cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neuronal apolipoprotein E4 increases cell death and phosphorylated tau release in alzheimer disease.

Objective The apolipoprotein E (APOE) E4 isoform is the strongest genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer disease (AD). Although APOE is predominantly expressed by astrocytes in the central nervous system, neuronal expression of APOE is of increasing interest in age-related cognitive impairment, neurological injury, and neurodegeneration. Here, we show that endogenous expression of E4 in stem-cell-derived neurons predisposes them to injury and promotes the release of phosphorylated tau. Methods Induced pluripotent stem cells from 2 unrelated AD patients carrying the E4 allele were corrected to the E3/E3 genotype with the CRISPR/Cas9 system and differentiated into pure cultures of forebrain excitatory neurons without contamination from other cells types. Results Compared to unedited E4 neurons, E3 neurons were less susceptible to ionomycin-induced cytotoxicity. Biochemically, E4 cells exhibited increased tau phosphorylation and ERK1/2 phosphoactivation. Moreover, E4 neurons released increased amounts of phosphorylated tau extracellularly in an isoform-dependent manner by a heparin sulfate proteoglycan-dependent mechanism. Interpretation Our results demonstrate that endogenous expression of E4 by stem-cell-derived forebrain excitatory neurons predisposes neurons to calcium dysregulation and ultimately cell death. This change is associated with increased cellular tau phosphorylation and markedly enhanced release of phosphorylated tau. Importantly, these effects are independent of glial APOE. These findings suggest that E4 accelerates spreading of tau pathology and neuron death in part by neuron-specific, glia-independent mechanisms. Ann Neurol 2019;85:726-739.
Combining children's savings account programs with scholarship programs: Effects on math and reading scores

Abstract The study examines school data and their association with participation in the Wabash County Promise Scholarships program, which combines Children's Savings Accounts (CSAs) with scholarships. CSAs are interventions designed to build educational assets for school age children. Policy makers are increasingly turning to CSAs as a way to augment efforts for improving children's educational outcomes. Findings from this study provide some evidence that having a CSA combined with a scholarship is associated with higher math and reading scores. Findings are strongest among the subsample receiving free/reduced lunch. Further, findings suggest that being a saver (i.e., having at least one family or champion contribution) in Promise Scholars is associated with higher math scores but not reading scores. Finally, evidence suggests that CSAs combined with scholarships in the Promise Scholars program are more closely associated with children's math and reading scores than only CSAs.
Examining Inputs of Biogenic and Oil-Derived Hydrocarbons in Surface Waters Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Aliphatic hydrocarbons in the surface ocean are derived from phytoplankton and oil, but the coexistence and cycling of these two sources is not well-defined. Moreover, phytoplankton and oil can cre...
Filtered Search for Submodular Maximization with Controllable Approximation Bounds

Most existing submodular maximization algorithms provide theoretical guarantees with approximation bounds. However, in many cases, users may be interested in an anytime algorithm that can offer a flexible tradeoff between computation time and optimality guarantees. In this paper, we propose a filtered search (FS) framework that allows the user to set an arbitrary approximation bound guarantee with a “tunable knob”, from 0 (arbitrarily bad) to 1 (globally optimal). FS naturally handles monotone and nonmonotone functions as well as unconstrained problems and problems with cardinality, matroid, and knapsack constraints. Further, it can also be applied to (non-negative) nonsubmodular functions and still gives controllable approximation bounds based on their submodularity ratio. Finally, FS encompasses the greedy algorithm as a special case. Our framework is based on theory in A∗ search, but is substantially more efficient because it only requires heuristics that are critically admissible (CA) rather than admissible—a condition that gives more effective pruning and is substantially easier to implement.
The lost portrait of Robert Hooke

This letter considers the 'Portrait of a Mathematician' attributed to Mary Beale in the 1680s as a likely candidate for a portrait of Robert Hooke made during his lifetime. It closely matches the physical descriptions of Hooke made by his biographers who knew him, Richard Waller (d. 1715) and John Aubrey (1626-1697). The portrait contains a remarkable diagram, as well as its mechanical analogue, demonstrating the elliptical orbit of a body under constant force similar to an unpublished, unfinished 1685 manuscript by Hooke. It also contains a landscape, which is likely to be Lowther Castle and its associated church. Hooke provided designs for the Lowther castle church renovations completed in 1686. The portraitist, Mary Beale, knew Hooke and was very familiar with the Lowther family, who commissioned 30 portraits from her. The diagram and armillary sphere in the portrait establish Hooke's contribution to the theory of gravity. Their presence may have been one of the reasons the portrait was not purchased and kept by the Royal Society. It might have diminished the legacy of Isaac Newton.
1976 Evolution of resource partitioning

Abstract The theory of density-dependent natural selection had been applied to the evolution of single populations ( Chapter 27 ). In 1976 Roughgarden expanded this theory to the coevolution of competing species to produce the first comprehensive theory of community evolution.
Interplay between morphogen-directed positional information systems and physiological signaling

