cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Design of Transmission Fibers and Doped Fiber Amplifiers for Mode-Division Multiplexing

Transmission fibers and erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) for 12 signal modes (including spatial and polarization degrees of freedom) are studied. Modal fields are computed numerically and their effective areas, group delays (GDs), and chromatic dispersion coefficients are determined. Multimode rate equations are solved numerically to calculate mode-dependent gains (MDGs) and pump power requirements in multimode EDFAs. Results are compared for various numerical apertures (NAs), index profiles, and doping profiles. Graded-index depressed-cladding fibers offer an attractive combination of low GD spread in transmission fibers (583 ps/km rms with 0.15 NA) and low MDG in EDFAs (0.14 dB rms at 25-dB mode averaged gain with 0.15 NA). Optimized erbium doping profiles are comprised of a uniform cylindrical region plus an extra annulus.
A fast nearest-neighbor search algorithm

A fast nearest-neighbor search algorithm is developed which incorporates prior information about input vectors. The prior information comes in the form of a vector from the codebook which is known to be near the input vector, though it may not be the nearest codebook vector. A number of applications are described for which such prior information is available. The algorithm has a very simple structure and can be designed to have very low memory requirements. The new algorithm requires much less computation for constructing precomputed tables than previously proposed algorithms with comparable performance. Simulations show dramatic saving over conventional full search methods. >
Realtime decision making on EO-1 using onboard science analysis

Recent autonomy experiments conducted on Earth Observing 1 (EO-1) using the Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE) flight software has been used to classify key features in hyperspectral images captured by EO-1. Furthermore, analysis is performed by this software onboard EO-1 and then used to modify the operational plan without interaction from the ground. This paper will outline the overall operations concept and provide some details and examples of the onboard science processing, science analysis, and replanning.
Group-aware stream filtering for bandwidth-efficient data dissemination

In this paper, we are concerned with disseminating high-volume data streams to many simultaneous applications over a low-bandwidth wireless mesh network. For bandwidth efficiency, we propose a group-aware stream filtering approach, used in conjunction with multicasting, that exploits two overlooked, yet important, properties of these applications: (1) many applications can tolerate some degree of 'slack' in their data quality requirements, and (2) there may exist multiple subsets of the source data satisfying the quality needs of an application. We can thus choose the 'best alternative' subset for each application to maximise the data overlap within the group to best benefit from multicasting. An evaluation of our prototype implementation shows that group-aware data filtering can save bandwidth with low CPU overhead. We also analyze the key factors that affect its performance, based on testing with heterogeneous filtering requirements.
Is completion arteriography mandatory after reversed-vein bypass grafting?

Many surgeons advocate uniform performance of operative completion arteriography after leg bypass surgery to ensure technical success and to optimize short-and intermediate-term graft patency. To determine the impact of this practice on the outcome of reversed-vein bypass surgery and associated patient charges, we reviewed our series of consecutive nonemergent leg bypass procedures. Ninety-three infrainguinal bypass procedures were performed in 80 patients (76 men and 4 women) from September 1991 to August 1994. The patients' average age was 67 years (range, 30 to 92 years). Follow-up (mean, 13.1 months; range, 1 to 36 months) was available on 91 grafts (97%). Indications for surgery included limb salvage in 75 cases, claudication in 12 cases, and popliteal aneurysm exclusion in 6 cases. All patients survived surgery. Primary graft patency rates as determined by life-table analysis were 87%, 81%, 78%, and 78% at 6 months and at 1, 2, and 3 years, respectively. Limb-salvage rates were 95%, 91%, 87%, and 87% at the same intervals. Bypass procedures were divided into two groups. The 25 grafts in group 1 were evaluated with inspection, continuous-wave Doppler insonation, and routine completion arteriography. The 68 grafts in group 2 were evaluated by inspection and insonation alone. Fourteen grafts occluded after surgery (average, 5 months; range, 1 to 12 months), five in group 1 and nine in group 2. The likelihood of graft occlusion was similar in both groups ( p =0.42). The optimal method of confirming technical adequacy after bypass surgery in the clinically satisfactory graft remains uncertain. Charges for completion arteriography at our institution average $700, including 15 minutes of additional operative time. In our experience, these charges do not appear to be justified by improved short-or intermediateterm graft patency rates in reversed-vain grafts when completion arteriography is performed.
Occultations of faint stars by Neptune and its rings - 1992-1999

As Neptune moves from the Galactic plane in the 1990s, fewer of the stars required for occultation studies able to shed light on its rings will be available. The Klemola and Mink (1991) search has been extended to the limits of the plates, where V magnitude is about 15.5, to yield additional possible occultations; these encompass 68 stars for the 1992-1999 period. Some of the stars have K magnitudes greater than 11.
The costs of personal computing in an educational institution: a case study

