cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Retinal projection to a surgically prepared "double-lateral" tectum in Xenopus: electrophysiological studies

A “double-lateral” optic tectum was prepared, in newly metamorphosed clawed frogs, by introducing a graft from the lateral region of one tectal lobe into the medial region of the other (contralateral) lobe. The optic nerve was crushed and allowed to regenerate for 1 to 11 months. The regenerated visual projections, assayed by multiunit electrophysiologic recording, showed a continuum of patterns between two extremes. At one extreme (five cases), the graft area was innervated by fibers from dorsal retina, normally destined for lateral tectum; at the other extreme (four cases), the graft area was innervated by fibers from ventral retina, normally destined for medial tectum and thus appropriate for the implantation site rather than for the graft. In both instances, the fibers projected with reasonable topographic order, and the direction of ordering of these fibers in the graft area reflected the intrinsic polarity of the graft. Four other cases fell between these two extremes: The graft area was innervated by both of the aforementioned groups of fibers. In such cases of mixed innervation, (i) little topographic order was evident in the projection of either fiber group; (ii) the two groups invariably showed a territorial segregation, with the fibers from the dorsal retina occupying a more caudal subdomain of the graft area; (iii) the total area of involved tectum, encompassing the two subdomains, was vastly larger than the corresponding area of mismapping in the extreme cases featuring only one fiber group; and (iv) perturbations were observed in the projection of other retinal regions onto the unoperated fringes of the tectum. We infer that local properties exist on the tectum, distinguishing medial from lateral regions and providing positional cues for regenerating retinal fibers, but that fiber-fiber ordering as well as fiber-tectal affinity may participate in the formation of topographically ordered connections between eye and brain.
Management of streptococcal pharyngitis

Group A streptococcal pharyngitis is still a common childhood infection and acute rheumatic fever is still prevalent in many parts of the world. Clinical diagnosis is difficult as many other agents may produce similar features but sudden onset of fever, sore throat (pain on swallowing), headache and abdominal pain along with marked inflammation of throat and patchy exudate on tonsils, tender enlarged anterior cervical nodes and scarlatiniform rash are suggestive of streptococcal pharyngitis. Rapid antigen detection tests are specific and very helpful when positive but not sensitive enough to rule out infection when they are negative. At present properly performed throat culture is the best way to confirm clinical suspicion. It is possible that the rapid antigen tests will replace throat cultures in future. Penicillin is still the treatment of choice and an oral preparation given twice daily for 10 days is equally effective. In areas where rheumatic fever is prevalent, especially in poor and crowded populations and where compliance in taking oral penicillin therapy cannot be trusted, treatment with intramuscular benzathine penicillin alone or in combination with procaine penicillin is preferable. In case of penicillin allergy erythromycin is a very good alternative except where erythromycin resistance is common among group A streptococci. In those circumstances clindamycin or first generation cephalosporins may be used. Early antibiotic therapy shortens the course of illness, prevents complications and makes the patients noncontagious. Bacteriologic failures after adequate antibiotic therapy are common and there is no need of routine follow-up throat culture at the end of therapy. In high risk situations, a short course of rifampin may be given in conjunction with penicillin for the eradication of group A streptococci from the pharynx. Tonsillectomy should be reserved for children with frequent episodes of symptomatic streptococcal pharyngitis and not for asymptomatic chronic carriers.
Dynamic Modeling and Control of Biologically Inspired Vortex Ring Thrusters for Underwater Robot Locomotion

A new type of underwater thruster was designed to provide high-accuracy, low-speed maneuvering to underwater robots. Located internal to the vehicle surface, these thrusters have a minimal effect on the forward-drag profile of the vehicle. These thrusters, whose inspiration comes from the natural propulsion of cephalopods and jellyfish, generate control forces by successive ingestion and expulsion of jets of water from a cavity mounted in the hull of the vehicle. The jetting process has no net mass flux but results in a positive momentum flux. A time-dependent thrust model was developed, which predicted the thruster dynamics as a function of time, actuation frequency, and thruster-driving parameters. A linear transfer-function model was developed to approximate both the thruster and vehicle dynamics, which led to maneuver categorization into three regimes: Cruising, Docking, and Transition. The predicted frequency response was verified through hybrid simulation to be accurate for predicting general trends and cutoff frequency.
Are “The Rules” Always “Right”?

Leafgren, S. L. (2009). Reuben's Fall: A Rhizomatic Analysis of Disobedience in Kindergarten. Walnut Creek, California: Left Coast Press Inc. ISBN 978-1-59874-495-8. In an age where learning is mea...
ON THE KEYSPACE OF THE HILL CIPHER

In its most general form, the Hill cipher's keyspace consists of all matrices of a given dimension that are invertible over ${{\open Z}_m} . Working from known results over finite fields, we assemble and prove a formula for the number of such matrices. We also compare this result with the total number of matrices and the number of involutory matrices for a given dimension and modulus, identifying the effects of change in dimension and modulus on the order of the keyspace.
Identification of Bacillus anthracis PurE inhibitors with antimicrobial activity.