The development of an organism from an undifferentiated single cell into a spatially complex structure requires spatial patterning of cell fates across tissues. Positional information, proposed by Lewis Wolpert in 1969, has led to the characterization of many components involved in regulating morphogen signaling activity. However, how morphogen gradients are established, maintained, and interpreted by cells still is not fully understood. Quantitative and systems-based approaches are increasingly needed to define general biological design rules that govern positional information systems in developing organisms. This short review highlights a selective set of studies that have investigated the roles of physiological signaling in modulating and mediating morphogen-based pattern formation. Similarities between neural transmission and morphogen-based pattern formation mechanisms suggest underlying shared principles of active cell-based communication. Within larger tissues, neural networks provide directed information, via physiological signaling, that supplements positional information through diffusion. Further, mounting evidence demonstrates that physiological signaling plays a role in ensuring robustness of morphogen-based signaling. We conclude by highlighting several outstanding questions regarding the role of physiological signaling in morphogen-based pattern formation. Elucidating how physiological signaling impacts positional information is critical for understanding the close coupling of developmental and cellular processes in the context of development, disease, and regeneration.
Senate Testimony on Patentable Subject Matter Reform

The text of my testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on whether and how to legislate patentable subject matter.
RCS Calculation from Near- Field ISAR Imaging Techniques in Terahertz Band

Inverse synthetic aperture radar imaging is a useful tool that characterizes the scattering characteristics of radar targets. In particular, the near-field images can be used to extract the far-field radar cross section of the target overcoming the need for long-range measurement setups. This paper eliminates the error effects in near-field images using technology of the spherical wave-front correction and extracts the radar cross section of the target from the processed images in Terahertz band. Experimental results show that the target RCS obtained by this method has higher accuracy.
Chapter 4 – Dravet Syndrome: A Sodium Channel Interneuronopathy

Voltage-gated sodium channels initiate action potentials (APs) in brain neurons, and sodium channel blockers are used to treat epilepsy. Heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in NaV1.1 cause Dravet syndrome (DS), a dominant genetic disease that includes severe, intractable epilepsy, premature death, and comorbidities of ataxia, sleep disorder, hyperactivity, cognitive impairment, and autistic-like behaviors. The developmental timing of disease onset and premature death is similar in humans and mice. Loss-of-function mutations in NaV1.1 in mice severely impair sodium currents and AP firing in GABAergic inhibitory neurons, which causes hyperexcitability in neural circuits. Specific deletion of NaV1.1 in forebrain GABAergic interneurons recapitulates epilepsy, premature death, and comorbidities, confirming that reduced excitability of GABAergic interneurons is the primary cause of the disease. Imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory transmission in mice can be partially corrected by compensatory loss-of-function mutations of NaV1.6 channels, and thermally induced seizures can be prevented by drug combinations that enhance GABAergic neurotransmission. Treatment with low doses of benzodiazepines, which enhance postsynaptic responses to GABA, is effective in ameliorating circadian rhythm defects, hyperactivity, cognitive deficit, and autistic-like behavior, indicating that comorbidities are caused by disinhibition of neural circuits. Specific deletion in fast-spiking interneurons expressing parvalbumin causes autistic-like behaviors, specific deletion in Martinotti cells expressing somatostatin causes hyperactivity, and deletion in both interneuron types acts synergistically to cause epilepsy and impair spatial memory. These results indicate that DS is a sodium channel interneuronopathy in which disinhibition of neuronal circuits by failure of firing of GABAergic interneurons results in epilepsy, complex comorbidities, and premature death.
The Exploration of the Modular System in Textile and Apparel Design

The aim of this design research is to explore modular shapes and interlocking systems for apparel design using research through practice approach. As a transformable design approach, modular design...
Is the placement of jejunostomy tubes in patients with esophageal cancer undergoing esophagectomy associated with increased inpatient healthcare utilization? An analysis of the National Readmissions Database

Abstract Background Patients undergoing esophagectomy often receive jejunostomy tubes (j-tubes) for nutritional supplementation. We hypothesized that j-tubes are associated with increased post-esophagectomy readmissions. Study design We identified esophagectomies for malignancy with (EWJ) or without (EWOJ) j-tubes using the 2010–2015 Nationwide Readmissions Database. Outcomes include readmission, inpatient mortality, and complications. Outcomes were compared before and after propensity score matching (PSM). Results Of 22,429 patients undergoing esophagectomy, 16,829 (75.0%) received j-tubes. Patients were similar in age and gender but EWJ were more likely to receive chemotherapy (24.2% vs. 15.1%, p Conclusion J-tubes placed in the setting of esophagectomy do not increase inpatient readmissions or mortality.
Gendered Knowledge Accessibility: Evaluating the Role of Gender in Knowledge Seeking among Engineers in the US