The widespread adoption of personal computers (PCs) may be attributable to their low purchase and operational costs. However, significant procedural costs arise in fitting a PC application into a work setting. Our investigation of the adoption and use of PCs in several departments of a complex organization reveals a large number of unanticipated costs. These indirect, deferred, and governance costs are chiefly borne by users not responsible for acquiring PCs. The costs represent demands for users' time, skill, expertise, and attention as well as money. We find that the distribution of deferred costs determines the viability of PC systems. We also find that the integration of PCs can alter the way people do their jobs. These changes in turn give rise to additional social and political costs within the organization. Subsequently, we find that the true costs of personal computing are typically underestimated and unaccounted for.
Modulation of p53, c-fos, RARE, cyclin A, and cyclin D1 expression in human leukemia (HL-60) cells exposed to arsenic trioxide

Arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) has recently been successfully used to treat all trans retinoic acid (ATRA) resistant relapsing acute promyelocytic leukemia. However, its molecular mechanisms of action are poorly understood. In the present study, we used the human leukemia (HL-60) cell line as a test model to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms of anti-cancer properties of As(2)O(3). We hypothesized that As(2)O(3)-induced expression of stress genes and related proteins may play a role in the cellular and molecular events leading to cell cycle modulation in leukemic cells. To test this hypothesis, we performed Western blot analysis to assess the expression of specific cellular response proteins including p53, c-fos, RARE, Cyclin A, and Cyclin D1. Densitometric analysis was performed to determine the relative abundance of these proteins. Western Blot and densitometric analyses demonstrated a strong dose-response relationship with regard to p53 and RARE expression within the dose-range of 0-8 microg/ml. Expression of c-fos was slightly up-regulated at 2 microg/ml, and down-regulated within the dose-range of 4-8 microg/ml. A statistically significant down-regulation of this protein was detected at the 6 and 8 microg/ml dose levels. No statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) in Cyclin D1 expression was found between As(2)O(3)-treated cells and the control. Cyclin A expression in As(2)O(3)-treated HL-60 cells was up-regulated at 6 microg/ml, suggesting that it is required for S phase and passage through G(2) phase in cell cycle progression. Taken together, these results indicate that As(2)O(3) has the potential to induce cell cycle arrest through activation of the 53-kDa tumor suppressor protein and repression of the c-fos transcription factor. Up-regulation of RARE by As(2)O(3) indicates that its cytotoxicity may be mediated through interaction/binding with the retinoic acid receptor, and subsequent inhibition of growth and differentiation.
Great computing museums of the world, part two

The second of a two-part series highlighting several of the world's museums dedicated to preserving, exhibiting, and elucidating computing history.
Foucault in the forest: Questioning environmentality in Amazonia

In this article, I analyze the encounter between the Field Museum of Natural History and Amazonian Ecuador's Cofan people to question the concept of “environmentality”: the idea that environmentalist programs and movements operate as forms of governmentality in Michel Foucault's sense. I argue that, although the Field Museum's community conservation projects constitute a regulatory rationale and technique, they do not transform Cofan subjectivity according to plan. By exploring Cofan people's critical consciousness of environmentalist interventions, I aim to cast doubt on the governmentality paradigm's utility for analyzing the complexities of cultural difference, intercultural encounter, and directed change.
School Re-Integration for Pediatric VADs

Purpose Riding the successful curtails of adult ventricular assist device (VAD) designs, we are now able to discharge pediatric VADs into the community. An important aspect of quality of life for these patients is school re-integration. We sought to review the school re-integration process in this population. Methods and Materials We retrospectively reviewed all the patients at our institution from June 2010 to November 2012 with dischargeble VADs and their school attendance from inpatient to outpatient care. Results Seven patients received the Thoratec Heartmate II LVAS; patient age ranged from 10 to 18 (mean: 15). One patient was enrolled in college prior to admission, so did not participate in hospital school. Median length of inpatient stay was 66 days. For the remaining six patients, bedside instruction began on day 11 post implant and classroom instruction started on day 25. Two patients were transplanted prior to discharge and one patient is currently still hospitalized. Four patients were successfully discharged to the outpatient transition home closeby and concurrently attended hospital school. Upon transition home, one patient returned to his charter school and continues with hospital school as well, two patients returned to their public schools, and one patient received home schooling. One patient has been supported for 583 outpatient days. In this time period, he has only missed 29 school days for clinic visit and re-hospitalizations. Conclusions With proper support, education, and training, school re-integration for pediatric VADs is possible despite the complex care needs of these patients.
Effects of small neutral osmolytes on the supercoiling free energy and intrinsic twist of p30δ DNA

