fairness can shape levels of job stress and burnout. Utilizing a purposive sample of 209 employees, results of structural equation modeling indicate that social capital in the form of communication, supervisory support, organizational commitment, influence, and trust shared a significant association with job stress. Employment-based social capital had varying effects on burnout as characterized by emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Emotional exhaustion was significantly associated with age, influence, supervisory support, organizational commitment, and job stress, while depersonalization was predicted by age, organizational commitment, and job stress. Implications for organizational practice and future research are discussed.
Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida L.) as mediator of calcium cycling: new insights are revealed by analysis of foliar partitioning

Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida L.) is an important understory tree species that is thought to enhance ecological calcium (Ca) cycling and soil Ca availability through high foliar Ca concentrations and rapid leaf litter decomposition. Calcium is an essential macronutrient in plants, important for stabilizing cell walls and plasma membranes. It is also an ubiquitous intracellular second messenger, helping plants sense and physiologically respond to numerous environmental cues. Analyses of total foliar Ca can be dominated by chemically sequestered Ca, which is not readily available for cellular processes. Thus, analyses of specific foliar partitions of Ca are more closely tied to Ca-dependent processes such as signal transduction. To further develop our understanding of the role of flowering dogwood in ecological Ca cycling, we evaluated foliar Ca partitioning via sequential acidic extractions. We compared Ca partitioning in flowering dogwood to that of white oak (Quercus alba L.), and found significantly more labile Ca in dogwood and a much greater proportion of Ca sequestration in oak. We compared foliar Ca partitioning in white oak at sites with dogwood to that of oaks at dogwood-absent sites, and found significantly greater labile Ca in oaks where dogwood was present. We also investigated the phenological patterns of Ca partitioning and sequestration in flowering dogwood foliage, and found preferential partitioning of Ca into the more labile and physiologically accessible pools throughout the growing season, with minimal Ca sequestration. This work helps elucidate the mechanisms and consequences associated with Ca cycling by flowering dogwood in forested systems.
Probabilistic inference in machine vision systems

Modern probabilistic modeling has revolutionized the design and implementation of machine vision systems. There are now numerous instances of systems that can see stereoscopically in depth, or separate foreground from background, or accurately excise objects of a particular class, all in real time. Each of those three vision functionalities will be demonstrated in the lecture. The underlying advances in system design and performance owe much to probabilistic frameworks for inference in images. In particular, the Markov Random Field (MRF), which first appeared in image processing in the 70s, has staged a resounding comeback in the last decade. The MRF is a mechanism, borrowed from statistical physics, for expressing prior properties of images, such as smoothness and spatial coherence. Despite its considerable generality, the MRF has proved nonetheless to be remarkably tractable when used in inference systems, as the lecture will explain.
IntraLATA long-distance demand: carrier choice, usage demand and price elasticities

Abstract Competition in the long-distance market in the US continues to intensify; the 1996 Telecommunications Act has led to increased competition in long-distance telephony especially as the Regional Bell Operating Companies have begun to gain entry to long-haul, long-distance markets. In order to better understand the implications of having increased service offerings, models of how customers choose between carriers (and the impact of this choice on subsequent usage) will be useful. We develop the first publicly available models that simultaneously estimate choice and usage for intraLATA long-distance in the US. Utilizing a generalized Tobit model, the price responsiveness of usage and carrier choice are estimated. The results are generally consistent with expectations both in terms of theory and of practical experience in the industry.
Research project selection: Testing a model in the field

The results of a field test of a procedure for evaluating research projects is reported in this paper. The procedure, based on what is termed an expected value model, considers the following decision elements: 1) the environment of the problem, 2) the decision maker, 3) his objectives, and 4) his alternatives. The decision maker's alternatives, in this case a number of potential research projects, are evaluated in the light of his objectives. The result of the procedure is a ranking of potential projects in terms of their expected values.
An Automated Cloud-Edge Detection Algorithm Using Cloud Physics and Radar Data

An automated cloud edge detection algorithm was developed and extensively tested. The algorithm uses in-situ cloud physics data measured by a research aircraft coupled with ground-based weather radar measurements to determine whether the aircraft is in or out of cloud. Cloud edges are determined when the in/out state changes, subject to a hysteresis constraint. The hysteresis constraint prevents isolated transient cloud puffs or data dropouts from being identified as cloud boundaries. The algorithm was verified by detailed manual examination of the data set in comparison to the results from application of the automated algorithm.
Challenges in assessing spiritual distress in survivors of cancer.

