cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Multilingual Turn in a Tutor Education Course: Using Threshold Concepts and Reflective Portfolios

In this article, I reflect on efforts to revise the instruction and evaluation of an undergraduate writing consultant education course. The revisions are motivated by the desire to adopt practices that reflect the writing center’s commitment to social justice for multilingual/translingual students and by a commitment to provide an effective, flexible, and brave environment for writing consultants to continue their professional development. I argue that grounding understanding of multilingual writers in concepts that explicitly explore linguistic diversity and standardized 1 English ideologies as threshold concepts is essential to reconceptualize writing center practices. I also argue for the necessity of adopting a flexible system for reflection, engagement, and evaluation to support writing consultants’ learning and practice. I share prompts used in the course and some of the responses they generated. The responses suggest that although combining threshold concepts with a portfolio system is successful in supporting inclusive practices, there remains a need to expand more inclusive practices across the university.
PAClab: a program analysis collaboratory

We present a web-based Program Analysis Collaboratory (PAClab) tool that helps researchers to obtain realistic program benchmarks using user-defined selection criteria. Based on selection criteria, PAClab identifies relevant projects and its programs from open-source repositories, obtains those programs, and if necessary performs sound program transformations to adapt them to the targeted verification tool. PAClab makes the resulting program benchmarks available for download. PAClab is designed as a scalable, modular, and parametrizable tool that takes advantage of a computer cluster to handle multiple user requests.
The Living Codebook: Documenting the Process of Qualitative Data Analysis:

Transparency is once again a central issue of debate across types of qualitative research. Work on how to conduct qualitative data analysis, on the other hand, walks us through the step-by-step pro...
Neuromuscular Blocking Agents for ARDS: Incentive for Personalized Medicine.

To the Editor: We thank Drs Vargas and Servillo for their interest in our meta-analysis and the important points they raised regarding the use of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) in ARDS.[1][1] Based on the findings from the 6 trials included in our meta-analysis, we reported that early use
Thoracic Central Vein Obstruction

Thoracic central vein occlusion (TCVO) is a significant and common complication associated with the long-term management of access for hemodialysis patients. An understanding of the pathology, pathophysiology and treatment of this entity is important in the management of these patients. TCVO has multiple causes which can result in a variety of different types of lesions. TCVO should be considered as a group of entities, the characteristics of each depending upon the site(s) at which the obstruction occurs. Many of the clinical manifestations observed with TCVO are related to the development of collateral circulation. The pattern of collaterals observed is different for each category within this group and is typical for the specific location of the obstruction. While many cases are asymptomatic, TCVO can result in venous hypertension, decreased access blood flow, significant patient morbidity and the potential for loss of the access. A variety of treatment modalities are available for symptomatic cases.
Reliability and Cost Modeling of a Modular Multilevel Converter

This paper presents an analytical expression to calculate the reliability, cost and loss for Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) based high voltage applications. A three-terminal DC system is chosen as a case study with different terminal modeling. Terminal 1 is modeled with conventional vector current control and circulating current control. Terminal 2 is modeled with a Fault-Tolerant Controller and dq based circulating current control, and terminal 3 is modeled with a conventional vector current control with no circulating current control. In addition to the control structure, Nearest Level Modulation (NLM) is adopted for each terminal. The MTDC system is investigated based on the total reliability and availability of the terminals. Besides, analytical loss and cost calculations are performed for the three-terminal DC system. Different redundancy techniques for MMC arms are presented, but a 10% active redundancy scheme is adopted in the three-terminal DC system.
'#SP' Or 'Thanks [Brand]' Is Not Enough: FTC Guides for Social Media Influencers on Endorsements and Testimonials

With global advertising expenditures on the rise, social media supports an increasing share of all advertising and endorsements and is subject to regulation by the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”). The FTC established the “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising,” to regulate advertising to ensure that promotional content is honest and not misleading, and that material connections between the advertiser and the endorser are disclosed. These guides are particularly important in social media posts so that a reader knows whether the celebrity poster simply enjoyed a good restaurant dinner, or if they were paid to endorse the restaurant. While social media sites are beginning to provide some tools for disclosure, some consumers may not notice those tools or be aware of their purpose. What are the current FTC guides and how can social media influencers and advertisers comply?
T1ρ imaging as a non-invasive assessment of collagen remodelling and organization in human skeletal muscle after ligamentous injury