Abstract N5-carboxy-amino-imidazole ribonucleotide (N5-CAIR) mutase (PurE), a bacterial enzyme in the de novo purine biosynthetic pathway, has been suggested to be a target for antimicrobial agent development. We have optimized a thermal shift method for high-throughput screening of compounds binding to Bacillus anthracis PurE. We used a low ionic strength buffer condition to accentuate the thermal shift stabilization induced by compound binding to Bacillus anthracis PurE. The compounds identified were then subjected to computational docking to the active site to further select compounds likely to be inhibitors. A UV-based enzymatic activity assay was then used to select inhibitory compounds. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were subsequently obtained for the inhibitory compounds against Bacillus anthracis (ΔANR strain), Escherichia coli (BW25113 strain, wild-type and ΔTolC), Francisella tularensis, Staphylococcus aureus (both methicillin susceptible and methicillin-resistant strains) and Yersinia pestis. Several compounds exhibited excellent (0.05–0.15 μg/mL) MIC values against Bacillus anthracis. A common core structure was identified for the compounds exhibiting low MIC values. The difference in concentrations for inhibition and MIC suggest that another enzyme(s) is also targeted by the compounds that we identified.
Toxicity of alkyldihydrofurans to metabolically active organs in the mouse

Alkylfurans inflict toxicity in several mammalian species to lung, liver and kidney. Organ specificity of the alkylfurans is a sensitive function of the nature of the alkyl group. To determine if this toxicity requires an aromatic ring in the compound, we synthesized 4-methyl-2,3-dihydrofuran, 4-ethyl-2,3-dihydrofuran and 4-pentyl-2,3-dihydrofuran and determined their toxicity to lung, liver and kidney in mice. Lung damage was evaluated by light microscopy and the incorporation of [14C]thymidine into lung DNA. The results indicated that 4-methyl-2,3-dihydrofuran and 4-ethyl-2,3-dihydrofuran were toxic to the lung whereas 4-pentyl-2,3-dihydrofuran did not produce lung toxicity. Histological examination of liver sections revealed that 4-ethyl-2,3-dihydrofuran induced vacuolar degeneration of hepatocytes. Kidney toxicity was evaluated by light microscopy and determining plasma urea levels. Both 4-ethyl-2,3-dihydrofuran and 4-pentyl-2,3-dihydrofuran exhibited kidney toxicity, while equimolar doses of 4-methyl-2,3-dihydrofuran did not damage the kidney. A quantitative comparison of the nephrotoxicity of 4-pentyl-2,3-dihydrofuran with the corresponding aromatic compound 3-pentylfuran was made. We also sought to determine if renal injury resulting from these 2 agents is related to their oxidative metabolism. Uptake of organic ions by kidney slices and plasma urea nitrogen levels were used to assess renal function. 3-Pentylfuran caused greater renal injury than an equimolar dose of 4-pentyl-2,3-dihydrofuran. Phenobarbital pretreatment protected mice against 3-pentylfuran-induced nephrotoxicity. Cotreatment with piperonyl butoxide did not affect renal injury resulting from 3-pentylfuran. N-octylimidazole significantly reduced 3-pentylfuran-induced nephrotoxicity as well as that caused by 4-pentyl-2,3-dihydrofuran. These results point to metabolic activation as a basis for the nephrotoxicity induced by both compounds.
Theaters of Occupation: Hollywood and the reeducation of postwar Germany

Theaters of Occupation: Hollywood and the reeducation of postwar Germany JENNIFER FAY Minneapolis, London, University of Minnesota Press, 2008 xxx+228 pp., illus., $22.50 (paper) Jennifer Fay has p...
Fertility drugs and ovarian epithelial cancer: Is there a link?

It should be noted that citing problems with epidemiologic studies is not the same as disproving their claims. However, it does cast doubt upon the validity and general applicability of their conclusions. The Rossing study strongly suggests an association between ovarian tumors and long-term use of clomiphene citrate. At the same time, it can safely be said that evidence that clomiphene or hMG therapy predisposes the patient to the development of ovarian epithelial carcinoma or any other ovarian tumor is extremely tenuous. Furthermore, there is no consistent physiologic principle (such as “incessant ovulation”) which can be applied to the use of these ovulation-inducing medications to suggest that they would be likely to cause such tumors. Therefore, physicians administering ovulation-inducing medications and contemplating the ramifications of a possible link between ovarian cancer and fertility medications are left with medicolegal considerations and with the simple principles of prudence and the dictum first to do no harm. As always, patients should be informed and offered alternatives. However, modification of the current practice of ovulation induction or ovarian superovulation on the basis of these epidemiologic studies does not seem warranted.
Bovine Pasteurellosis and Other Bacterial Infections of the Respiratory Tract