Background Many efforts have been made to better integrate spiritual assessment into the care of patients with cancer, with varying degrees of success in different parts of the United States. Little work has been done to describe challenges that face those who seek to implement assessment in busy ambulatory settings, particularly in the northeastern section of the United States. Objectives This study sought to test the feasibility of a screening process describing spirituality, distress, and spiritual transformation in cancer survivors after chemotherapy for lung or gastrointestinal cancer.n Methods This descriptive pilot study took place in a rural National Cancer Institute- designated comprehensive cancer center, referral center, and outpatient medical oncology clinic. A web-based questionnaire was completed by 29 survivors, and 22 declined participation.n Findings Respondents were primarily Christian, aged 60 years or older, and an average of 18 months post-diagnosis. The mean spiritual distress score was 1.38 (SD = 2.09), and the mean psychological distress score was 3.03 (SD = 2.73). Participants reported mean spiritual well-being, positive degree of spiritual growth, and little spiritual decline. The opportunity for spiritual growth among survivors creates a need for effective assessment and intervention to promote spiritual growth and mitigate spiritual decline and spiritual distress.
Sex, dose, and equality.

s a rule, genes and chromosomes come in pairs. Sex chromosomes are an exception to this rule. Males of many species have only one X chromosome, a male-speciﬁc Y chromosome, and a set of autosomes (AA). Individuals with two X chromosomes and a set of autosomes (XX;AA) are female. Sex chromosomes were ﬁrst noticed for this distinct unpaired morphology and are now known to have substantially different gene content [1]. These unusual cases have attracted a great deal of attention over the years, not only because of the role they often play in sex determination, but also as windows into more basic features of genes and gene networks. One such feature is the relationship between gene function and dose. Sex chromosomes allow us to question the importance of having a pair of each gene. With current knowledge of gene regulation, one can make an argument that gene dose should not matter. In textbooks and manuscripts, one often ﬁnds ﬁgures showing the relationship between genes in a pathway or network, replete with elegant feed-back and feed-forward regulatory interactions, parallel pathways, etc. At the transcript level, it seems logical that any inherent 2-fold quantitative difference due to gene dose should be dwarfed, or even nulliﬁed, by the high-magnitude changes resulting from transcriptional regulation by proteins that are arrayed at enhancers or silencers. Basic textbook knowledge of genetics also suggests that dose is not very important. Having a single copy of most genes is not deleterious—there are few dominant alleles due to haploinsufﬁciency. These observations suggest that genes come in pairs to facilitate reproduction, and perhaps to provide a backup in case of spontaneous mutations occurring during the course of somatic development. It seems likely that the dose of most genes is unimportant because of robustness in gene networks, which buffers against noise and mutation [2].Gene regulatory robustness probably makes cells and organisms insensitive to small differences in the dose of components, because such small deviations are also characteristic of more garden-variety noise. However, robustness has limits. Whereas the dose of individual genes does not appear to be very important, altering the doses of many genes is clearly detrimental. Chromosomal rearrangements are associated with many cancers. In some cases, these rearrangements break individual genes, but often there is a duplication or loss resulting in a change in copy number [3]. Monosomy (one rather than two chromosomes) or trisomy (three rather than two chromosomes) occur as a result of errors in meiosis and are highly deleterious during development of the resulting zygote [4]. With the exception of trisomy 21 and the sex chromosomes, altered chromosome dose is generally incompatible with human life. More recently, gene dose polymorphisms have been found to be relatively common in humans [5]. These copy number
Emerging role of sertindole in the management of schizophrenia.

The atypical antipsychotic sertindole is a phenylindole-derived compound that has affinity for and functions as an antagonist at a number of receptor systems, including dopamine D2 receptors, 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors, and α-1-noradrenergic receptors. Although previous data suggested that sertindole was well tolerated and had good efficacy against both positive and negative symptom clusters, reports of QT prolongation with sertindole prompted its voluntary removal from the market in 1998. After further safety analyses, it recently regained approval and was reintroduced to the European market for the treatment of schizophrenia, where its role in therapy among available atypicals remains unclear. This article evaluates the preclinical and clinical data regarding sertindole’s effectiveness and concludes that sertindole continues to demonstrate a number of strengths, including effective management of both positive and negative symptoms, well-tolerated side effects (including little or no sedation, weight gain, and extrapyramidal side effects), and a superior procognitive profile that is unique among atypical antipsychotics. However, minor concerns regarding its sexual side effects and the major consideration of QT prolongation suggest that additional comparative effectiveness studies are needed to determine the superiority of sertindole vs other atypical antipsychotics recently introduced.
Effect of 6-mercaptopurine on 65Zn distribution in the pregnant rat.