AbstractWomen are heavily underrepresented in engineering companies. Gender issues arise in daily interactions where employees may not seek knowledge from others when they need it, even if they kno...
In Need of Prosecution: The Role of Personal Jurisdiction in the Khmer Rouge Tribunal

During its reign from 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge became responsible for decimating approximately twenty percent of the Cambodian population. Forty years later, only three leaders of the deadly regime have been held criminally responsible for the deaths of almost two million individuals. The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (the “ECCC” or “Tribunal”) is a unique “hybrid” international criminal tribunal jointly established by the Cambodian Government and the United Nations in 2006, with the stated purpose of prosecuting those “most responsible” for the Khmer Rouge’s mass atrocities. Yet, after more than a decade of proceedings, it has become increasingly likely that the ECCC will not fulfill its stated mandate. Since inception, the Tribunal has been plagued by political interference. Throughout its twelve years of operation, the Cambodian Government has compromised the judicial independence of the Tribunal in an effort to block prosecutions into surviving Khmer Rouge leaders, many of whom occupy high-ranking governmental positions. This interference has recently manifested itself in ECCC decisions stringently limiting the scope of the Tribunal’s personal jurisdiction. These decisions have resulted in the dismissal of all charges against one of four defendants before the Tribunal and present grave concerns regarding the viability of prosecutions against the remaining three. Amidst substantiated allegations of corruption and bribery within the Tribunal, these recent decisions add weight to growing speculation as to the ECCC’s potential closure. While recent scholarship has analyzed the Cambodian Government’s involvement in the ECCC, the effect of this interference on the Tribunal’s increasingly narrow approach to personal jurisdiction has yet to be fully evaluated. This paper tracks the history of and proceedings handled by the ECCC to explore the intersection between the Tribunal’s lack of judicial independence and its recent unworkable approach to personal jurisdiction. In doing so, the paper analyzes the ECCC’s judicial opinions interpreting the scope of its personal jurisdiction, culminating in a discussion of its recent decision to dismiss all charges against Im Chaem. Finally, the paper explores lessons to be derived both from the ECCC’s approach to personal jurisdiction, as well as the U.N.’s joint operation of the Tribunal, for use in drafting legislation governing future hybrid criminal tribunals.
Measuring Early Childhood Development Among 4-6 Year Olds: The Identification of Psychometrically Robust Items Across Diverse Contexts.

The last fifteen years have seen an explosion of measurement tools for assessing the development of young children in low- and middle- income countries. This paper builds on and contributes to that literature by identifying a core set of caregiver-report items and a core set of direct assessment items that measure key developmental domains for children aged 4-6 (48-83 months) and that demonstrate adequate psychometric properties across diverse contexts, the first in this age group to the authors’ knowledge. Data were harmonized from previous early childhood measurement efforts in 12 countries that all used the same base measurement tool. Data analyses yielded 20 caregiver report items and 87 child direct assessment items (grouped into 17 tasks) that show strong item-level statistics across countries and that cover the domains of early literacy, early numeracy, executive functioning, and social-emotional competencies. Next steps include adding data and items from other measurement tools to the same analytical framework and field testing across a number of contexts and early childhood measurement efforts. The vision is for the resulting core sets of items, along with guidance on data collection, management, and analysis, to serve as global public goods so that they can (i) present a starting point for linking across different early childhood measurement tools for children aged 4-6; (ii) increase quality across measurement efforts; and (iii) facilitate the scale up of early childhood measurement . When supplemented with items that capture local contexts and their measurement needs, these core sets of items should help to advance understanding of universal and context-specific factors that underlie child development and thus help policymakers make decisions that ensure children receive the quality early childhood care and education they need in order to reach their full potential.
A new left teachers’ union: participatory democracy and the 1970s New Haven federation of teachers

The 1960s and 1970s are often identified as a period of tension and explosive conflict between teachers’ unions and communities of color. Instances of this can be found across the United States: in...
Naruse hook formula for linear extensions of mobile posets

Linear extensions of posets are important objects in enumerative and algebraic combinatorics that are difficult to count in general. Families of posets like Young diagrams of straight shapes and $d$-complete posets have hook-length product formulas to count linear extensions, whereas families like Young diagrams of skew shapes have determinant or positive sum formulas like the Naruse hook-length formula from 2014. In 2020, Garver et. al. gave determinant formulas to count linear extensions of a family of posets called mobile posets that refine $d$-complete posets and border strip skew shapes. We give a Naruse type hook-length formula to count linear extensions of such posets by proving a major index $q$-analogue. We also a inversion index $q$-analogue of the Naruse formula for mobile tree posets.
Impact of control loop performance on energy use, air quality, and thermal comfort in building systems with advanced sequences of operation