Despite technological, biologic, and pharmacologic advances the bacterial component of the bovine respiratory disease (BRD) complex continues to have a major adverse effect on the health and wellbeing of stocker and feeder cattle. Overlooked in this disappointing assessment is evaluation of the effects that working with younger, lighter-weight cattle have on managing the bacterial component of the BRD complex. Most problems associated with BRD come from cattle taken from and comingled with cattle operations that have inconsistent or nonexistent cattle health management. This article reviews the biologic, clinical, and management aspects of Pasteurella multocida, Mannheimia haemolytica, Histophilus somni, and Mycoplasma bovis, primarily as related to current production management considerations of stocker and feeder cattle.
Priority-progress streaming for quality-adaptive multimedia

The Internet's ubiquity amply motivates us to harness it for video distribution, however, its best-effort service model is in direct conflict with video's inherent timeliness requirements. Today, the Internet is unrivaled in its rich composition, consisting of an unparalleled assortment of networks and hosts. This richness is the result of an architecture that emphasizes interoperability over predictable performance. From the lowest levels, the Internet architecture prefers the best effort service model. We feel current solutions for media-streaming have yet to adequately address this conflict between timeliness and best-effort service.We propose that streaming-media solutions targetted at the Internet must fully embrace the notion of graceful degradation, they must be architected with the expectation that they operate within a continuum of service levels, adjusting quality-resource trade-offs as necessary to achieve timeliness requirements. In the context of the Internet, the continuum of service levels spans across a number oftime scales, ranging from sub-second timescales to timescales as long as months and years. We say sub-second timescales in relation to short-term dynamics such as network traffic and host workloads, while timescales of months and years relate to the continuous deployment of improving network, compute and storage infrastructure.We support our thesis with a proposal for a streaming model which we claim is simple enough to use end-to-end, yet expressive enough to tame the conflict between real-time and best-effort personalities of Internet streaming. The model is called Priority-Progress streaming. In this proposal, we will describe the main features of Priority-Progress streaming, which we have been implemented in a software-based streaming video system, called the Quasar pipeline.Our work is primarily concerned with the class of streaming applications. To prevent confusion, we now clarify the important distinction between streaming and other forms of distribution, namely download. For a video, we assume download is defined so that the transfer of the video must complete before the video is viewed. Transfer and viewing are temporally sequential. With this definition, it is a simple matter to employ Quality-adaptive video. One algorithm would be to deliver the entire video in the order from low to high quality components. The user may terminate the download early, and the incomplete video will automatically have as high quality as was possible. Thus, Quality-adaptive download can be implemented in an entirely best-effort, time-insensitive, fashion. On the other hand, we assume streaming means that the user views the video at the same time that the transfer occurs. Transfer and viewing are concurrent. There are timeliness requirements inherent in this definition, which can only be reconciled with best-effort delivery through a time-sensitive adaptive approach.
On optimal feedback allocation in multichannel wireless downlinks

This paper studies feedback resource allocation in the downlink of a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) multichannel wireless system. We consider a downlink network with a single base station, L shared channels and N mobile users. Throughput optimal algorithms like the MaxWeight scheduling in general require the complete channel state information (with N × L link states) for scheduling, which could be unaffordably expensive when the number of users is large. In this paper, we consider the scenario where the base station allocates only limited uplink resource for acquiring channel state information. We first show that to support a fraction (1 - e) of the full throughput region (the throughput region with full channel state information), the base station needs to acquire at least Θ(L) link states at each time slot. We then propose a Weight Based Feedback allocation, named WBF, and show that WBF together with the MaxWeight scheduling achieves a fraction (1 - e) of the full throughput region by acquiring at most Θ(L log 1 ⁄ e) link states per time slot.
The Ionization of Potassium Vapor by Light

Photo-ionization of potassium vapor by ultra-violet light to $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ 1850 \AA{}.---(1) Jet method. To insure that the light was not appreciably absorbed before it reached the vapor under observation, and to reduce thermionic and photoelectric emission to a minimum, a tube was used in which a jet of potassium vapor was directed from a heating chamber into the vacuum observation chamber (pressure about ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ mm.) and was there condensed on the walls, while a carefully diaphragmed beam from a quartz mercury arc was directed through the jet into a conical light trap. The presence of positive ions in the illuminated vapor was determined bv means of the usual accelerating and retarding electric fields. (2) Variation with wave-length. By the use of a series of screens, the long wave-length limit for ionization was found to be between 2,800 and 3,100 \AA{}., in agreement with the limit, 2,856 \AA{}., calculated from the ionization potential by means of the quantum relation. No positive ions were obtained when the radiation was limited to wave-lengths greater than 3,100 \AA{}. or when the jet was intercepted by a sliding shutter. As the wave-length was decreased below 2,800 \AA{}., the ionization rapidly increased in amount; being apparently a continuous function of the wave-length. (3) Variation with pressure of the vapor in the jet was found to be linear. (4) Proportion of exposed atoms ionized was computed to be roughly 1 in ${10}^{10}$ for an exposure time of ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ seconds or 1 in ${10}^{5}$ per second for continuous exposure.Photo-electric emission from potassium metal.---The electrodes, being coated with potassium, gave a photo-electric emission as a result of scattered light, which had to be corrected for in the measurements for the vapor jet. The long wave-length limit occurred quite consistently at 4,500 \AA{}.; but there were indications of increased sensitivity below 3,000 \AA{}. These results agree with the view that the limit is the same as for the vapor, provided the emissions observed for wave-lengths 3,000 to 4,500 \AA{}. are due to impurities. A rough calculation indicates that the proportion of exposed atoms ionized was about the same as in the case of the vapor, for the same light intensity.Series of ultra-violet absorption screens, transmitting to various short wavelength limits from 4,000 to 2,300 \AA{}., including various solutions and glasses, are described and a spectrogram showing the transmission of each is reproduced.
A case-control study of reproductive factors, female hormone use, and risk of pancreatic cancer.