Both theory and experiments are employed to investigate the effects of small neutral osmolytes on the average intrinsic twist (l0), the torsion and bending elastic constants, and the twist energy parameter (ET) that governs the supercoiling free energy. The experimental data for ethylene glycol and acetamide at 37 degrees C suggest, and are interpreted in terms of, a model wherein the DNA exhibits an equilibrium between two distinct conformational states that possess different numbers of bound water molecules and exhibit different intrinsic twists and torsion and bending elastic constants. Expressions are derived to relate the effective ET and l0 to the equilibrium constant, water activity (aw), and number (n) of bound water molecules released per cooperative domain undergoing the two-state transition. The variations of l0 and ET with -ln(aw) are similar for acetamide and ethylene glycol at 37 degrees C. Fitting the theory to those data yields the range n = 103-125 for ethylene glycol and n = 71-113 for acetamide, depending on the assumed value of ET for the dehydrated state. The cooperative domain size of the two-state transition is estimated to exceed about 25-30 base pairs (bp). Between 0 and 19.4 w/v % ethylene glycol, the torsion elastic constant, measured by time-resolved fluorescence polarization anisotropy (FPA), increases by 1.37-fold, whereas the measured ET decreases by 1.15-fold over that same range. The implied decrease in bending rigidity over that range is by a factor of about 0.7. The variations of l0 and ET with increasing -ln(aw) due to added ethylene glycol at 37 degrees C are far smaller than the corresponding variations observed previously at 14 and 15 degrees C. However, at 21 degrees C, upon adding either ethylene glycol or acetamide, l0 and ET initially decline steeply with increasing -ln(aw), with slopes possibly comparable to those seen at 14 and 15 degrees C, but then flatten out and follow curves similar to those at 37 degrees C. Possible origins of such mixed behavior are discussed. The effects of betaine at both 37 and 21 degrees C differ qualitatively and quantitatively in various respects from those of ethylene glycol and acetamide. Upon adding sucrose, l0 initially jumps to higher plateaus at both 37 and 21 degrees C, but its effects on ET cannot be reliably assessed, due to the limited range of -ln(aw).
Analysis of prostaglandins by electron-capture gas chromatography. I. Thermal decomposition of heptafluorobutyrate methyl esters of F1α and F2α

Abstract Triheptafluorobutyrate methyl ester (THFB-Met) derivatives are easily prepared from prostaglandins F1α and F2α by successive methylation and heptafluorobutyrylation. The derivatives are reasonably stable during storage, are volatile, and can be detected in the picogram range by electron-capture gas chromatography. Both derivatives exhibit peak broadening or multiple peak formation during gas chromatography at 190°–210°C. Decomposition is independent of the nature of the stationary phase and can be increased by prior heating. Studies with other derivatives suggest that thermal decomposition of the THFB-Met derivatives occuring during gas chromatography involves loss of a heptafluorobutyrate group from the allylic position 15 of the prostaglandins.
Iterative computation of minimal H ∞ norm

The first iterative type algorithm for solving the general H∞ optimization problem was proposed by Doyle. In this paper, we restate two of Doyle's lemmas from which a new algorithm is developed. The algorithm requires much less computation per iteration than Doyle's.
Influence of surface reaction rate on the size dispersion of interfacial nanostructures

Brownian Dynamics (BD) simulations of instantaneous nucleation followed by diffusion-controlled growth of metal nanoparticles on surfaces have shown that a regular distribution of nucleation sites on the surface leads to a reduction in particle size dispersion. However, for several applications, the distribution of active sites on the surface is irregular and random. We use BD simulations to investigate the influence of surface reaction rate on the development of size dispersion of interfacial nanostructures that form by irreversible deposition of noninteracting particles onto surfaces with randomly distributed nucleation sites. The macroscopic balance between the surface reaction rate and bulk diffusion is incorporated into the BD simulations by using a reaction probability that approaches unity in the case of instantaneous, diffusion-limited deposition. It is found that the size uniformity of the growing particles on the randomly distributed active sites can be improved by decreasing the reaction probability. The overlap of diffusion zones surrounding the growing particles, referred to as interparticle diffusional coupling, is responsible for the particle size dispersion in diffusion-controlled growth on randomly distributed sites. The simulation results, in qualitative agreement with experiments, show that reducing the reaction probability is an effective means to reduce the interparticle diffusion coupling, and thereby reduce the particle size dispersion. This could be accomplished by manipulating the process variables that influence the surface reaction rate and/or the bulk diffusivity of the particles.
The relationship between surface water chemistry and geology in the North Branch of the Moose River

