cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment in Early Childhood Special Education

Assessment has long been acknowledged as an essential feature in the provision of early childhood special education (ECSE) services, both as a major element of eligibility determination and a required element of intervention planning and ongoing evaluation for children and families. In recent years assessment practices available for young children with disabilities and their families have become more sophisticated and broader in application across a wide range of settings. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of this historical role and to highlight features of the emerging uses of assessment as a central feature of high-quality services for infants, toddlers, and preschool children with disabilities, their families, and those who serve them. In particular, this chapter argues for an expanded view of assessment—one where assessment practices, carefully aligned and intertwined with formal and informal services and supports, increase the efficacy and efficiency of societal efforts to promote young children’s development. Given this approach to assessment, we describe basic features of assessment, including its core purpose and functions and the quality standards for its use, and review four major functions of assessment in early intervention and ECSE: eligibility and identification for specialized intervention, program planning, intervention and fidelity assessment, and progress monitoring.
Presentation and Diagnostic Evaluation of Mitochondrial Disease

Mitochondrial disease (MD) occurs when alteration of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex function caused by genetic mutation produces a detectable disease state. These mutations may be found in either the nuclear or mitochondrial genomes, and may only be present in a subset of cells or body tissues. Thus, the phenotype of MD is extremely variable and the definitive diagnosis of MD is complex. This article provides a brief description of a strategy used in the diagnosis of MD, by integrating data from clinical, imaging, pathologic, molecular, and enzymatic assessments. Additional information on characteristic findings seen in classic MD syndromes is also provided.
ADP-Ribosyl Cyclases - A Family of cADPR and NAADP Metabolizing Enzymes

ADP-ribosyl cyclase cyclizes NAD to produce cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) and releases nicotinamide in the process [1]. It is a ubiquitous enzyme widely present in animal cells [1, 2] and has even been identified in Euglena, a protozoan [4]. The first cyclase purified was from Aplysia ovotestis [1, 5]. It is a soluble protein of approximately 30 kDa. Sequence comparison reveals that CD38, a lymphocyte antigen, is a mammalian homolog [6]. CD38 is a transmembrane glycoprotein of approximately 45 kDa [7]. It catalyzes not only the synthesis of cADPR but also its hydrolysis to ADP-ribose [8, 11]. Additionally, both CD38 and the Aplysia cyclase use NADP as a substrate and catalyze the exchange of the nicotinamide group with nicotinic acid, producing nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) [12]. The Aplysia cyclase has been crystallized and its structure solved [13, 14]. Current knowledge of the structures of these enzymes and the novel multiplicity of their catalytic activities are described in this chapter. Since both of their products are Ca2+ messengers, this class of enzymes is crucial in mediating Ca2+ signaling functions in cells. Some of their physiological functions have now been revealed by gene ablation and are summarised here.
Infrastructure financing with project bond and credit default swap under public-private partnerships

Abstract This paper elaborates the use of project bonds and a credit default swap (CDS) in infrastructure financing under public-private partnerships (PPPs). First, a structural model is presented and calibrated using market data to estimate the default probability of a project company in a PPP project, which lays the foundation for determining the CDS premium. Second, the CDS is priced using the risk-neutral valuation method. Third, sensitivity analysis is conducted to evaluate the impacts of project parameters including capital structure, asset rate of return and volatility, bankruptcy loss rate, and tax rate on the default probability and CDS premium. This study concludes that it is beneficial to governments, project companies, and bond holders to implement bond financing in PPP projects with a fairly priced CDS.
Essays of a Peripheral Mind: Crazy Crab

It might have been the worst mascot in the history of major league baseball. It might have been the worst mascot in sports, period. Ever. That is an amazing accomplishment, to be that bad. Fortunately, the Crazy Crab's existence was for just a single year, 1984 (photograph). As you might expect in a sports-crazed envi ronment, a mascot this bad was the victim of various forms of verbal and physical abuse. And, given this was baseball, a sport heavily based on throwing things (mostly baseballs, but also helmets, bats, gloves, and taunts), most of the abuse involved pitching things at the Crab. One episode in mascot lore involved a pregame incident where the Crab was along the sidelines near the stands, and the fans. The Crazy Crab became an immediate target for hot dog wrappers and beer
Quandaries of Assessment and Accountability