Findings from several previous studies that have assessed the relation of reproductive factors and female hormone use to the risk of pancreatic cancer are inconclusive. The authors examined the association between reproductive factors and the use of oral contraceptives and postmenopausal hormone therapy to the risk of pancreatic cancer among 284 patients with pancreatic cancer and 1,096 controls using data from the hospital-based Case–Control Surveillance Study. Older age at first pregnancy and long-duration oral contraceptive use were associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer: the odds ratio was 2.0 (95% CI: 1.1–3.3) for first birth at age 30 or older compared with before age 20 (p for trend = 0.042) and 2.0 (95% CI: 1.0–4.0) for ten or more years of use of oral contraceptive use relative to no-use (p for trend < 0.01). Risk of pancreatic cancer risk was not associated with postmenopausal female hormone use. The findings suggest that increased exposure to estrogen during the reproductive years may play a role in the development of pancreatic cancer in women. Further studies are needed to confirm the findings.
The structural changes of T7 RNA polymerase from transcription initiation to elongation

The structures of T7 RNA polymerase (T7 RNAP) captured in the initiation and elongation phases of transcription, as well as an intermediate stage provide insights into how this RNA polymerase protein can initiate RNA synthesis and synthesize 7-10 nucleotides of RNA while remaining bound to the DNA promoter site. Recently, the structures of T7 RNAP bound to its promoter DNA along with either a seven nucleotide or eight nucleotide transcript show an elongated product site resulting from a 40 degrees or 45 degrees rotation of the promoter and domain that binds it. The different functional properties of the initiation and elongation phases of transcription are illuminated from structures of the initiation and elongation complexes. Structural insights into the translocation of the product transcript of RNAP, its separation of the downstream duplex DNA, and its removal of the transcript from the heteroduplex are provided by the structures of several states of nucleotide incorporation. A conformational change in the 'fingers' domain that results from the binding or dissociation of incoming NTP or PPi appears to be associated with the state of translocation of T7 RNAP.
Rigoberta Menchú and the Last-Resort Paradigm

Many people have asked whether I am surprised by the furor over my book. The answer is no, not really-except for the reaction from some of my colleagues in Latin American studies. I am surprised that, 17 years after Rigoberta told her story and 2 years after the Guatemalan peace agreement was signed, Carol Smith, Victoria Sanford, Norma Chinchilla, and Georg Gugelberger object to my reexamination of I, Rigoberta Menchui. Ordinarily a Nobel peace laureate is subject to scrutiny much earlier in her career. In Rigoberta's case, she expects to run for president of her country. Truth commissions, exhumations, and the declassification of state documents are providing courtroom-quality evidence about the violence that turned her into an international figure. When it comes to the army's crimes, my critics welcome the search for facts. But they have doubts about interrogating the single most widely read book about Central America. While they expect Guatemalan army officers to consent to being tried for mass murder, they do not think Rigoberta should have to face the fact that she went to middle school. On second thought, there is no reason to be surprised. After returning from a year of fieldwork in northern Quiche Department in 1989, 1 was full of what violence survivors had told me so many times. They wanted the war to end. Unfortunately, that was not on the horizon because a vestigial guerrilla movement was holding out for concessions that a powerful army was unlikely to make. I could have decided that peasant neutralism was just a function of conquest and hegemony. On the grounds that peasants were too afraid of the army to tell me how they felt, I could have discounted what they said. Perhaps this was just another tough chapter in the popular struggle-so what if it wasn't very popular? Instead, I decided that what peasants said about their experiences challenged our usual presumptions about the war. Was this
Identification and quantification of aerosol polar oxygenated compounds bearing carboxylic or hydroxyl groups. 1. Method development.