Dysregulation and fibrotic transformation of the skeletal muscle extracellular matrix (ECM) is a common pathology associated with injury and aging Studies of the muscle ECM in humans have necessitated the use of biopsies, which are impractical in many settings Non-invasive MRI T1ρ relaxation time was validated to predict ECM collagen composition and organization with aligned T1ρ imaging and biopsies of the vastus lateralis in the heathy limb and Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL)-deficient limb of 27 subjects T1ρ relaxation time was strongly associated with collagen abundance and unfolding in the ACL deficient limb, and T1ρ relaxation time was strongly associated with total collagen abundance in the healthy limb T1ρ relaxation time was significantly longer in the ACL deficient limb, coinciding with significant increases in several indices of muscle collagen content and remodeling supporting the use of T1ρ to non-invasively evaluate ECM composition and pathology in skeletal muscle ABSTRACT: Dysregulation and fibrosis of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in skeletal muscle is a consequence of injury. Current ECM assessment necessitates muscle biopsies to evaluate alterations to the muscle ECM, which is often not practical in humans. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential of a magnetic resonance imaging sequence that quantifies T1ρ relaxation time to predict ECM collagen composition and organization. T1ρ imaging was performed and muscle biopsies obtained from the involved and non-involved vastus lateralis muscle on 27 subjects who had an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. T1ρ times were quantified via mono exponential decay curve fitted to a series of T1ρ-weighted images. Several ECM indices, including collagen content and organization, were obtained using immunohistochemistry and histochemistry in addition to hydroxyproline. Model selection with multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the relationships between T1ρ times and ECM composition. Additionally, the ACL-deficient and healthy limb were compared to determine sensitivity of T1ρ to detect early adaptations in the muscle ECM following injury. We show that T1ρ relaxation time was strongly associated with collagen unfolding (t = 4.093, p = 0.0007) in the ACL-deficient limb, and collagen 1 abundance in the healthy limb (t = 2.75, p = 0.014). In addition, we show that T1ρ relaxation time is significantly longer in the injured limb, coinciding with significant differences in several indices of collagen content and remodeling in the ACL-deficient limb. These results support the use of T1ρ to evaluate ECM composition in skeletal muscle in a non-invasive manner. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Electrochemical cobalt-catalyzed selective carboxylation of benzyl halides with CO2 enabled by low-coordinate cobalt electrocatalysts

The direct, transition metal-catalyzed carboxylation of organohalides with carbon dioxide is a highly desirable transformation in organic synthesis as it utilizes feedstock chemicals and delivers carboxylic acids –among the most utilized class of organic molecules. Phenyl acetic acids, in particular, are privileged motifs that appear in many pharmaceuticals and biologically active compounds. This article reports the development of a sustainable and selective cobalt-catalyzed electrochemical carboxylation of benzyl halides with CO2 to generate phenyl acetic acids. The success of this transformation is enabled by the development of low-coordinate cobalt/pyrox complexes as electrocatalysts to convert various benzyl chlorides and bromides to their corre-sponding phenyl/heteroaryl acetic acids with high selectivity over undesired homocoupling of the benzyl halides. The combina-tion of electroanalytical methods, simulation studies, control reactions, and first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations informed the mechanistic analysis of this reaction. An EC’C-type activation mechanism of benzyl halides, which is unique to Co(II)/pyrox electrocatalysts, provides the rationalization of the exceptional observed selectivity for carboxylation. Specifically, the Co(II)/pyrox catalyst undergoes reduction to Co(I) followed by halogen abstraction and a favorable radical rebound to Co(II)/pyrox to form alkyl–Co(III) intermediates. Although voltammetry only shows a single electron transfer step, bulk electrolysis shows a two electron process and using DFT calculations, the intermediates are proposed to undergo two-electron reduction to alkyl–Co(I) followed by a ZnCl2-assisted CO2 insertion to form the carboxylated adducts with regenera-tion of Co(I)/pyrox.
Plasma-only ctDNA-Guided MRD Detection in Patients with CRC-Response.

We appreciate the comments from the Letter to the Editor authored by Natera (maker of the Signatera MRD test) and collaborating investigators at Aarhus University (Aarhus, Denmark). While we respectfully disagree with the criticisms raised, as detailed below, we believe that this discussion
Wine, Sugar, and the Making of Modern France: Global Economic Crisis and the Racialization of French Citizenship, 1870–1910

This is an innovative study of how race and empire transformed French republican citizenship in the early Third Republic. Elizabeth Heath integrates the histories of the wine-producing department of Aude and the sugar-producing colony of Guadeloupe to reveal the ways in which empire was integral to the Third Republic's ability to stabilize a republican regime that began to unravel in an age of economic globalization. She shows how global economic factors shaped negotiations between local citizens and the Third Republic over the responsibilities of the Republic to its citizens leading to the creation of two different and unequal forms of citizenship that became constitutive of the interwar imperial nation-state and the French welfare state. Her findings shed important new light on the tensions within republicanism between ideals of liberty and equality and on the construction of race as a meaningful social category at a foundational moment in French history.
Formalism, Experience, and the Making of American Literature in the Nineteenth Century: Introduction: New Critical formalism and identity in Americanist criticism