Abstract Maintaining control system performance over the lifespan of a building offers great potential for increasing system operation efficiency. Programming the building monitoring system with control loop performance assessment (CLPA) indices provides a way to identify poorly performing loops. This work further advances building control monitoring by developing an approach to help prioritize control problems based on the severity of their system-level impact. CLPA indices were added to a Modelica-based small office building model programmed with advanced heating, ventilating, and air conditioning control sequences. An extensive set of unique simulations of different levels of loop detuning were implemented to generate a database that contains both system-level performance metrics and CLPA indices. A regression model was then developed that combines individual loop performance to assess the impact on system-level outputs. Loops of the zone with higher heat gains and the air handling unit supply air temperature loop produced the greatest system-level impact.
Effects of Ailanthus altissima Invasion and Removal on High-Biodiversity Mediterranean Grasslands

Ailanthus altissima is one of the worst invasive plants in Europe in several habitat types, including high-biodiversity grasslands. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of the invasive A. altissima on high-biodiversity grassland vegetation and the effects of its removal on the recovery of native plant communities. The study area was within the Alta Murgia National Park (SE Italy). Seventeen vegetation quadrats were sampled in invaded grasslands and nine quadrats were sampled in nearby uninvaded areas. A. altissima was removed from six quadrats, which were sampled for two years after plant removal. Cluster analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination were used to identify and visualize the general vegetation pattern. Generalised Linear Models with different error structures were used to analyse the effects of A. altissima on native grasslands and vegetation recovery after removal. Results showed that the invasion of A. altissima changed drastically the community composition, reduced plant richness and diversity. Invaded stands had a greater presence of ruderal and widely distributed taxa, as opposed to a lesser presence of endemic and Mediterranean ones. The differences in the community composition between invaded and uninvaded quadrats became clearly detectable when A. altissima plants exceeded a threshold of 1 m of height and 50% of coverage. After A. altissima removal, the recovery of the grassland community was not completely achieved after two years.
What brand do I use for my new product? The impact of new product branding decisions on firm value

Every new product introduction entails a branding decision: whether to name the product using a direct extension, a sub-brand, or a new brand. While previous research has focused on how consumers evaluate alternatives in lab settings, or, in studies based on secondary data, on the effectiveness of brand extensions in general, a comprehensive framework of the antecedents and consequences of new product branding decisions is lacking from the literature. The authors propose a theoretical framework that organizes product-, category-, and firm-level determinants of firms’ new product branding decisions, and empirically test the framework’s predictions using a large sample of new product introductions, documenting with real world data how managers choose among three branding alternatives. In addition, using both product-specific and firm-specific valuation metrics, the authors quantify the negative impact on firm value of misaligning the new product branding decisions with the conditions facing new products. Conceptually, the authors bridge the branding and new product performance literatures, and present findings that extend knowledge from behavioral research on brand extensions. Empirically, the authors provide evidence to managers on how to choose brand names for new products in a way that enhances the stock market value of firms.
Increasing AKR1C1 and AKR1C2 dependent DHT catabolism in prostate cancer (CaP) cell lines by Phase II Inducers can prevent DHT-dependent gene expression: implications for chemoprevention of CaP

422 Androgens are trophic growth factors for CaP and blocking AR activation remains the foundation for medical management of CaP. Prostatic 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels is a balance of its intracellular synthesis and catabolism. We previously reported a selective reduction in AKRC2 and AKR1C1 in CaP as compared with paired normal tissue that respectively encode for a 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) III and a 3β-HSD. AKR1C3, which encodes for 17β-HSD V and shares 84% sequence identity with the others, was not suppressed in CaP tumors (Prostate 54:275-89). As AKR1C2 contains a cis-acting antioxidant response element (ARE), we determined if Phase II inducers, a diverse group of compounds that activate the ARE, could induce AKR1C2 in CaP cell lines and thereby reduce DHT-dependent gene expression by increasing its catabolism. Treatment of LNCaP cells with the Phase II inducer ethacrynic acid (EA) caused a 3 fold increase in the luciferase reporter activity of a transiently transfected luciferase construct driven by the AKR1C29s ARE. In LNCaP cells, escalating doses of EA (20 -100 μM) respectively increased AKR1C1 and AKR1C2 expression up to 88 ± 5 and 26 ± 4 fold, whereas AKR1C3 was induced by only up to 4 ± 1 fold (mean ± S.D.). AKR1C1 and AKR1C2 were also induced by other Phase II inducers in the LAPC-4 and PC-3 CaP cell lines. In LNCaP cells, DHT dose dependently increased PSA expression up to 4.6 ± 0.3 fold with 10 nM of DHT as compared to DMSO control. When LNCaP cells were pretreated with 100 μM of EA for 18 hrs, induction of PSA protein and mRNA by 0.5 nM DHT was completely abrogated. However, increasing the dose of DHT up to 10 nM was able to completely overcome this inhibition. Similar results were found in LAPC-4 cells where pre-treatment with Phase II inducers both decreased intracellular DHT levels while increasing appearance of DHT metabolites in the media. AR gene expression was unchanged in these studies suggesting that increased catabolism of DHT was responsible for decreased DHT-dependent PSA expression. In summary, Phase II inducers are able to increase AKR1C1 and AKR1C2 in CaP cell lines. Their induction prior to DHT treatment is associated with reduced DHT regulated PSA expression and enhanced DHT metabolism. We speculate that Phase II inducers, which include dietary micronutrients, are a promising new class of agents for both chemoprevention and adjuvant treatment of CaP by reducing AR dependent gene expression by promoting DHT catabolism.
Chapter 16. Antiparasitic Agents