In this study, a new analytical technique was developed for the identification and quantification of multifunctional compounds containing simultaneously at least one hydroxyl or one carboxylic group, or both. This technique is based on derivatizing first the carboxylic group(s) of the multifunctional compound using an alcohol (e.g., methanol, 1-butanol) in the presence of a relatively strong Lewis acid (BF3) as a catalyst. This esterification reaction quickly and quantitatively converts carboxylic acids to their ester forms. The second step is based on silylation of the ester compounds using bis(trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) as the derivatizing agent. For compounds bearing ketone groups in addition to carboxylic and hydroxyl groups, a third step was used based on PFBHA derivatization of the carbonyls. Different parameters including temperature, reaction time, and effect due to artifacts were optimized. A GC/MS in EI and in methane-CI mode was used for the analysis of these compounds. The new ...
Plasma Desorption Ionization Mass Spectra of Unconjugated Human Steroids

Abstract Steroids, including cortisone, Cortisol, aldosterone, cortol, preg-nanediol, androsterone and 4-androsten-3, 17-dione can be ionized directly, without derivative formation, by plasma desorption ionization to give characteristic mass spectra. The ion products, with isobutane as the reagent gas, indicate the nature of the functional groups and the molecular formula; the spectra are similar to those obtained by chemical ionization methods.
Simulation of femtosecond pulse propagation in sub-micron diameter tapered fibers

Ultrashort pulse propagation and supercontinuum generation in tapered and microstructured optical fibers is usually simulated using the corrected nonlinear Schrodinger equation. One of the underlying approximations is the use of a wavelength-independent effective area or, equivalently, of a constant nonlinear coefficient γ. In very thin waveguide structures with strong light confinement, including silica wires and sub-micron tapered fibers and some microstructured fibers, the validity of such an approximation comes into question. In this paper we present an improved model in which all modal properties are fully taken into account as functions of the wavelength. We use comparative numerical simulation to identify certain regimes in which an improved model is needed for quantitatively correct results.
Spectral absorption of solar radiation by the denver brown (pollution) cloud

Abstract Wideband spectral measurements of the global and direct solar flux at the surface were obtained at the Denver Trout Farm in conjunction with the EPA Denver Brown Cloud experiment on 20 and 21 November 1973. These measurements were analyzed by a simple variational technique to yield the increase in the rate of absorption and scattering by the Denver pollution cloud when the observed optical depth increased by approximately 0.06. The increase in heating of the atmospheric surface layer is estimated. The imaginary term of the complex refractive index of the aerosols is deduced from theoretical calculation data. Moderate wavelength resolution emission spectra of the brown cloud obtained in 1974 revealed unidentified absorption bands in the same wavelength region as the high absorption found in the wideband measurements.
Cellular entry of thyroid hormones by organic anion transporting polypeptides.

Several transporter families that can transport thyroid hormones have been identified. One of these is represented by the organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) gene superfamily, classified within the solute carrier family SLCO. In humans, eleven different OATPs are expressed in various tissues, including the liver, kidney, brain, lung, intestine and placenta. They mediate sodium-independent transport of a variety of amphipathic organic compounds, including thyroid hormones, bile acids, steroid hormones and their conjugates, linear and cyclic peptides, prostaglandins, numerous drugs and other xenobiotics. OATP1C1, which is expressed in the blood–brain barrier and testes, is the thyroid hormone transporter with the highest apparent affinity, with Km values of 90.4 nM for thyroxine (T4) and 127.7 nM for reverse T3 (rT3) transport, and could be essential for thyroid hormone delivery to the developing brain. OATP4A1 is expressed in the placenta and could be important for maternal thyroid hormone transport to the developing fetus.
Effect of high pressure on moisture and NaCl diffusion into turkey breast

High-pressure processing (HPP) affects food component diffusion. This study evaluated pressure (0.1-300 MPa) effect on the diffusion of NaCl and water into turkey breast at 25 °C. NaCl and water diffusion were found to be a function of pressure and holding time. During the pressure come-up-time, diffusion of water and NaCl into the sample was enhanced as compared to control. The diffusion coefficient of moisture infusing out of the sample was found to be a minimum at 150 MPa. The diffusion coefficient of NaCl infusing into the sample was maximum at 150 MPa. Within the range of experimental conditions studied, 150 MPa treatment (up to 15min holding time) yielded meat samples with minimum hardness, gumminess, and chewiness. Ultrastructure images revealed that 150 MPa treatments caused swelling of myofibrils, disappearance of the M-line, reduced difference in the density of the A-band and I-band and breaking of segments of Z-line. HPP could be a useful technique for the salting of turkey meat.
Enhancement of discord and entanglement with detuning for two coupled quantum dots in a driven cavity

We study the quantum discord for a system of two identical coupled quantum dots interacting with quantized cavity field in the presence of cavity as well as dot decay and detuning. The cavity is externally driven by a coherent light. These results are compared with the entanglement of the quantum dots in various parameter regimes in which system may or may not show bistability. We show that the discord in the steady state is nonzero for any nonzero cavity field amplitude. The system has higher discord in the upper branch of the bistability curve where the entanglement is zero. We also find many other interesting results including high discord and entanglement in the presence of detuning, a phenomenon which we further examine by approximating the density matrix in the appropriate limit.
In situ target strength studies on Atlantic redfish (Sebastes spp.)