How are experience and literary form related in nineteenth-century American literature? I enter into that question, this book's central concern, through literary nationalists' counterintuitive assertion that America was a singularly uninteresting subject. In the words of one such critic, W. H. Gardiner, “You see cultivated farms, and neat villages, and populous towns, full of health, and labor, and happiness … Where then are the romantic associations, which are to plunge your reader, in spite of reason and common sense, into the depths of imaginary woe and wonder?” From this barrenly cheerful land American literature magically blossomed – in the literary historical narrative envisioned by nineteenth-century nationalists, and adapted by early twentieth-century critics such as Van Wyck Brooks and F. O. Matthiessen. Celebrating American literature's purported creation of a shared national identity has subsequently been dismantled as a falsely universalist construction obscuring the multiplicities and material negotiations of the lives of individuals and groups within the United States. My intention is neither to revive the early twentieth-century celebration of American literature's role in founding a national culture (as in recent works that would rearticulate American national identity through reference to its literary history), nor to extend the critique of it (a critique which now includes analysis of the wider context of the Americas as constitutive of and obscured by the totalizing notion of “America”).
The Internal Conversion Coefficients of Nb 95 , Zn 65 , and Sc 46

The theory of nuclear $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray yield determination from Compton electron spectra has been recently developed by Thomas and Lauritsen for interpretation of electron spectra from photoelectric and Compton conversion processes observed with a magnetic lens $\ensuremath{\beta}$-ray spectrometer. The total internal conversion coefficient ($\frac{{N}_{e}}{{N}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}}$) is measured by determining ${N}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ from a high-energy segment of the Compton electron spectrum observed from a thick (140-mg/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$) aluminum converter and ${N}_{e}$ from the internal conversion spectrum of the same source observed without a radiator. The total internal conversion coefficients of two of the isotopes, ${\mathrm{Mo}}^{95}$ (parent, ${\mathrm{Nb}}^{95}$) and ${\mathrm{Ti}}^{46}$ (parent, ${\mathrm{Sc}}^{46}$), were also determined by the direct comparison of areas under their internal conversion and beta-spectrum curves and so permitted a check of the new method.
Quality dimensions, perspectives and practices

Reviews quality dimensions, perspectives and practices. An integrated framework is developed to analyze the relationships among quality dimensions, perspectives and practices. This framework incorporates two dimensions of the internal‐external focus and objective‐subjective measurement. It clarifies the concept of quality and helps practitioners to position their quality management practices. It explains how to resolve equivocality and reduce uncertainty in improving the quality of the products, ultimately to achieve competitive advantage.
Indirect Sandwich Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Rapid Detection of Haemophilus influenzae Type b Infection

We report the development and testing of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with excellent sensitivity for the detection of Haemophilus influenzae type b (HIb) antigen in clinical specimens from patients with HIb meningitis. The assay, an indirect sandwich technique, uses polystyrene balls as a solid phase and an alkaline phosphatase-labeled goat anti-rabbit globulin conjugate. Specimens are incubated with polystyrene balls armed with burro anti-HIb antiserum, and recognition antibody is visualized by addition of alkaline phosphatase-labeled anti-globulin, together with the enzyme substrate p-nitrophenyl phosphate. Concentrations of antigen are determined from standard curves prepared by using purified HIb capsular antigen polyribophosphate. The assay reproducibly detects polyribophosphate at concentrations between 1 and 5 ng/ml. Cross-reactions have not as yet been encountered in simulated and authentic clinical specimens containing other species including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, group B Streptococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria meningitidis, and Listeria monocytogenes. In preliminary tests with 11 spinal fluid specimens, 2 serum specimens, and 5 urine specimens from patients with culture-proved HIb meningitis, antigen was detected in all specimens in concentrations ranging from 1 to 7,000 ng/ml. Antigen was not detected in any of 62 clinical specimens which were culture negative for HIb, including 11 spinal fluid specimens from patients with bacterial meningitis caused by microorganisms other than HIb. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique described here is considerably simpler than radioimmunoassay and, based on concurrent tests with 14 positive clinical specimens, may be more sensitive than counterimmunoelectrophoresis. It seems, therefore, to hold considerable promise for clinical use in rapid detection of systemic HIb infections.
Sociological Theory After the End of Nature

Anthropogenic climate change poses a fundamental challenge to the cultural beliefs and social structure of global social order. However, the social sciences treat the natural world as a passive backdrop in which the human project unfolds, and focus primarily on the relation between social facts. In a world where human activities are being manifestly impacted by a continuously shifting climate, it is no longer adequate to only look to human social interactions to gain an understanding of how social order is constituted and changed. This realization has led a number of scholars across the range of social sciences to identify a need to move beyond anthropocentric social sciences. This essay provides an overview of the major efforts to create a social science that integrates social and natural facts within the field of sociology. Three areas of foundational research in this area are discussed, including the reinterpretation of sociological classics, the development of constructed society/nature hybrids, and the creation of linked society–natural systems models. Examples of empirical research demonstrating these approaches are then provided. The essay concludes with a survey of ongoing sociological theory projects on this topic. Keywords: sociological theory; climate change; anthropocene; couple human-natural systems
The impact of business strategy on leadership