The chemistry of lakes and streams within the North Branch of the Moose River is strongly correlated with the nature and distrubution of geologic materials in the watershed. The dominance of thin glacial till and granitic gneiss bedrock in the region north and east of Big Moose Lake results in a geologically sensitive terrain that is characterized by surface water with low alkalinity and chemical compositions only slightly modified from ambient precipitation. In contrast, extensive deposits of thick glacial till and stratified drift in the lower part of the system (e.g. Moss-Cascade valley) allow for much infiltration of precipitation to the groundwater system where weathering reactions increase alkalinity and significantly alter water chemistry. The hypothesis that surficial geology controls the chemistry of surface waters in the Adirondacks holds true for 70 percent of the Moose River watershed. Exceptions include the Windfall Pond subcatchment which is predominantly covered by thin till, yet has a high surface water alkalinity due to the presence of carbonate-bearing bedrock. The rapid reaction rates of carbonate minerals allow for complete acid neutralization to occur despite the short residence time of water moving through the system. Another important source of alkalinity in at least one of the subcatchments is sulfate reduction. This process appears to be most important in systems containing extensive peat deposits. An analysis of only those subcatchments controlled by the thickness of surficial sediments indicates that under current atmospheric loadings watersheds containing less than 3 percent thick surficial sediments will be acidic while those with up to 12 percent will be extremely sensitive to acidification and only those with over 50 percent will have a low sensitivity.
Dynamics of ultrafast internal conversion processes studied by femtosecond time-delayed photoelectron spectroscopy

We have studied the dynamics of ultrafast internal conversion processes using femtosecond time-resolved photoionization and photoelectron spectroscopy. In hexatriene, following femtosecond pulse excitation at near 251 nm, we use time-delayed photoionization to observe the formation and decay of an intermediate species on the subpicosecond time scale. With time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, the rapid evolution of vibrational excitation in this intermediate is observed, as electronic energy is converted to vibrational energy in the molecule. The photodynamics of cis and trans isomers of hexatriene are compared and found to be surprisingly different on the 2 - 3 psec time scale. These results are important for understanding the fundamental photochemical processes in linear polyenes, which have served as models for the active chromophores of many biological photosystems.
Carbon weight analysis for machining operation and allocation for redesign

The objective of this research paper is to explore and develop a new methodology for computing carbon weight (CW) – often referred to as carbon footprint, in manufacturing processes from part level to assembly level. In this initial study, we focused on machining operations, specifically turning and milling, for computing CW. Our initial study demonstrates that CW can be computed using either actual measured data from process level information or from initial material and manufacturing process information. In mechanical design, tolerance analysis principles extend from design to manufacturing and tolerances accumulate for parts and processes. By extending this notion to CW, we apply mechanical tolerancing principles for computing worst case and statistical case CW of a product. We call this the CW tolerance approach (CWTA). Two case studies demonstrate the computation of CW. Based on the tolerance allocation concepts; CW allocation is also demonstrated through specific redesign examples. CWTA helps in ide...
Chronic estradiol replacement impairs performance on an operant delayed spatial alternation task in young, middle-aged, and old rats

Abstract The current study examined effects of chronic estradiol replacement on a prefrontally-mediated working memory task at different ages in a rodent model. Ovariectomized young, middle-aged, and old Long–Evans rats were given 5% or 10% 17β-estradiol in cholesterol vehicle via Silastic implants and tested on an operant delayed spatial alternation task (DSA). The two estradiol exposed groups did not perform as well as the vehicle control group did. Deficits were present at all but the longest delay, where all groups including the vehicle control group performed poorly. Surprisingly, there was not a significant effect of age or an age by estradiol interaction, despite the fact that old rats had longer latencies to respond after both correct and incorrect lever presses. These data confirm our earlier finding that chronic estradiol treatment has an impairing effect on working memory as measured on DSA task. However, contrary to expectations, young, middle-aged and old rats were similarly impaired by chronic estradiol treatment; there were no indications of differential effects at different periods of the lifespan. Also contrary to expectations, there were no indications of a decline in DSA performance with advancing age. Overall, the results demonstrate that chronic estradiol exposure causes deficits in the DSA performance of ovariectomized female rats, not only in young adulthood, but also at older ages analogous to those at which hormone replacement therapy is commonly prescribed in humans.
Dose related effect of methallibure (ICI 33,828), in vitro, upon hypothalamic catecholamine uptake in the teleost, Poecilia latipinna

Abstract The effect of methallibure (10 −6 –10 −3 M ) on the uptake of 3 H-DA or 3 H-NE into slices prepared from the hypothalamus of the teleost, Poecilia latipinna , was studied in vitro . The data show the existence of a heterogenous population of noradrenergic and dopaminergic terminals in P. latipinna . Methallibure produced a dose dependent increase in the uptake of 3 H-NE and a significant decrease in the uptake of 3 H-DA. The present experiments suggest that methallibure may act on both monoaminergic pathways in the teleost hypothalamus.
Estimation of nonlinear systems using linear multiple models