In situ acoustic target strength (TS) experiments were conducted on Atlantic redfish (Sebastes spp.) in Newfoundland waters (1996–1998) using deep-tow dual beam and hull-mounted split beam echosounders (38 kHz). The dual and split beam mean TSs did not differ. The deep-tow system was deployed at various depths over several aggregations. Calibration corrections were made for depths from 5–70 m ( 200 m and a number of fish per sampled volume >0.04. After being controlled for variations related to range, reverberation volume and fish density the TS did not differ with respect to depth, distance from bottom, fish sex ratio, condition factor or weight. The mean length was the dominant influence on the mean TS. Pooled ex situ experimental data and controlled in situ data – which did not differ – indicated a length-based regression (weighted by s.e.−1) in standard format: TS=20 log [length (cm)] −68.7 (r2=0.49).
No Satisfaction: “A Case of ‘The Monkey's Paw,’” Top‐Down School Reform, and the Conduit

Tom Hatch’s research interests in school reform and theories of action and my research interests in teachers’ narrative knowledge and the shaping effects of context come together in this issue of Curriculum Inquiry. Tom offers an important response to my article and raises key points. I am grateful to him and the editors for the opportunity to continue the discussion. I also am thankful to the T. P. Yaeger educators who carefully read the manuscript and the review, participated in rich conversations about the pieces, and reiterated what they knew and did not know about the statedirected, national reform initiative introduced to their school. This rejoinder is informed not only by my own thinking, but also by the school-based educators’ interpretations of, and responses to, Tom’s comments and by my more extensive experiences of reforming school contexts in the time since the paper was written.In his personal reading of “A Case of ‘The Monkey’s Paw’” piece, Tom Hatch found a story of reform and repetition, ...
From Expert Words Directly to Numerical Simulations: Group-Theoretic Approach to Computing with Words in Information/Intelligent Systems

In many real-life situations, e.g., when making an environmental decision, it is important to be able to predict long-term consequences of different decisions. Very often, these predictions must be done in the situation where the only available information consists of expert rules, which are formulated by words from natural language. One possible way to transform these expert words into numerical simulation (leading to prediction) is to use the fuzzy control methodology. However, there is a problem with using this methodology: it invokes replacing each word by a membership function, and this replacement drastically increases the required computer space (and thus, increases the computation time), i.e., it “de-granulates” the original compact description. It is, therefore, desirable to get from the original words directly to numerical simulations, thus avoiding this de-granulation.
Unsupervised mining of frequent tags for clinical eligibility text indexing

Graphical abstractDisplay Omitted We propose a novel method to mine frequent tags from clinical eligibility text.We indexed eligibility criteria through a controlled vocabulary of frequent tags.Frequent tags were unsupervised mined from clinical trial eligibility criteria.Frequent tags appeared effective to filter search results from ClinicalTrials.gov. Clinical text, such as clinical trial eligibility criteria, is largely underused in state-of-the-art medical search engines due to difficulties of accurate parsing. This paper proposes a novel methodology to derive a semantic index for clinical eligibility documents based on a controlled vocabulary of frequent tags, which are automatically mined from the text. We applied this method to eligibility criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov and report that frequent tags (1) define an effective and efficient index of clinical trials and (2) are unlikely to grow radically when the repository increases. We proposed to apply the semantic index to filter clinical trial search results and we concluded that frequent tags reduce the result space more efficiently than an uncontrolled set of UMLS concepts. Overall, unsupervised mining of frequent tags from clinical text leads to an effective semantic index for the clinical eligibility documents and promotes their computational reuse.
Evaluation of the positive predictive value of serum protein electrophoresis beta-gamma bridging for hepatic disease in three domestic animal species

Beta-gamma bridging (β-γ bridging) on serum protein electrophoresis is touted as being virtually pathognomonic for hepatic disease. However, the criteria for β-γ bridging are not defined, and few publications support a relationship between β-γ bridging and liver disease. The goal of this retrospective study was to evaluate the prevalence of hepatic pathology in animals with β-γ bridging. All serum protein electrophoretograms from clinical patients generated at the University of Georgia between 1994 and 2008 were evaluated for the presence of β-γ bridging, defined as (1) an albumin:globulin ratio below the reference interval; (2) indistinct separation between all β and γ globulin fractions or between the β(2) and γ fractions, with a negative shoulder slope of < 5%; and (3) predominance of γ proteins versus β proteins. Of the 237 electrophoretograms examined, 25 (11 dogs, 11 cats, 3 horses) met the inclusion criteria for β-γ bridging. Patients were classified into disease categories on the basis of biochemical, cytologic, and/or histologic findings. Positive predictive values of β-γ bridging for hepatic and infectious diseases were determined with a one-sided exact binomial test. Of 25 animals, 8 had evidence for hepatic disease, whereas 9 had infectious diseases. As such, the positive predictive value of β-γ bridging for hepatic disease was 32.0%, with a 95% confidence interval of 15.0% to 53.5% (P < .001), whereas for infectious disease, the positive predictive value was 36.0%, with a similar confidence interval. Beta-gamma bridging is not pathognomonic for liver diseases and is as frequently found with infectious diseases.
The language used to perform cognitive operations during full- immersion maths tasks