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the proposition that business strategy affects leadership functions, skills, traits, and styles, and to assess the implications of these effects for the practice of both leadership and strategic planning. Design/methodology/approach – This is an empirical study based on over 450 responses to an online survey. Continuous rating scales allowed the use of regression analysis to test the impacts of different strategies on leadership. Findings – The results provide strong empirical evidence that Product (Differentiation vs Low Cost strategies), Best Value, and Blue Ocean strategies have significant effects on leadership. Market strategies (Broad vs Niche strategies) have limited impacts. The greater complexity of Product, Best Value, and Blue Ocean strategies underlie these findings. Research limitations/implications – This study explores the effects of strategy on leadership. Future studies need to explore if these effects are moderated by external, competitive conditions, and if strategy mediates the impacts of leadership on organizational performance. Practical implications – The practical implications of these findings are that leaders must adjust their behavior and leadership styles to effectively implement alternative strategies, and planners must assess their organization’s leadership capabilities when formulating strategy. Originality/value – There have been numerous studies of the impacts of external/internal conditions on leadership, but this is one of the first studies of the critical impacts of strategy on leadership.
Action of cholera toxin on dispersed acini from rat pancreas: Post-receptor modulation involving cyclic AMP and calcium

In dispersed acini from rat pancreas, cholera toxin caused a significant increase in cellular cyclic AMP but little or no change in amylase secretion. The presence of a secretagogue that causes mobilization of cellular calcium (e.g., cholecystokinin, carbamylcholine, bombesin or ionophore A23187) caused a substantial increase in the effect of cholera toxin on enzyme secretion. Cholera toxin did not alter calcium transport or the changes in calcium transport caused by other secretagogues, and secretagogues that mobilize cellular calcium did not alter cellular cyclic AMP or the increase in cyclic AMP caused by cholera toxin. These results indicate that in dispersed acini from rat pancreas there is post-receptor modulation of the action of cholera toxin by secretagogues that mobilize cellular calcium and that this modulation is a major determinant of the effect of the toxin on enzyme secretion.
Indirect Leptoquark Searches at Polarized Lepton Colliders

We examine the utility of employing polarized lepton (electron and muon) beams to perform indirect searches for scalar leptoquarks. We find that polarization can extend the reach in excluding leptoquark masses for both $e^+e^-$ and $\mu^+\mu^-$ machines. Polarization can also provide a diagnostic tool for determining leptoquark couplings.
ADVERTISING AND PRODUCT TRIAL - THE EFFECT OF MESSAGE’S REGULATORY FOCUS AND PRODUCT TYPE ON CONSUMER EVALUATIONS

The objective of this research is to examine the effect of message’s regulatory focus (promotion versus prevention) and product types (hedonic versus utilitarian) on advertising effectiveness, as well as how direct product experience alters these effects. The findings show that, for hedonic products, promotion messages are more persuasive, generate more positive product attitudes, and willingness to pay a higher price than prevention messages. For utilitarian products, prevention messages are more persuasive and generate more positive product attitudes than promotion messages. However, product trial moderates most of these effects. Managerial implications of these results are discussed.
Injection facilities needed to combat infection crisis, AIDS network says.

A nationwide project to provide safe injection facilities is needed to help protect the 125 000 Canadians who inject illegal drugs, the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network says. “Canada is in the midst of a public health crisis concerning HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, and injection drug use,” network
The Challenger accident and public opinion: Attitudes towards the space programme in the USA

Abstract This article reports on a major survey of American attitudes towards the space programme in general, and the Shuttle in particular. The survey was carried out in three waves: before the January 1986 Challenger accident, immediately afterwards, and five months later. It was found that the net effect of the accident was a strong shift of public sentiment in favour of the space programme and the Shuttle. Expectation was high for a timely resumption of Shuttle flights, although there was a delayed recognition that the impact of the accident on the space programme was more significant than originally thought by most Americans. There was a shift towards a more positive assessment of the benefits and costs of space exploration. Positive attitudes towards funding increased even more markedly. These shifts were of a magnitude rarely found in studies of public attitudes.
On the Absolute Continuity of Gaussian Measures on Locally Compact Groups

This note discusses the topological necessary and sufficient conditions for a locally compact connected group to admit a Gaussian measure that is absolutely continuous with respect to Haar measure.
Intestinal Propulsion in the Dog: Its Relation to Food Intake and the Migratory Myoelectric Complex

We studied electrical events and flow in the canine small intestine in vivo. The transit of a small radioactive bolus injected into the jejunum was monitored by counting from a Biebl loop. After feeding, the rate of propulsion of the bolus varied within a narrow range. When food and water were withheld for more than 12 hr, transit of the bolus became highly variable. The variability increased at about the same time as the onset of the migratory myoelectric complex associated with fasting. Electrical recordings from the intestinal muscle demonstrated that the bolus was propelled into the loop in advance of the band of intense spike potentials which travels along the small intestine in the fasted state. The bolus was cleared from the loop when the spike potentials reached this segment. Variability of transit after prolonged fasting can be explained by (1) variability in the rate of migration of the phase of intense spike potentials, and (2) the timing of the injection of the bolus in relation to the component phases of the electrical complex. Flow is highly dependent upon the electrical activity and the resulting contraction patterns of the small intestine, which are themselves dependent upon feeding.
Pharmacy technician training in the United States Army.