This article addresses the problem of estimating the states of a nonlinear plant that operates in multiple regimes and makes transitions between them. It is often difficult to obtain a single nonlinear model that accurately describes the plant in all regimes. Even if a global model is available, it sometimes cannot be used conveniently in an estimator. An alternative approach is presented where local linear models are identified at each different operating point, and estimation is performed by tracking the transitions from one regime to another. This is done by first estimating the validity of the local models on-line and then constructing a time-varying global model by interpolating between the local linear models. State and parameter estimation is then performed using this global model in a moving horizon estimator. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this method, it is applied to three test systems: a simple numerical example, a CSTR, and a copolymerization reactor.
A Call for Examining Replication and Bias in Special Education Research

Valid, scientific research is critical for ascertaining the effects of instructional techniques on learners with disabilities and for guiding effective special education practice and policy. Researchers in fields such as psychology and medicine have identified serious and widespread shortcomings in their research literatures related to replication and bias, leading many to question the validity of research findings in these fields. Replication and bias have not been systematically examined in special education research. In this article, I explore research on replication and bias conducted in other fields, discuss the likelihood that problems in replication and bias may exist in the special education research base, propose a research agenda for investigating replication and bias in special education research, and make initial recommendations for increasing replication and reducing bias in intervention studies in special education.
A universal wear law for abrasion

Finding a wear law that is valid over a wide range of conditions and materials would have enormous practical value. The authors have previously discovered a simple relationship describing the evolution of the abrasive wear rate of steel sliding against boron carbide-coated coupons, and have developed a model accounting for its kinetics. The authors show here that this wear equation accurately describes the evolution of abrasive wear rates for several additional material pairs and contact conditions that were tested, as well as for all of the material pairs for which literature data could be found. The only material parameters are the initial abrasiveness and the initial rate at which the abrasiveness changes with number of cycles. No other wear law so simple, accurate and widely applicable is known.
Bves and NDRG4 regulate directional epicardial cell migration through autocrine extracellular matrix deposition

Directional cell movement is universally required for tissue morphogenesis. Although it is known that cell/matrix interactions are essential for directional movement in heart development, the mechanisms governing these interactions require elucidation. Here we demonstrate that a novel protein/protein interaction between blood vessel epicardial substance (Bves) and N-myc downstream regulated gene 4 (NDRG4) is critical for regulation of epicardial cell directional movement, as disruption of this interaction randomizes migratory patterns. Our studies show that Bves/NDRG4 interaction is required for trafficking of internalized fibronectin through the "autocrine extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition" fibronectin recycling pathway. Of importance, we demonstrate that Bves/NDRG4-mediated fibronectin recycling is indeed essential for epicardial cell directional movement, thus linking these two cell processes. Finally, total internal reflectance fluorescence microscopy shows that Bves/NDRG4 interaction is required for fusion of recycling endosomes with the basal cell surface, providing a molecular mechanism of motility substrate delivery that regulates cell directional movement. This is the first evidence of a molecular function for Bves and NDRG4 proteins within broader subcellular trafficking paradigms. These data identify novel regulators of a critical vesicle-docking step required for autocrine ECM deposition and explain how Bves facilitates cell-microenvironment interactions in the regulation of epicardial cell-directed movement.
Focus on Teacher Education: Assessing Multidisciplinary Learning Through the Arts

Creative construction of analytical and holistic rubrics to assess multidisciplinary arts-infused learning in the elementary school classroom is one of the goals of a preservice and creative method...
Prefrontal cortex contributions to controlled memory judgment: fMRI evidence from adolescents and young adults

Cortical regions supporting cognitive control and memory judgment are structurally immature in adolescents. Here we studied adolescents (13–15 y.o.) and young adults (20–22 y.o.) using a recognition memory paradigm that modulates cognitive control demands through cues that probabilistically forecast memory probe status. Behaviorally, adolescence was associated with quicker responding in the presence of invalid cues compared to young adulthood. fMRI data demonstrated that while both groups increasingly activated posterior dorsolateral prefrontal (dlPFC), midline, and lateral parietal regions for invalidly compared to validly cued trials, this differential invalid cueing response ended sooner in adolescents, consistent with their quicker responding on invalidly cued trials. Critically, dlPFC also demonstrated reversed brain–behavior associations across the groups. Increased mean dlPFC activation during invalid cueing was linked to improved performance in young adults, whereas increases within adolescents were linked to impaired performance. Resting state connectivity analysis revealed greater connectivity between dlPFC and episodic retrieval linked regions in young adults relative to adolescents. These data demonstrate that the functional interpretation of dlPFC activation hinges on its physical maturation and suggest that the pattern of behavioral and neural response in adolescents reflects different functional integration of cognitive control and memory systems.
Power control and resource management for a multimedia CDMA wireless system