Thirty-two students were selected from the third to sixth grade at a Spanish full-immersion school in St Paul. A team of five investigators collected data from the pupils over a five-month period: ...
Intelligible machine learning with malibu

malibu is an open-source machine learning work-bench developed in C/C++ for high-performance real-world applications, namely bioinformatics and medical informatics. It leverages third-party machine learning implementations for more robust bug free software. This workbench handles several well-studied supervised machine learning problems including classification, regression, importance-weighted classification and multiple-instance learning. The malibu interface was designed to create reproducible experiments ideally run in a remote and/or command line environment. The software can be found at: http://proteomics.bioengr. uic.edu/malibu/index.html
Influence of rubber particle size on properties of recycled thermoplastics containing rubber tyre waste

AbstractRecycling represents a valid alternative to the disposal of post-consumer plastics in common landfills only when it is possible to obtain new materials with good final properties through practical applications and above all using inexpensive methods. Considering the problem of the great amount of rubber tyre waste produced worldwide, the objectives of this study are to incorporate particles of tyre rubber (TR) waste scrap into a thermoplastic matrix, post-consumer polypropylene (PP) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS) and to evaluate the rheological, physical and mechanical properties. The thermoplastic materials used were ground, washed, dried and ground again into flake form. The particle sizes of the TR used were <500 and 500–1000 μm, separated using a system of sieves of the Tyler mesh series. The PP/TR and HIPS/TR composites, both with weight ratios of 90∶10 and 70∶30, were processed by injection moulding. Results for the rheological behaviour showed that the incorporation of TR particles into...
Personalized Medicine: Through the Looking Glass of Functional Imaging

Imaging techniques afford the opportunity to personalize chemotherapy delivery by prospectively determining how much of an agent is delivered to which tumor site. Drug distribution can be prescribed by altering the properties of the drug (nontechnology) or the physiology of the host (induction of alterations of blood flow). Clin Cancer Res; 19(15); 4024–6. ©2013 AACR .
THE WHITE HOUSE LEGISLATIVE LIAISON OFFICE: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOREIGN POLICY INTER‐BRANCH COLLABORATION IN THE POST‐COLD WAR ERA

This article argues that while it is true that presidents can and will attempt to dominate Congress in the making of foreign policy, the nature of the post-Cold War new policy environment makes it less likely that they will succeed on a sustained basis. There is a need to revisit the mechanics of executive/legislative liaisons in this new era. What is most urgently needed is the institutionalization of “…the practice of early and genuine consultation with congressional leaders.” A potential vehicle for realizing this goal currently exists. It is the White House Congressional Liaison Office. We begin by surveying the relationship between the president and Congress during the Cold War and then we review the history of the White House Congressional Liaison Office. We then turn to more in-depth examinations of recent presidencies and conclude with a series of recommendations for a new model of executive/legislative relations.
Interface forces on the seat during a cycling activity

Abstract Background The last several years have seen an increased interest in elucidating the causes of non-traumatic injuries specific to bicyclists. Injuries may include soreness of the pelvis, skin problems in the groin, erectile dysfunction, and impotence. Combined loading at the seat may be contributing factors to these injuries. Methods Vertical and shear loads were collected for 10 subjects cycling at 75 crank revolutions per minute (RPM) in a common fit position. External workload was held constant at 125 watts while force data were collected using a multi-axis load cell integrated under the seat of a standard bicycle. The crank arm angles at which the maximum forces occurred were obtained using a motion analysis system, and regions of rider contact with the seat were visualized with a pressure mapping system. Findings Measured vertical loads at the seat were greater than shear loads. Maximum mean vertical loads of 49–52% body weight, rearward shear loads of 11–12% body weight, and lateral shear loads of 4–5% body weight occurred at the seat. Associated timing angles referenced to the pedal position were also measured and averaged at the maximum and minimum loads. Interpretation Seat pressure mapping and blood flow have previously been used to study the interaction between bicyclists and their seats. This investigation focused on shear and vertical seat loads that may be contributing factors in injuries at the groin.
Decision-aided sequential intersymbol interference sequence estimation for channels

A decision-aided sequential search algorithm is presented for the recovery of digital signals corrupted by intersymbol interference. An altered form of the Fano algorithm using information derived from an independent decision-feedback equalizer is shown to achieve near-maximum-likelihood performance with a lower computational complexity than that of the Viterbi algorithm at high signal-to-noise ratios. Simulated probability-of-error and computational complexity curves are presented. The Fano metric for sequential sequence estimation (SSE) on intersymbol interference (ISI) channels with Gaussian noise is derived. A suboptimum constant bias metric, similar to the Viterbi Euclidean distance metric, is studied. The SSW algorithm is shown to be effective for channels which have severe ISI. >
How Reliable Are Visual Context Effects in the Parahippocampal Place Area