Pharmacy technician training in the U.S. Army is described. The training program, officially titled the pharmacy specialist course, is conducted at the U.S. Army Academy of Health Sciences on Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. The 17-week program is conducted six times a year, accommodating up to 75 students per class. Before entering the course, the soldiers must complete basic combat infantry training and a general medical orientation course. Standardized examinations are given to ensure the students have the basic prerequisite knowledge. The curriculum emphasizes psychomotor skills with laboratory requirements supported by didactic instruction. During the first seven weeks of the course, the students receive instruction in pharmacy administration, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutical calculations, and pharmaceutical preparations. The last nine weeks of instruction focus on pharmacology, physiology and pathology, and hospital pharmacy practice. The laboratory simulates a hospital pharmacy and is used exclusively for the training program. The students are continually evaluated and provided with individualized supportive counseling by the faculty. Overall attrition has remained at approximately 22% for fiscal years 1981, 1982, and 1983. Following graduation and assignment to a medical-treatment facility, the technicians have several opportunities for advanced training and continuing education. The proficiency and competency of the graduates are continually monitored by an annual skill qualification test. The pharmacy specialist course conducted by the U.S. Army, accredited by ASHP, can serve as a standard for the comprehensive vocational and technical training of pharmacy technicians.
d-Serine Transport System in Escherichia coli K-12

The d-serine transport system in Escherichia coli K-12 was studied by use of a mutant unable to form d-serine deaminase, yet resistant to d-serine. The mutant is greatly impaired in its ability to accumulate d-serine, d-alanine, and glycine. Transport of l-alanine is partially affected but transport of l-serine is unaffected. The mutant is also resistant to d-cycloserine, indicating that d-serine is transported by the system responsible for uptake of d-cycloserine. The d-serine transport system is not inducible, but appears to be formed constitutively, as are the transport systems of most amino acids. The transport mutation appears to be multistep and maps to the right of malB on the E. coli linkage map.
THE DNA BINDING DOMAIN OF THE VACCINIA VIRUS EARLY TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR SMALL SUBUNIT IS AN EXTENDED HELICASE-LIKE MOTIF

The vaccinia virus early transcription factor (VETF) is an ATP-dependent activator of the early class of viral genes. VETF is a heterodimeric protein that binds an initiator-like element surrounding the start site of transcription. Previous studies indicated that the small subunit of VETF contacts the promoter DNA. We have taken a mutational approach to determine sequences in the VETF small subunit that are important for DNA binding. Two types of sequences were targeted for mutation: ones resembling motifs that are conserved in the nucleic acid helicase family and positively charged residues in predicted alpha-helices. Mutations affecting transcription activation were clustered in two regions. One mutation that impaired DNA binding is located near the N-terminus within the putative ATP-binding pocket that comprises helicase domain I. DNA binding was also severely reduced by mutations in a sequence resembling helicase domain VI and two putative alpha-helices that flank this domain in the C-terminal third of the polypeptide. These results indicate that the DNA binding domain in the small subunit of VETF is not isolated within a separable domain as is the case with most transcription factors, but rather, spans most of the length of the 637 residue polypeptide. A model for VETF structure is suggested in which the active site for ATP hydrolysis is integrated within an extended DNA-binding domain such that the structure and function of each domain influences that of the other.
A METHOD FOR STUDYING THE ANALYSIS OF ASPECTS OF THE PATIENTS EXPERIENCE OF THE RELATIONSHIP IN PSYCHOANALYSIS AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

We have described a coding scheme for obtaining an objective account of the analysis of resisted aspects of the patient's experience of the relationship with the therapist in single, audio-recorded sessions of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. The focus is on what is often regarded as an important first step in the analysis of transference: the identification and exploration of the preconscious points of attachment of transference ideas in the here-and-now. Related to the scheme is the view that there is generally a plausible basis in the here-and-now for the patient's ideas about the therapist. The implications of that view for the concept of transference are discussed. Future directions for research are noted, including improving the reliability of the scheme and testing various hypotheses regarding how the particular step in technique assessed by the method affects other aspects of the process and outcome.
Cyclic AMP oscillations in suspensions of Dictyostelium discoideum