Future wireless systems will have to support multimedia services such as voice, data and fax. Issues in providing multimedia services on wireless include multiple access, bandwidth rationing and power control. We address the latter two issues. CDMA is assumed to be the access method. Different services have different quality (QoS) requirements, maximum power and/or minimum rate constraints. In order to achieve the required QoS they can alter their power and/or rate of transmission. Different rates are represented by varying the processing gain. Since users interfere with each other, achieving each user's QoS requirement is completely coupled with the powers. We formulate this as a constrained optimization problem. The objective functions used are minimum power and maximum rates. The former reduces interference seen by other cells due to the current cell, the latter attempts to achieve the best possible throughput for users in the current cell. We develop bounds on the total number of users of each class that can be supported simultaneously while maintaining adequate QoS and meeting resource constraints.
The Female Athlete Triad

Context:The female athlete triad (the triad) is an interrelationship of menstrual dysfunction, low energy availability (with or without an eating disorder), and decreased bone mineral density; it is relatively common among young women participating in sports. Diagnosis and treatment of this potentially serious condition is complicated and often requires an interdisciplinary team.Evidence Acquisition:Articles from 1981 to present found on PubMed were selected for review of major components of the female athlete triad as well as strategies for diagnosis and treatment of the conditions.Results:The main goal in treatment of young female athletes with the triad is a natural return of menses as well as enhancement of bone mineral density. While no specific drug intervention has been shown to consistently improve bone mineral density in this patient population, maximizing energy availability and optimizing vitamin D and calcium intake are recommended.Conclusions:Treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach in...
Participation and Performance of Students With Emotional Disturbance on a Statewide Accountability Assessment in Math

The participation and performance of students in statewide accountability and assessment systems are measures of student and school success. These accountability systems theoretically reflect performance for all students, including students receiving special education. Yet few examine the participation and performance of students in special education by disability category, instead reporting on “special education” as a homogeneous population, when in fact it is not. Students with emotional disturbance (ED) demonstrate some of the most challenging academic and behavior problems and present low performances in school. The participation and performance of students with ED on a statewide accountability assessment in math were investigated in this article. Only 34% of students with ED participated and met at least minimum proficiency standards. Factors predictive of student participation and performance were identified through logistic regression. One primary finding is that instructional setting predicted par...
Privacy and security of medical information

Increasingly, medical information is being stored, accessed, and communicated electronically, which makes this information vulnerable to breaches in security and privacy. Clinicians must be familiar with the best practices for keeping medical information private, as well as the local, state, and federal regulations that govern the security, privacy and patient-identifiable information. Noncompliance carries the potential for civil and criminal penalties.
Tolerance for error and computational estimation ability.

Summary Previous investigators have suggested that the personality variable tolerance for error is related to success in computational estimation. However, this suggestion has not been tested directly. This study examined the relationship between performance on a computational estimation test and scores on the NEO-Five Factor Inventory, a measure of the Big Five personality traits, including Openness, an index of tolerance for ambiguity. Other variables included SAT-I Verbal and Mathematics scores and self-rated mathematics ability. Participants were 65 college students. There was no significant relationship between the tolerance variable and computational estimation performance. There was a modest negative relationship between Agreeableness and estimation performance. The skepticism associated with the negative pole of the Agreeableness dimension may be important to pursue in further understanding of estimation ability.
Ethnocultural Political Analysis: A New Approach to American Ethnic Studies

At the seventy-ninth annual meeting of the American Historical Association in 1964, a panel of scholars enlivened one of the sessions with a heated debate over the effects of ethnic assimilation in American culture. The topic of debate, ‘Beyond the Melting Pot: Irish and Jewish Separateness in American Society’, focused on a recent controversial study of ethnic mixture in New York City by Nathan Glazer and Daniel Patrick Moynihan, both sociologists. Glazer and Moynihan in their book Beyond the Melting Pot traced the ‘role of ethnicity’ in the seaboard city. The melting pot ‘did not happen’, they concluded, ‘at least not in New York and, mutatis mutandis, in those parts of America which resemble New York’. This frontal assault on the concept of Americanization, long a cherished ideal in the United States, drew a sharp reaction from several panellists, especially William V. Shannon, editorial writer for die New York Times and author of The American Irish, and Irving Greenberg, professor of history at Yeshiva University. Both Shannon and Greenberg insisted that Irishmen and Jews had indeed been assimilated in American society, either for better or for worse. At this point, the discussion degenerated into the traditional moralistic debate on the merits and demerits of assimilation. Reflecting the divergent views of their colleagues in the history profession, Shannon praised assimilation and Greenberg condemned it.
Academic Support as a Predictor of Retention to Graduation: New Insights on the Role of Tutoring, Learning Assistance, and Supplemental Instruction