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses various antiparasitic agents such as antimalarial; antitrypanosomals and antileishmanials; antitrichomonal agents; anticoccidia and antitoxoplasma anents; and amebicides. It has been proposed that in naphthothiophenes the analogs whose side chains enhance DNA binding afford the greatest antimalarial activity. However, in naphthoquinone analogs, the relationship between physical properties and selective toxicity were unclear. From a series of guanidinepyrimidines and amidobenzimidazoles analogs were selected for clinical trials. A P-nitrophenylsulfonyl acetanilide derivative was found less toxic to mice and more effective against P. berghei than chloroquine. Carbazole and metronidazole derivatives have been synthesized and tested for antitrypanosomal and antitrichomonal activities. In styryl-nitroimidazole derivatives, antitrypanosomal activity was found when the styryl function was placed in the 2 position of the imidazole nucleus, but not in the 4 or 5 position. The nitrovinylfuran SQ 18,506 was found active against Trypanosoma brucei in mice. In the newfound amebicidal benzofuran analogs, the nitroimidazoles V and VI were effective against Endameba histolytica and T.vaginalis . The proton magnetic resonance spectra of antiamebic and antitrichomonal nitrolmidazoles were studied. Some substituted triazines were active against E.histolytica and T. vaginalis.
Recovery of fault signatures in diesel engines

Cylinder distribution and fuel injector pump pressures and forces due to impacts of valve and seat and piston slap are signals of interest for diesel engine diagnostics. The vibration signals that these forces generated are easier to measure than the forces themselves, but unfortunately the signals are greatly changed as they travel through the engine structure. In addition, the vibration transmission of engine structures varies from one copy of the engine to another. Signal processing procedures for the recovery of fault signatures from vibration signals must take both the structural variability and the complexity of the transfer function into account. A robust/adaptive process that uses cepstrum windowing, singular value decomposition, and Kalman filtering as elements of its procedures has been applied to recovery of the combustion pressure pulse in a diesel engine.
Economic Change and Alliance Breakdown

Changes in the international economy have damaged the political foundations of the Western Alliance. The most important of those economic changes, in terms of the strategic environment, is the shift in America’s relative status.
Evaluación y revisión de cuestionarios para uso en inmigrantes Latinos con bajo grado de alfabetización

En la medida en que un numero mayor de inmigrantes de lengua espanola participa de investigaciones, surgen cuestiones relacionadas a la adecuacion de instrumentos ya existentes. Cuestionarios, en versiones inglesas, son frecuentemente adaptados y comprobados con americanos de origen hispana con nivel superior. Poco ha sido escrito sobre pruebas y evaluacion de esos instrumentos de investigacion entre inmigrantes con grados mas bajos de escolaridad. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar y revisar una bateria de cuestionarios para intervencion con mujeres inmigrantes hispanas. Se utilizo un proceso de tres etapas para evaluar, adaptar y comprobar las versiones espanolas de los instrumentos Self-Efficacy and Exercise Habits Survey, version abreviada para inmigrantes del Hispanic Stress Inventory y Latina Values Scale. Los instrumentos revisados demostraron validad y confiabilidad aceptables. Las adaptaciones mejoraron la comprension de los instrumentos, aumentando la tasa de respuestas y reduciendo datos omisos y respuestas extremas. Las limitaciones psicometricas de la adaptacion de escalas del tipo Likert tambien son abordadas.
Differentiating types of set-level compatibility

Two types of stimulus-response compatibility effects can be measured. Element-level effects are differences in reaction time (RT) for alternative mappings of the members of a stimulus set to the members of a response set. Set-level effects are differences in RT between various combinations of stimulus sets and response sets when the most compatible element-level mappings for each combination are compared. Kornblum, Hasbroucq, and Osman (1990) equated set-level compatibility with dimensional overlap and proposed a dimensional overlap model in which automatic activation of the response corresponding to a stimulus is an increasing function of dimensional overlap. This model thus predicts a positive relation between set- and element-level compatibilities. Although Kornblum et al. treat set-level compatibility as a unitary construct, there are conceptual distinctions that can be made between different types of set-level compatibility. We present three lines of research that use different ways of manipulating set-level compatibility. Each shows a distinct pattern of effects for the relation between set-and element-level compatibility, suggesting that different types of set-level manipulations may in turn affect different processes and not have the same influence on element-level compatibility effects. We discuss issues in measuring the relation between set- and element-level compatibility effects and propose that it is necessary to distinguish different types of set-level compatibility rather than combining them under the unitary construct of dimensional overlap.
Improved diagnostic yield with severity of bleeding