A model developed previously for signal relay and adaptation in the cellular slime mould Dictyostelium discoideum is shown to account for the observed oscillations of calcium and cyclic AMP in cellular suspensions. A qualitative argument is given which explains how the oscillations arise, and numerical computations show how characteristics such as the period and amplitude of the periodic solutions depend on parameters in the model. Several extensions of the basic model are investigated, including the effect of cell aggregation and the effect of time delays in the activation and adaptation processes. The dynamics of mixed cell populations in which only a small fraction of the cells are capable of autonomous oscillation are also studied.
An integrated scheduling and buffer management scheme for input queued switches with finite buffer space

This paper addresses scheduling and memory management in input queued switches having finite buffer with the objective of improving the performance in terms of throughput and average delay. Most of the prior works on scheduling related to input queued switches assume infinite buffer space. In practice, buffer space being a finite resource, special memory management scheme becomes essential. Maximum weighted matching (MWM) algorithm, which is known to be the optimal in terms of throughput for infinite buffer case turns out to be sub optimal in the presence of memory limitations. We introduce a buffer management scheme called iSMM (Integrated Scheduling and Memory Management) that can be employed jointly with any deterministic iterative scheduling algorithm. We applied iSMM over iSLIP, a popular scheduling algorithm, and study its effect under various input traffic conditions. Simulation results indicate iSMM to perform better than iSLIP and MWM both in terms of throughput and delay especially under non-uniform traffic. Finally, we show that the scheme is easy-to-implement and has negligible impact on the switching speed.
Computation of mode properties in optical fiber waveguides by a propagating beam method

Propagating beam solutions for optical waveguides can be made to generate such mode-related properties as propagation constants, relative mode powers, and group delays with high precision and considerable flexibility. These quantities are needed in the analysis of optical fiber dispersion. The technique requires the generation of correlation functions from the numerical solutions of a wave equation. These correlation functions are in turn Fourier-transformed with respect to axial distance z. The resulting spectra display sharp resonances corresponding to mode groups, and the positions and heights of these resonances determine the previously mentioned mode properties. The spectral analysis is made highly accurate by the use of line-shape fitting techniques. With this method, mode group delays can be determined to a precision of +/-0.12 psec/km using a computation covering a 5-cm propagation path.
Evidence for a generic interceptive strategy.

In the present work, we first clarify a more precise definition of instantaneous optical angles in control tasks such as interception. We then test how well two interceptive strategies that have been proposed for catching fly balls account for human Frisbee-catching behavior. The first strategy is to maintain the ball’s image along a linear optical trajectory (LOT). The second is to keep vertical optical ball velocity decreasing while maintaining constant lateral optical velocity. We found that an LOT accounted for an average of over 96% of the variance in optical Frisbee movement, while maintenance of vertical and lateral optical velocities was random. This work confirms a common interception strategy used across interceptive tasks, extending to complex target trajectories.
Spectroscopic characterization of the NO adduct of hydroxylamine oxidoreductase.

Hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (HAO) from the autotrophic nitrifying bacterium Nitrosomonas europaea catalyzes the oxidation of NH2OH to NO2-. The enzyme contains eight hemes per subunit which participate in catalysis and electron transport. NO is found to bind to the enzyme and inhibit electron flow to the acceptor protein, cytochrome c554. NO is found to oxidize either partially or fully reduced HAO, but NO will not reduce ferric HAO. Since NO can be reduced but not oxidized to product by HAO, NO is not considered to be a long-lived intermediate in the catalytic mechanism. Substrate oxidation occurs in the presence of bound NO or cyanide, suggesting a second interaction site for substrate with HAO and providing a means for recovery of the NO-inhibited form of the enzyme. Upon addition of NO to oxidized HAO, the integer-spin EPR signal from the active site vanishes, an IR band from NO appears at 1920 cm(-1), and a diamagnetic quadrupole iron doublet appears in Mossbauer spectroscopy with delta = 0.06 mm/s and DeltaEq = 2.1 mm/s. The NO stretching frequency and Mossbauer parameters are characteristic of an [FeNO]6 heme complex. New Mossbauer data on ferric myoglobin-NO are also presented for comparison. The results indicate that NO binds to heme P460 and that the loss of the integer-spin EPR signal is due to the conversion of heme P460 to a diamagnetic S = 0 state and concomitant loss of magnetic interaction with neighboring heme 6. In previous studies where the heme P460-heme 6 interaction was affected by substrate or cyanide binding, a signal attributable to heme 6 was not observable. In contrast, in this work, the NO-induced loss of the signal is accompanied by the appearance of a previously unobserved large g(max) (or HALS) low-spin EPR signal from heme 6.
Criteria changes across product development stages

Abstract This paper analyzes the criteria used at making go/no-go decisions at major points in the product-development process, taking each phase separately. First, the variation in the sets (market, product, and financial) criteria used from one phase to another is studied. Second, the specific criteria deployed are analyzed. The results of the decision-systems interviews conducted show shifts in weights among the three sets of criteria as the development cycle progresses. In terms of criteria, the product-development process can be summarized using the following three questions in this specific order: 1) “Is there a market for the concept?” 2) Can the concept be transformed into a concrete product?” and 3) “Can the concrete product be manufactured and marketed profitably?” The analysis of specific criteria reveals that the use of some criteria is restricted to one particular phase, whereas some are used at every decision-making point. Also, the orientation of the company in question will cause variation among specific criteria use and weighting. Some factors, however, are quite universally applicable.
Social attributional biases of peer-rejected and aggressive children.