This study seeks to examine the relationship between the long-term use of academic support services such as tutoring, learning assistance, and supplemental instruction and retention to graduation. Little research has been devoted to the relationship between academic support and retention to graduation in both the literatures on retention and academic support. The authors use 6 years of data from the University of Louisville's Resources for Academic Achievement unit (REACH) to test the hypotheses that a larger quantity of time spent engaged in academic support services is associated with a higher likelihood of graduation and that cumulative GPA mediates the relationship between hours spent using academic support and graduation. The findings support these hypotheses, suggesting a relationship between academic support and retention to graduation that should be given serious consideration by scholars and administrators.
Analysis of ACPR performance for memoryless predistorter considering power amplifier memory effects

Memory effects in a power amplifier (PA) limit the improvement of performance for predistortion linearizers based on memoryless look-up table (LUT) or model-based architectures. This paper investigates degradation of the adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) improvement for a PA with memoryless predistortion linearizer with respect to the memory effects. Using the input and output complex envelope signals of PA, the ACPR degradation due to memory effects is analytically extracted. A 170 W PEP LDMOS PA is measured and its ACPR performance degradation due to memory effects is analyzed using a memoryless predistortion linearizer.
The Oregon Way Planning a Sustainable Economy in the American West

This article explores Oregon’s attempts to transcend the boom/bust cycles of its historically natural resource–based economy to establish a more diversified, resilient economy based upon advanced manufacturing and sustainable technology and practices. Drawing upon Fredrick Turner’s and Harold Innis’s theses of North American development, I explore Oregon’s economic dynamics through state and federal data and Oregon’s recent economic initiatives. Results reflect an Oregon still reliant upon natural resource and industrial commodities, leaving it highly vulnerable to global markets. Efforts toward “greening” the state’s economy, although embryonic, show signs of setting Oregon on a more independent, self-reliant economic trajectory.
Assessing the spatial compatibility of recreational activities with beach vegetation and wrack in New Jersey: Prospects for compromise management

Abstract This study examines the prospects for compromise management to support greater natural resources on recreational beaches by analyzing the spatial dimensions of key natural resource indicators (beach vegetation and wrack) with peak recreational uses in New Jersey, one of the most intensively developed shorelines in North America. The spatial distribution of pedestrian and vehicular recreational uses was measured on 60 transects in heavily-populated beaches during the peak times and days of use during the summer tourist season, and compared to that of vegetation and wrack on 72 transects in nearby protected natural areas. The frequency, density, and % use were calculated for each 10% increment of linear beach surface, and the impacts of protecting different amounts of upper beach areas were calculated in terms of the % vegetation, wrack and recreational use that would be supported in each case. Vegetation was highly concentrated in landward portions of the beach surface, and pedestrian and parked recreational vehicles in the seaward areas, suggesting high compatibility of these natural resources with recreational use. Lower compatibility was found for existing patterns of wrack and vehicle driving, which were more widely distributed across the beach surface. Based on the distributions of these variables, protecting the upper 50% of the beach would support >80% of vegetation, pedestrian and parked vehicular uses, and 42–52% of driving uses and wrack, respectively. Protecting the upper 25% of the beach would support >95% of all recreational uses, 52% of vegetation, and 24% of wrack. Given the current level of impacts to vegetation and wrack on recreational beaches, major gains in these and other natural resources can therefore be made across the shoreline without substantial impacts to existing pedestrian or vehicular recreational uses. Greater ecological benefits and ecosystem services may be obtained by applying these types of compromise management solutions to recreational ocean beaches in the future.
Physical Nature of Substituent Effects in XH/π Interactions.

XH/π interactions (e.g.: CH/π, OH/π, etc.) are ubiquitous in chemical and biochemical contexts. Although there have been many studies of substituent effects in XH/π interactions, there have been only limited systematic studies covering a broad range of substituents. We provide a comprehensive and systematic study aimed at unraveling the nature of aryl substituent effects on model BH/π, CH/π, NH/π, OH/π, and F/π interactions (e.g.: BH3···C6H5Y, CH4···C6H5Y, etc.) based on estimated CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ interaction energies as well as symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT) results. We show that the impact of substituents on XH/π interactions depends strongly on the identity of the XH group, and the strength of these effects increases with increasing polarization of the XH bond. Overall, the results are in accord with previous work and follow expected trends from basic physical principles. That is, electrostatic effects dominate the substituent effects for the polar XH/π interactions (NH/π, OH/π, and FH/...
Valid names of the spruce seed moth and a related Cydia species (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).