OBJECTIVE: Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is an important tool for non-invasive imaging of the small bowel. Whether there is a dose-related effect of anemia severity on the diagnostic yield of VCE is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of anemia severity on VCE outcome measures. METHODS: VCE studies from the Sacramento Veterans Affairs Medical Center for 300 consecutive patients were retrospectively screened. Those with anemia were selected. Patients were grouped as mildly, moderately or severely bleeding. Outcomes data including completion of study, diagnostic yield and further intervention were compared. RESULTS: Of the 300 patients, 210 (70%) were found to have anemia. Overall 32 (15.24%) patients were mildly, 145 (69.05%) were moderately and 33 (15.71%) were severely bleeding. The diagnostic yield was significantly higher in severe (72.73%) relative to moderate (32.41%) and mild bleeding (12.50%); P = 0.0001. Significantly more angioectasias were detected in severely bleeding patients (42.42%) than in those bleeding moderately (14.48%) and mildly (0.00%), P = 0.0001. The ability of VCE to guide further intervention was significantly higher in patients bleeding severely (69.70%, P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed a significant increase in diagnostic yield with the increasing degree of anemia. Relative difference in hemoglobin rather than absolute values may be a better predictor. The ability of VCE to guide further intervention reached significance in severely bleeding patients. The hypothesis that use of VCE prior to esophagogastroduodenoscopy or colonoscopy in the severely bleeding group deserves to be evaluated.
Computer-Assisted Instruction to Enhance the Reading Comprehension of Struggling Readers: A Review of the Literature:

This literature review synthesizes the effects of computer-assisted instruction to enhance the reading comprehension of students with disabilities and struggling readers from 1985–2009. First, it addresses research that investigates the impact on comprehension when students are presented with computerized versus printed reading material. Second, it reviews work using computerized readers to enhance comprehension by compensating for reading difficulties. Finally, it considers research on a variety of tools used to help students gain meaning from the text with which they are engaged, often through Web-linked hypertext. Computer-based tools offer students with learning disabilities and reading difficulties interlinked support for reading. Intervention results are mixed, with many showing positive effects but not consistently so. Future research is needed to gauge the overall effectiveness of hypermedia supports on comprehension.
Iron bis-glycine chelate competes for the nonheme-iron absorption pathway

Background: The enterocytic absorption pathway of the food fortificant iron bis-glycine chelate has been the subject of controversy because it is not clear whether that substance uses the classic nonheme-iron absorption pathway or a pathway similar to that of heme absorption. Objective: The objective was to study the absorption pathway of iron bis-glycine chelate in human subjects. Design: Eighty-five healthy adult women were selected to participate in 1 of 6 iron-absorption studies. Study A involved the measurement of the dose-response curve of the absorption of ferrous sulfate (through a nonheme-iron absorption pathway); study B involved the competition of iron bis-glycine chelate with ferrous sulfate for the nonheme-iron absorption pathway; study C involved the measurement of the dose-response curve of heme-iron absorption; study D involved the competition of iron bis-glycine chelate with hemoglobin for the heme-iron absorption pathway; and studies E and F were the same as studies A and B, except that the iron bis-glycine chelate was encapsulated in enteric gelatin capsules so that it would not be processed in the stomach. Results: Iron from the bis-glycine chelate competed with ferrous sulfate for the nonheme-iron absorption pathway. Iron from the bis-glycine chelate also competed with ferrous sulfate for absorption when liberated directly into the intestinal lumen. Iron from the bis-glycine chelate did not compete with heme iron for the heme-iron absorption pathway. Conclusion: The iron from iron bis-glycine chelate delivered at the level of the stomach or duodenum becomes part of the nonheme-iron pool and is absorbed as such.
"Iron-Deficient" YIG?

In a recent letter to this TRANSACTIONS [1], Guyot, Cagan, and Merceron claim to have measured the initial permeabilities, at different constant temperatures, as a function of frequency, of "iron-deficient" yttrium iron garnet (YIG). They attribute the nature of their results to the presence of Fe4+ions in their samples, which provide a means of valency interaction. The method of preparation of the polycrystalline material on which these measurements were made is given in another letter [2] by the same authors. This author wishes to point out that this method, taken at face value, will not produce the material they claim. In fact, it is very unlikely that an "iron-deficient" YIG, which might be written Y 3 Fe 5-δ O 12 , with measurable δ, can be produced at all.
TofuDraw: a mixed-reality choreography tool for authoring robot character performance

TofuDraw combines an expressive semi-autonomous robot character (called Tofu) with a new mixed reality DigitalPaint interface whereby children can draw a "program" on the floor that governs the robot character's behavior. Initial evaluations of the TofuDraw system with children ages 3--8 suggest that children can successfully use this interface to choreograph the expressive robot's behavior. Our ultimate goal for this tool is to enable young children to engage in STEM learning experiences in new contexts such as creating interactive robot theatre performances.
Maillard Reaction Induced Lactose Attachment to Bovine β-Lactoglobulin: Electrospray Ionization and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Examination