Peer-rejected high-aggressive, rejected low-aggressive, and non-rejected third- and fifth-grade boys were shown sets of drawn pictures differently balanced on Kelley's social dimensions of distinctiveness (i.e., depicting a hypothetical peer interacting with other children) and consistency (i.e., depicting the peer interacting with the subject) information. Following each set, a provoking incident involving the subject and peer was described in which the subject experienced a negative outcome and the peer exhibited ambiguous intent. When given no social information, rejected high-aggressive and rejected low-aggressive boys made more hostile attributions and suggested more hostile responses. When provided social information, however, all groups made similar attributions and weighted consistency information more heavily in their evaluations. All groups maintained a consistent response style across information conditions, with rejected high-aggressive boys suggesting the most aggressive responses. Implications for the treatment of childhood aggression are discussed.
The Middle East and the Philippines: Transnational Linkages, Labor Migration and the Remaking of Philippine Islam

In this article, Angeles explains how historically Islam in the Philippines has been identified as a religion of ethnic groups that are concentrated in the southern part of the country. Yet Islam in the Philippines has now transcended ethnic boundaries with the increasing number of Filipino Catholics converting to Islam. The author describes how labor migration to the Middle East has led to changes in the composition of Muslims in the Philippines, which in turn has resulted in the growing plural nature of Philippine Islam. This change is demonstrated by the growth of the Balik Islam (converts/ “reverts” to Islam) movement in the country and the changing material culture of the religion (Islamic dress, mosque architecture). Angeles traces the historical development of Philippine labor migration to the Middle East, explores the linkage between labor migration and conversion, and then studies the composition, purposes and aims of the Balik Islam movements that are linked to labor migration. She goes on to analyze the patterns that emerge out of these movements and their implications for Philippine Islam.
Bounds on the P-value of the best fitting regressor variable calculated to a prespecified accuracy

An algorithm is presented for calculating bounds on the p-value of the best-fitting regressor variable in a step of forward variable selection. The second order lower Bonferroni bound and the upper bound in Worsley (1982) are computed to a prespecified degree of accuracy in the algorithm.
Targeting Protein Stability with a Small Molecule

Both genetic approaches and small-molecule inhibitors can be used to perturb protein function. Banaszynski et al. (2006) now describe a strategy to regulate the stability of a target protein, in which specificity is provided by a genetically encoded tag and temporal control is imparted by a small molecule.
The decorated Teichmüller space of punctured surfaces

A principal ℝ + 5 -bundle over the usual Teichmuller space of ans times punctured surface is introduced. The bundle is mapping class group equivariant and admits an invariant foliation. Several coordinatizations of the total space of the bundle are developed. There is furthermore a natural cell-decomposition of the bundle. Finally, we compute the coordinate action of the mapping class group on the total space; the total space is found to have a rich (equivariant) geometric structure. We sketch some connections with arithmetic groups, diophantine approximations, and certain problems in plane euclidean geometry. Furthermore, these investigations lead to an explicit scheme of integration over the moduli spaces, and to the construction of a “universal Teichmuller space,” which we hope will provide a formalism for understanding some connections between the Teichmuller theory, the KP hierarchy and the Virasoro algebra. These latter applications are pursued elsewhere.
Factors influencing nurse sedation practices with mechanically ventilated patients: A U.S. national survey

Summary Objectives Mechanically ventilated patients commonly receive sedative medications. There is increasing evidence that sedative medications impact on patient outcomes. Nursing behaviour is a key determinant of sedation administration. The purpose of this study was to determine factors that influence nurse sedation administration to mechanically ventilated patients. Methods The Nurse Sedation Practices Scale was mailed to a random sample of 1250 members of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Results A response rate of 39% was obtained. Respondents were primarily staff nurses (73%) with a bachelor's degree in nursing (59%) from various intensive care unit (ICU) settings. We limited the analysis to adult ICU practitioners ( n = 423). The majority of nurses (81%) agreed that sedation is necessary for patient comfort. Nurse attitudes towards the efficacy of sedation for mechanically ventilated patients was positively correlated with nurses’ report of their sedation practice ( r s = .28, p r s = .58, p Conclusion Nurses’ attitudes impact sedation administration practices. Modifying nurses’ attitudes on sedation and the experience of mechanical ventilation may be necessary to change sedation practices with mechanically ventilated patients.
Clinical application of BASING and spectral/spatial water and lipid suppression pulses for prostate cancer staging and localization by in vivo 3D 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging

In previous in situ point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) three-dimensional (3D) 1H magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopic imaging studies, it has been demonstrated that the ratio of prostatic metabolites can noninvasively discriminate prostate cancer from surrounding normal tissue. However, in these studies, conventional chemical shift selective suppression (CHESS) and short-time inversion recovery (STIR) techniques often resulted in inadequate water and lipid suppression. To improve suppression and spatial coverage, the newly developed T1 insensitive dual band selective inversion with gradient dephasing (BASING) Bandstop Filter and dual phase-compensating spectral/spatial spin-echo pulses have been implemented in a clinical setting. In phantom studies, no change in metabolic profiles was observed with application of either BASING or spectral/spatial pulses. In a study of 17 prostate cancer patients, the use of either BASING or spectral/spatial pulses allowed for suppression of water (BASING 99.80 +/- 0.14% and spectral/spatial 99.73 +/- 0.47%) and lipid (BASING 98.56 +/- 1.03% and spectral/spatial 98.44 +/- 1.90%) without a significant difference in the prostatic metabolite ratios. Spectral/spatial suppression has the added advantage of reducing the chemical shift dependence of the PRESS volume, but optimal performance requires high-speed gradients with negligible eddy current effects. BASING suppression is less reliant on accurate pulse and gradient timings and can be implemented easily with no loss in performance on clinical MR scanners with conventional gradients.
Gefitinib (Iressa) potentiates the effect of ionizing radiation in thyroid cancer cell lines.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To determine whether inactivation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase activity will sensitize thyroid cancer cell lines to ionizing radiation-induced death. Study Design: Established human thyroid cancer cells lines were studied. Methods: Colony formation assay was used to determine the effect of Gefitinib, a small molecule inhibitor of EGFR, on anaplastic (ARO) and follicular (WRO) thyroid cancer cell lines. In addition, colony formation assay was used to determine the effect of ionizing radiation in the presence or absence of Gefitinib. EGFR protein expression on the cell lines and inactivation of EGFR kinase by Gefitinib was analyzed by Western blot. Immunohistochemistry was performed on archived thyroid cancer tissue to demonstrate expression of EGFR. Results: Incubation with Gefitinib caused decreased phosphorylation of EGFR protein in established thyroid cancer cell lines as measured by Western blot. Inhibition of EGFR kinase activity by Gefitinib resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in colony formation in both ARO and WRO thyroid cancer cell lines. Addition of Gefitinib in combination with ionizing radiation reduced cell proliferation in ARO (P = .0084) and WRO (P = .0252) as measured by colony formation assay. Conclusions: Inactivation of the EGFR kinase by Gefitinib potentiates the ionizing radiation-induced inhibition of cell proliferation in thyroid cancer cell lines. Use of this combination treatment of Gefitinib and ionizing radiation may be a promising therapy for anaplastic thyroid and metastatic follicular thyroid cancer and should be extended into animal models.
Effects of Miso- and Mesoscale Obstructions on PAM Winds Obtained during Project NIMROD

Data from 27 PAM (Portable Automated Mesonet) stations, operational as a phase of project NIMROD (Northern Illinois Meteorological Research on Downburst), are presented. It was found that PAM-measured winds are influenced by the mesoscale obstruction of the Chicago metropolitan area, as well as by the misoscale obstruction of identified trees and buildings. The mesoscale obstruction was estimated within the range of near zero to 50%, increasing toward the city limits, while the misoscale obstruction was estimated as being as large as 58% near obstructing trees which were empirically calculated to cause a wind speed deficit 50-80 times their height. Despite a statistical analysis based on one-million PAM winds, wind speed and stability transmission factors could not be accurately calculated; thus, in order to calculate the airflow free from obstacle, PAM-measured winds must be corrected.
Membrane lipid metabolism in germinating castor bean endosperm.

Castor bean (Ricinus communis L. var. Hale) endosperms, excised after 2 days germination at 30 C, were incubated 5 min to 8 hr with 14C-acetate and 3H-glycerol. Homogenates were fractionated by sucrose gradient centrifugation. Organelles found to be active in lipid synthesis were the lipid bodies and the endoplasmic reticulum. The products of incorporation in the lipid bodies were 3H-diglycerides containing 14C-fatty acids of more than 20 carbons. In contrast, the endoplasmic reticulum produced 3H-phospholipids as well as 3H-diglycerides rich in 14C-linoleate. The phospholipids synthesized and their acyl contents were of the types known to be the major components of organelle membranes in this tissue. Phospholipids and diglycerides containing 14C and 3H were found in the glyoxysomes and mitochondria subsequent to their appearance in the endoplasmic reticulum. The results show that germinating castor bean endosperm synthesizes membrane lipids de novo from acetate rather than reutilizing stored lipid components directly. It is also apparent that the endoplasmic reticulum is responsible for several steps in membrane lipid production.