The effect of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) on the distribution of gavaged /sup 65/Zn in maternal and embryonic tissues of Sprague-Dawley rats was examined 24 hr after injection of the drug on day 13 of pregnancy. 6-MP injection resulted in a significantly higher retention of counts of /sup 65/Zn in maternal liver and lower counts in maternal plasma, uterus, placenta, and embryo than in controls. Compared to controls, gel chromatography of maternal liver from 6-MP injected dams showed higher counts associated with a protein peak of molecular weight 6,000-8,000, the approximate molecular weight of the zinc-binding protein metallothionein. These results support the idea that the zinc deficiency, which is observed in day 21 fetuses from dams injected with 6-MP during midgestation, may be the result of a drug-induced sequestering of zinc into maternal liver followed by a decrease in maternal plasma zinc and subsequent reduction in fetal zinc uptake. We suggest that this 6-MP-associated redistribution of zinc into maternal liver may be due to induction of maternal metallothionein synthesis by the drug.
Low‐Stress Creep of Single‐Crystalline Calcium Oxide

The creep behavior of single-crystalline CaO compressed along the 〈100〉 direction has been investigated over the temperature range 1350° to 1450°C at stresses between 5 to 15 MPa. Creep strains greater than 0.10 were required to achieve a steady-state creep rate. Power-law creep was exhibited over the entire stress range with a stress exponent equal to 4.4 and an apparent activation energy for creep of 345 kJ·mol−1.
Assessing trustworthiness of personal aides.

BACKGROUND Smaller family size has increased the need for assistance from personal aides. Respite care provided by personal aides reduces depressive symptoms and improves intergenerational relations and overall well-being of family members and patients. Yet, little is known about how family members evaluate personal aides prior to and during the employment period. METHODS Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted face-to-face with 10 families providing home-based care. Family members' ages ranged from 43 to 70 years. Patients' ages ranged from 67 to 86 years. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were coded and themes were identified. RESULTS Family members emphasized the importance of personal aides. Other concerns included protection of their loved ones against risks from dishonest, unethical, or incompetent personal aides and unsafe, uncomfortable caregiving contexts. After family members hired a personal aide they presumed to be trustworthy, monitoring was a nearly endless task in seeking assurance that their initial assessment was accurate. CONCLUSIONS Appropriate care, according to family members, went far beyond actions required to competently administer medicines, assist with activities of daily living, or maintain a watchful presence in the home. While positive experiences with personal aides added to the quality of life for both family members and patients when trustworthiness was established, quite the opposite was found when trust was violated. Personal relations, interpersonal communication skills, and affection between the aide and the patient were found to be much more important in determining trustworthiness than were standard caregiving skills.
Partners against Anti-Semitism: Muslims and Jews respond to Nazism in French North African colonies, 1936–1940

In the late 1920s, Bernard Lecache founded the International League Against Anti-Semitism (LICA) in Paris to raise public awareness in France and other European countries about hatred of Jews and to mobilise Jews and non-Jews to take action against racial and ethnic discrimination. The rise of anti-Semitic discourse in the French Algerian press and other North African circles which culminated in the riots of Constantine in August 1934 led the European leadership of the LICA to establish branches in Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. Based on the correspondence between the headquarters of LICA in Paris and its North African chapters between 1936 and 1940, this article discusses the membership and activities of LICA in North Africa prior to the rise of Vichy. I argue that despite the efforts of LICA to encourage strong relations between Muslims and Jews, the anti-Semitic environment among French settlers, the German propaganda machine in North Africa and the situation in Palestine hindered plans for a Jewish–Mus...
On the study of human-robot collaboration

Human-robot interaction (HRI) is being explored with the aim of creating rich, effective and satisfying interactions between humans and robots. Human-robot collaboration for learning, in which the measurable outcomes are information gain on the part of the humans in the system, is specifically focused upon. In the context of this focus on collaboration for learning, rich means a cognitively sophisticated interaction in which humans and robots communicate as peers; effective means that formal measures of human learning should yield significant outcomes; satisfying means that humans should find the interaction both useful and pleasurable. Two themes have dominated HRI research projects: how to field interactive robot systems to evaluate human-robot collaboration, and how to explicitly model human cognition and learning resulting from robot interaction. Models of interaction and evaluation methodology from human factors, HCI and cognitive psychology, have been joined and extended. Research in reasoning and social policy addresses the issue of decision-making and execution in the context of rich interaction and partial information. Research results and the evaluation methodology are validated, demonstrating significant improvement in interaction effectiveness from contributions as diverse as robot morphology design, diagnostic transparency, and affective behavior modeling. The current research thrust is a special case of collaboration: educational robotics, where robots collaborate with humans to promote learning. Statistical significance across learning themes is demonstrated using formal coding analyses. The present ambition in educational robotics is the principled design of a robotic platform and curriculum, based on an extension of coded learning themes, that can have significant impact on technology literacy and interest in science and engineering education at the middle school and high school levels
Nasal Cavity Enzymes Involved in Xenobiotic Metabolism: Effects on the Toxicity of Inhalants