Nonenzymatic attachment of lactose to β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) was investigated under different conditions. Solubilized conditions, dry environment, and a combination of dry and solubilized environments, were examined for their effects on lactosylation. Temperatures ranging from 50 to 65 °C and time intervals between 1 h and 4 days were used. Electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry were implemented to examine the reaction products. Maximum attachment efficiency occurred at 65 °C held for 3 h in dry-way conditions. Incubations held for long periods of time under dry-way conditions suggest possible denaturation. Both ESI and MALDI data suggest β-Lg removal in the solubilized samples held for long periods of time. A combination of solubilized and dry environments led to very similar mass spectrogram results over time. Keywords: β-Lactoglobulin; nonenzymatic; solubilized; dry-way; combination
On the locus of the Tulving retrograde amnesia effect

Tulving’s retrograde amnesia effect due to a “priority” item was investigated to determine the locus of the effect, whether in the encoding, storage, or retrieval process. The usual effect was eliminated by use of a semantic orienting task (Hyde & Jenkins, 1973), implying an encoding deficiency.
THE INFLUENCE OF ESTRIOL, ESTRADIOL AND PROGESTERONE ON THE SECRETION OF GONADOTROPIC HORMONES IN PARABIOTIC RATS1

IN PREVIOUS quantitative studies from this laboratory it has been shown that the ovarian response of the non-castrated partner of parabiotic rats is a sensitive and reliable indicatorof the quantity of gonadotropic hormone released into the circulation of the rats by the pituitarygland of the castrated partner. It was demonstrated that crystalline estrone (1), estrin from theamniotic fluid of cattle (2) and testosterone, testosterone propionate and dehydroandrosterone (3)were effective in preventing the hypersecretion of gonadotropic hormone that occurs following castration of either male or female rats. When progressively greater quantities of the gonadal hormoneswere injected into the castrated partner the size of the ovaries of the normal partner was progressively decreased. If sufficient hormone was injected the ovaries were no larger than those of non-castrated controls.
Resolution of Migraine Following Bromocriptine Treatment of a Prolactinoma (Pituitary Microadenoma)

A 39-year-old male physician with a 27-year history of chronic severe migraine had a prolactin-secreting pituitary microadenoma diagnosed as an incidental finding following an automobile accident. Treatment of the prolactinoma with bromocriptine provided complete and lasting resolution of the migraine as well, suggesting a possible etiologic relationship between these two prevalent conditions, and the possibility of treating at least some cases of migraine with bromocriptine.
Fluoride-conversion synthesis of homogeneous actinide oxide solid solutions

Here, a novel route to synthesize (U, Th)O2 solid solutions at a relatively low temperature of 1100 C is demonstrated. First, the separate actinide oxides reacted with ammonium bifluoride to form ammonium actinide fluorides at room temperature. Subsequently, this mixture was converted to the actinide oxide solid solution using a two-phased heat treatment, first at 610 C in static air, then at 1100 C in flowing argon. Solid solutions obeying Vegard s Law were synthesized for ThO2 content from 10 to 90 wt%. Microscopy showed that the (U, Th)O2 solid solutions synthesized with this method to have considerably high crystallinity and homogeneity, suggesting the suitability of material thus synthesized for sintering into nuclear fuel pellets at low temperatures.
Fixation Staining Methods for Examining Microstructure in Whipped Cream by Electron Microscopy

Whipped dairy cream (WDC) specimens were prepared for examination by transmission electron mircoscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) by one of three alternative post-mordant procedures, i.e., imidazole-buffered osmium tetroxide (IBO), ferri-cyanide osmium tetroxide and tricomplex osmium tetroxide. These procedures utilized a tannic acid-guanidine-HCI mordant, thiocarboh-ydrazide as a bridging Iigand, and a p-phenylenediamine en bloc stain treatment to improve specimen fixation and staining. TEM and SEM specjmens prepared by all three procedures provided good contrast and resolution of the microstructure of WDC. The IBO method provided more uniform staining and more complete fixation and retention of lipids in milkfat globules than either of the other two methods.
Assessing TCDD emissions from municipal waste combustors

Abstract The United States Environmental Protection Agency has sampled and analyzed the TCDD emissions from five municipal waste combustors and concluded that the levels do not represent present a public health risk.
Future-oriented women will pay to reduce global warming: Mediation via political orientation, environmental values, and belief in global warming

The present work addresses calls to clarify the role of gender in climate change mitigation and adaptation by testing a theoretical model linking gender and concern with future and immediate consequences to mitigation actions through political orientation, environmental values, and belief in global warming (gender × time orientation → liberal political orientation → environmental values → belief in global warming → willingness to pay to reduce global warming). Drawing on a sample of 299 U.S. residents, structural equation modeling and bootstrapped indirect effects testing revealed support for the model. Interaction analyses further revealed that women scored higher than men on model variables among respondents who routinely consider the future consequences of their actions, but the gender difference was reversed among those low in concern with future consequences (on liberal political orientation and willingness to pay to reduce global warming). Practical and theoretical implications are considered.
Assessing the Potential for Re-emission of Mercury Deposited in Precipitation from Arid Soils Using a Stable Isotope