Cydia (= Laspeyresia) youngana (Kearfott), an olethreutine known commonly as the spruce seed moth in North America, is synonymized with C. strobilella (Linnaeus), a holarctic species. C. resinosae (Freeman) is synonymized with C. inopiosa (Heinrich). The new synonymies are supported by examinations of male and female genitalia and other characters. All known extant types were examined.
Right and left ventricular assist devices support and liver dysfunction: prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Purpose of reviewAdvanced heart failure is a chronic, systemic disease, which affects other organs in ways that are incompletely understood. Patients with advanced heart failure commonly develop congestive hepatopathy, which may lead to progressive hepatic injury and fibrosis. Because the independen
Simulations of Mixtures of Fluids in Chemical Equilibrium at High Pressures

This study is concerned with the numerical simulation of mixtures of chemically reacting fluids. Mixture rules are established, accommodating components that do not follow the thermally perfect Equation of State (EoS), and including formulas for the fugacities. The Law of Mass Action that governs chemical equilibrium of mixtures of fluids is presented. The common assumption of neglecting the fugacities contributions when calculating the equilibrium composition is assessed by comparing complete thermochemical predictions with those obtained by reduced models, including mixtures of thermally perfect gases. For air mixtures at high pressures and moderate temperatures, the effects of having species thermally imperfect EoS are significant. However, the contribution of fugacities to the Law of Mass Action is found to be small, at least for mixtures of super-critical gases that are dissociating. Similar conclusions apply to combustion mixtures (involving hydrogen and oxygen).
Epicatechin Attenuates Degradation of Mouse Oxidative Muscle Following Hindlimb Suspension.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a 14-day hindlimb suspension (HS) with and without (-)-epicatechin supplementation to determine whether (-)-epicatechin treatment can attenuate the loss in muscle degradation, angiogenesis, and mitochondrial signaling in oxidative skeletal muscle. Adult mice were randomized into 3 groups: (a) control (C); (b) HS with vehicle (HS-V); and (c) HS with (-)-epicatechin (HS-(-)-Epi). Animals in the HS-(-)-Epi group received (-)-epicatechin (1.0 mg · kg(-1) of body mass) twice daily through oral gavage. For markers related to muscle degradation, the HS-V group had significantly higher protein expression compared with the control and HS-(-)-Epi groups. Moreover, protein expression for myosin heavy chain type I was significantly reduced by approximately 45% in the HS-V group compared with the control and HS-(-)-Epi groups. In addition, capillarity contact and capillary-to-fiber ratio were significantly higher in the HS-(-)-Epi group compared with the HS-V group. Furthermore, protein expression for thrombospondin-1 was significantly higher in HS-V group compared with the control and HS-(-)-Epi groups. Hindlimb suspension also significantly reduced protein expression for mitochondrial signaling compared with the control and HS-(-)-Epi groups. These findings suggest that (-)-epicatechin supplementation attenuates degradation in oxidative muscles after HS.
Palladium hydride promoted stereoselective isomerization of unactivated di(exo)methylenes to endocyclic dienes.

The exomethylenes of 2,6-disubstituted bicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-9-ones 2 are readily isomerized over a palladium catalyst under an atmosphere of hydrogen to predominantly form the isomer 3 with C2 symmetry with very little formation of the analogous product with Cs symmetry. A hydrogen source is essential to effect the rearrangement.
A new multilevel inverter with fewer number of control switches

Multilevel inverters (MLI) plays a vital role in high voltage and high power applications due to its capability of converting DC to AC with reduced total harmonics distortion (THD). In this paper, a new multilevel inverter (MLI) with fewer number of control switches is proposed. The proposed topology requires a fewer number of control switches compared to conventional and recently derived topologies, thereby reducing complexity and the total cost of circuit. The topology operation is discussed for a seven-level and it can be easily extended to N-level by adding (N-3)/4 repeating stages. N-level proposed topology requires (N+3)/2 unidirectional power switches and 2N-2 diodes. The proposed topology is simulated for 100W; seven levels with level shifting SPWM technique in MATLAB/SIMULINK and results shows the validity of topology.
Phenology and Growth Cycle

Phenology is mainly concerned with the timing of specific stages of growth and development in the annual cycle. Such knowledge can be used for site and cultivar selection, vineyard design, planning of labor and equipment requirements, and timing of cultural practices as part of vineyard management. The annual growth cycle of mature, fruiting grapevines is often divided into a vegetative and a reproductive cycle. The shoot growth cycle is completed with leaf senescence associated with the recycling of nutrients from the leaves to the canes and permanent parts of the vine, abscission (shedding) of leaves, and, finally, dehydration and cold acclimation of all woody parts in fall. On a seasonal scale, flowering, onset of fruit ripening, bud dormancy, leaf senescence, and cold acclimation are typical responses to day length, although each of these developmental processes is also modulated by temperature, and some can be altered by stress factors such as drought, nutrient deficiency or excess, or infection by pathogens.