AbstractA decade ago, the ability of nasal tissues to metabolize inhalants was only dimly suspected. Since then, the metabolic capacities of nasal cavity tissues has been extensively investigated in mammals, including man. Aldehyde dehydrogenases, cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenases, rhodanese, glutathione transferases, epoxide hydrolases, flavincontaining monooxygenases, and carboxyl esterases have all been reported to occur in substantial amounts in the nasal cavity. the contributions of these enzyme activities to the induction of toxic effects from inhalants such as benzo-a-pyrene, acetaminophen, formaldehyde, cocaine, dimethylnitrosamine, ferrocene, and 3-trifluoromethylpyridine have been the subject of dozens of reports. In addition, the influence of these enzyme activities on olfaction and their contribution to vapor uptake is beginning to receive attention from the research community. Research in the next decade promises to provide answers to the many still unanswered questions posed by the p...
Conformational stability and vibrational assignment of propanal

Abstract Variable temperature (−52 to −100°C) studies of the infrared spectra (3500–400 cm −1 ) of propanal, CH 3 CH 2 CHO, dissolved in liquid xenon have been recorded and bands due to both the cis and gauche conformers have been identified. From these data, the enthalpy difference has been determined to be 370±21 cm −1 (4.43±0.25 kJ mol −1 ) with the cis conformer (methyl group eclipsing the oxygen atom) the more stable form. Utilizing the new infrared data from the xenon solution, along with some additional Raman data, and ab initio predictions from MP2/6-31G* calculations, several reassignments of the fundamentals have been made for the cis conformer. Additionally, several bands which have been identified as arising from the gauche conformer have also been assigned. Infrared (3500–80 cm −1 ) and Raman (3500–30 cm −1 ) spectra of gaseous, liquid and/or solid CD 3 CD 2 CHO are also reported and the fundamentals assigned for the cis conformer. The spectroscopic and theoretical results are compared to the corresponding quantities for some similar molecules.
A Refined Status Index for Sociometric Data

A new method for calculating a status index from the sociometric structure of a small group is suggested. The limitations of previous indices are discussed, and it is shown how the new index circumvents the problems encountered by them. Research using the new index shows that it does measure social status at least to the extent that a person's score in the upward-positive personal ity direction on a modified Interpersonal Rating Scale indicates social status. The substantive nature of the concept of attenuation is also discussed.
A synchronous switch for use with the cathode ray oscillograph

A description of a switch that extends the range of usefulness of the cathode ray oscillograph (CRO) in viewing transient phenomena in electrical circuits by means of a repetitive trace on the CRO.
A College of Education Project: Developing a Collaborative Model for Technology Infusion

Abstract Classes are getting larger, technology is becoming more sophisticated, and old teaching strategies are not meeting the needs of today's graduate students. What's an instructor to do? One answer to this problem is collaboration among instructors, students, school district offices and instructional technology support projects. This paper will describe an innovative project designed to address these problems and create a new collaborative paradigm for teaching about and with educational technology.
Price and QoS competition in data communication services

Pricing of data communication services has been studied, but primarily in a monopolistic setting. We study the price competition in packet-switching networks with a quality-of-service (QoS) guarantee in terms of an expected per-packet delay. We propose a general framework in which service providers offering multi-class priority-based services compete to maximize their profits, while satisfying the expected delay guarantee in each class. We first examine the price competition with fixed delay guarantees and then extend it to the situation where providers compete in quality of service as well as price. In each case, we compare the duopoly pricing scheme with the case when two service providers merge to become a monopoly provider.
Impact of energy intake and expenditure on neuronal plasticity.

The Roman poet Horace was among the first to recognize that when “clogged with yesterday’s excess, the body drags the mind down with it.” Although considerable attention has been paid in neuroscience to the enhancement of neuronal function by wheel running and caloric restriction, far less is known about the other side of this issue. What are the consequences of unhealthy habits to central nervous system function? Prolonged exposure to excessive caloric intake impairs neuronal function and also contributes to obesity and other risk factors for diabetes. Diabetes, a disease characterized by reduced sensitivity to glucose and insulin, is also associated with deficits in brain structure and function. In contrast, enhancement of somatic metabolism by wheel running or caloric restriction improves central neuroplasticity. Generalizing across studies reveals a relationship between global metabolic efficiency and neuroplasticity in the hippocampus, a brain region that is essential for learning and memory. The specific principles upheld by these findings are suggestive of a continuum, with global metabolic alterations fluctuating in concert with neuroplasticity in the hippocampus.