A solution containing 198Hg in the form of HgCl2 was added to a 4 m2 area of desert soils in Nevada, and soil Hg fluxes were measured using three dynamic flux chambers. There was an immediate release of 198Hg after it was applied, and then emissions decreased exponentially. Within the first 6 h after the isotope was added to the soil, ∼12 ng m-2 of 198Hg was emitted to the atmosphere, followed by a relatively steady flux of the isotope at 0.2 ± 0.2 ng m-2 h-1 for the remainder of the experiment (62 days). Over this time, ∼200 ng m-2 or 2% of the 198Hg isotope was emitted from the soil, and we estimate that ∼6% of the isotope would be re-emitted in a year's time. During the experiment, dry deposition of elemental Hg from the atmosphere was measured with an average deposition rate of 0.2 ± 0.1 ng m-2 h-1. Emission of ambient Hg from the soil was observed after soil wetting with the isotope solution and after a storm event. However, the added moisture from the storm event did not affect 198Hg flux. Results s...
Hardenability and distortion control of steel parts in High Pressure Hydrogen Quenching

Recently, more and more attentions are paid to High Pressure Hydrogen Quenching (HPHQ) for its advantages such as environmental friendliness and low distortion compared with oil and water quenching. Some equipment for HPHQ has been made in industry, but very few systematic studies have been made on this new technology till today. As a result, heat treating people are urgent to find out the production condition when HPHQ will produce similar results (e.g., microstructure and hardness) as typical oil quenching. This paper answers this question by performing numerical modelling of quenching of a single part. The possibility of minimising distortion by choosing a proper quenching orientation is also demonstrated in this paper.
Clinical trial design in small cell lung cancer: surrogate end points and statistical evolution.

Abstract Background Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a disease for which few recent therapeutic advances have been achieved. SCLC trial design and reporting may have an impact on the interpretation of studies. Furthermore, the use of surrogate end points in SCLC has not been explored. Material and Methods Through examining SCLC trials published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) (8471 patients from 66 trials between 1983 and 2010), we examined how SCLC trial reporting and design has evolved, determining if the type I error, power, and sample size calculations were provided. We assessed primary end points for all trials and sought to discover surrogate end points for overall survival (OS). Results There was increased reporting of statistical design in power (16.7% in 1986-1996 to 77.8% in 2006-2010; P = .001) and type I error (22.2% in 1986-1996 to 72.2% in 2006-2010; P = .005). Of trials published in 1986 to 1996, 72.2% failed to report a primary end point, whereas only 5.56% of trials conducted in 2006 to 2010 failed to do so ( P = .004). Of phase II trials, primary end points were identified as response rate (RR) in 65%, OS in 25%, and progression-free survival (PFS) in 10%. Conclusion There is a strong correlation between RR and both PFS ( P = .013) and OS ( P = .012) in extensive disease (ED). RR ( P = .029) exhibits a negative trend over time, with a dramatic and significant decrease in RR across all studies starting in 2005. A strong correlation exists between PFS and OS for limited disease (LD) ( P = .036) and ED ( P = .058). We found no change in OS ( P = .383) over time.
Generalized framework for personalized recommendations in agent networks

An agent network can be modeled as a directed weighted graph whose vertices represent agents and edges represent a trust relationship between the agents. This article proposes a new recommendation approach, dubbed LocPat, which can recommend trustworthy agents to a requester in an agent network. We relate the recommendation problem to the graph similarity problem, and define the similarity measurement as a mutually reinforcing relation. We understand an agent as querying an agent network to which it belongs to generate personalized recommendations. We formulate a query into an agent network as a structure graph applied in a personalized manner that reflects the pattern of relationships centered on the requesting agent. We use this pattern as a basis for recommending an agent or object (a vertex in the graph). By calculating the vertex similarity between the agent network and a structure graph, we can produce a recommendation based on similarity scores that reflect both the link structure and the trust values on the edges. Our resulting approach is generic in that it can capture existing network-based approaches merely through the introduction of appropriate structure graphs. We evaluate different structure graphs with respect to two main kinds of settings, namely, social networks and ratings networks. Our experimental results show that our approach provides personalized and flexible recommendations effectively and efficiently based on local information.
Recursion-method study of the electronic states of a two-dimensional square quantum well.

The recursion method is used to calculate the electronic states of a model two-dimensional crystal embedded in another host crystal. The valence and the conduction bands have considerable mismatch so that a quantum well is formed. The results of the calculation show that the recursion method is capable of deriving the quantum-well states quite efficiently. Comparison with results derived from the effective-mass theory shows that the quantum-well states can be fitted quite well with a simple potential-well model.