The parahippocampal place area (PPA) is a region of human cortex that responds more strongly to visual scenes (e.g., landscapes or cityscapes) than to other visual stimuli. It has been proposed that the primary function of the PPA is encoding of contextual information about object co-occurrence. Supporting this context hypothesis are reports that the PPA responds more strongly to strong-context than to weak-context objects and more strongly to famous faces (for which contextual associations are available) than to nonfamous faces. We reexamined the reliability of these 2 effects by scanning subjects with functional magnetic resonance imaging while they viewed strong- and weak-context objects, scrambled versions of these objects, and famous and nonfamous faces. “Contextual” effects for objects were observed to be reliable in the PPA at slow presentation rates but not at faster presentation rates intended to discourage scene imagery. We were unable to replicate the earlier finding of preferential PPA response to famous versus nonfamous faces. These results are difficult to reconcile with the hypothesis that the PPA encodes contextual associations but are consistent with a competing hypothesis that the PPA encodes scenic layout.
Manipulation of the Intestinal Microbiome in Newborn Infants

The mammalian gastrointestinal tract harbors a highly diverse microbial population termed the microbiome, which plays a major role in nutrition, metabolism, protection against pathogens, and development of the immune system. It is estimated that at least 1000 different bacterial species cohabit the human intestinal tract. Herein we provide a brief review of the developing intestinal microbiome, with the understanding that its development often begins before birth and that disturbance in the microbiome during fetal life, birth, and shortly thereafter may result in adverse consequences. Postnatally, numerous environmental factors including premature delivery, mode of delivery, antibiotic usage, and diet can play an important role in how the intestinal microbiome of infants is shaped. The fact that human milk contains microbes is likely to have important ramifications. We discuss where these microbes come from and their potential role.
Role of microRNA in chronic lymphocytic leukemia onset and progression

B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common human leukemia occurring as indolent or aggressive form. CLL clinical features and genetic abnormalities are well documented, but molecular details are still under investigation. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs involved in several cellular processes and expressed in a tissue-specific manner. MicroRNAs regulate gene expression, and their deregulation can alter expression levels of genes involved in development/progression of tumors. In CLL, microRNAs can function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors and can also serve as markers for CLL onset/progression. Here, we discuss the most recent findings about the role of microRNAs in CLL and how this knowledge can be used to identify new biomarkers and treatment approaches.
The Effect of Size Distribution on the Switching Field Distribution of Co/Pd Multilayered Nanostructure Arrays

We use Ion Beam Proximity Lithography (IBPL) to produce 4 mm times 4 mm arrays of 220 nm dots in perpendicularly - oriented Co/Pd multilayered media. IBPL is used to reduce the size distribution sigmaD of the arrays, and subsequently He+ ion irradiation is used to reduce their anisotropy. The switching field distribution sigmaHcr/HCr is measured for each sample before and after irradiation, and a linear relationship is experimentally found between sigmaHcr/HCr and sigmaD. We argue that the slope of the line is due to the self-demagnetization effect of individual dots (and therefore, it is not strictly a line) and that the intercept of the line is inversely proportional to the permeability of the nanostructured material.
Applications of ETRAN Monte Carlo Codes

Of the many possible applications of electron-photon Monte Carlo calculations to problems in radiation physics, a significant subset can be carried out in rather simple geometry, such as slabs or cylinders composed of a single, or perhaps a few, materials. Consideration of simple geometries tends to aid our understanding of the transport results, and often facilitates the development of calculated datasets which can be applied to the solution of a general set of problems without further recourse to the Monte Carlo calculations. In this paper we give a few examples of such problems, which have been investigated through ETRAN Monte Carlo calculations.
Elucidating the role of ferrous ion cocatalyst in enhancing dilute acid pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass

Recently developed iron cocatalyst enhancement of dilute acid pretreatment of biomass is a promising approach for enhancing sugar release from recalcitrant lignocellulosic biomass. However, very little is known about the underlying mechanisms of this enhancement. In the current study, our aim was to identify several essential factors that contribute to ferrous ion-enhanced efficiency during dilute acid pretreatment of biomass and to initiate the investigation of the mechanisms that result in this enhancement. During dilute acid and ferrous ion cocatalyst pretreatments, we observed concomitant increases in solubilized sugars in the hydrolysate and reducing sugars in the (insoluble) biomass residues. We also observed enhancements in sugar release during subsequent enzymatic saccharification of iron cocatalyst-pretreated biomass. Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy showed that major peaks representing the C-O-C and C-H bonds in cellulose are significantly attenuated by iron cocatalyst pretreatment. Imaging using Prussian blue staining indicated that Fe2+ ions associate with both cellulose/xylan and lignin in untreated as well as dilute acid/Fe2+ ion-pretreated corn stover samples. Analyses by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed structural details of biomass after dilute acid/Fe2+ ion pretreatment, in which delamination and fibrillation of the cell wall were observed. By using this multimodal approach, we have revealed that (1) acid-ferrous ion-assisted pretreatment increases solubilization and enzymatic digestion of both cellulose and xylan to monomers and (2) this pretreatment likely targets multiple chemistries in plant cell wall polymer networks, including those represented by the C-O-C and C-H bonds in cellulose.