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss quandaries that educational administrators may face relative to accountability and assessment in pre-Kindergarten (pK-12) schools as leaders of learning for instructional improvement and capacity building for a culture of assessment and accountability. From the Voices 3 interview data, transcriptions of focus groups that were held with principals throughout the nation were analyzed to discern the challenges in implementation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) as a lens for considering challenges that may be faced today with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requirements. The primary challenges were identified as fitting three themes: consideration of “What’s Best for Students,” facilitating instructional improvement and balancing the press for time with development of a positive culture.
Trends in mortality and biological stress in a medieval polish urban population.

Abstract Urbanization in pre-modern populations may have had a variety of consequences related to population crowding. However, research on the effects of urbanization have provided inconsistent results regarding the biological impact of this transition on human populations. The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that urbanization caused an increase in overall biological stress in a medieval (10th–13th centuries AD) Polish population. A human skeletal sample (n = 164) was examined for the presence of porotic hyperostosis, cribra orbitalia, linear enamel hypoplasia, periosteal reaction, and specific infectious diseases. Prevalence rates were compared among three temporal samples: initial urbanization, early urbanization, and later urbanization. Results indicate no significant trends for any of the pathological conditions. Cox proportional hazards analyses, however, revealed a significant increase in the risk of death over time, which supports the hypothesis. These results reflect the necessity of using multiple analyses to address bioarchaeological questions. The lack of significant results from skeletal indicators may be due to an earlier urbanization trend in the population. This study illustrates that the association of urbanization with elevated biological stress is complicated and dependent on various factors, including culture and time period.
Dissolved oxygen decline in ice-covered rivers of northern Alberta and its effects on aquatic biota

To determine whether existing dissolved oxygen (DO) regulationswere adequate to protect riverine biota, the Northern River Basins Studyrequired a research and assessment program to establish the effect ofpulp mill and municipal sewage discharges on under-ice DO concentrationsand aquatic biota in the Athabasca, Wapiti and Smoky rivers of northernAlberta, Canada. Analysis of monitoring data collected over >30 yearsshowed that pulp mill and municipal effluents have caused “sags” in DObelow their discharges and contributed to an increased rate of declinein DO over 10s of kilometers in the Wapiti-Smoky rivers or 100s ofkilometers in the Athabasca River. To permit forecasting of DO declinesin response to changes in river discharge or effluent biochemical oxygendemand (BOD), a one-dimensional steady-state river water quality modelwas implemented that successfully (r2 =0.74–0.92) predicted DO concentrations over an 820 km reach of theAthabasca River for the 1990–1994 winters. Experiments on nativefish and benthic macroinvertebrate species showed that exposure to lowDO and low temperatures (2–3°C) caused delays in hatch ofmountain whitefish eggs (at 6.5 mg/L DO), reduced mass of bull troutalevins post-hatch (at 5.0 mg/L DO), extended the spawning period ofburbot (at 6.0 mg/L DO), and depressed feeding rates and loweredsurvival of the mayfly Baetis tricaudatus (at 5 mg/L DO).As a result of recommendations from this integrated program of rivermonitoring, modelling and experimentation, effluent BOD loading has beenreduced to the Athabasca and Wapiti rivers and the provincial DOguideline for protection of aquatic life has been increased from 5.0 to6.5 mg/L.
ACTH, α-MSH, and POMC, Evolution of

Proopiomelanocortin is the common precursor for the melanocortins and β-endorphin. This gene is expressed in corticotropic cells of the anterior pituitary and melanotropic cells of the intermediate pituitary. As a result of differential posttranslational processing, these two regions of the pituitary will yield distinct sets of melanocortin-related and β-endorphin-related end products.
The clinical role of molecular genetics in soft tissue tumor pathology.

Cytogenetic and molecular analysis of soft tissue tumors has yielded a wealth of information over the past decade. Some of the genetic aberrations that have been identified appear to be fairly specific for individual tumor types. It is because of this specificity that these findings harbor the promise to become useful as diagnostic and/or prognostic markers. Technical advances that allow the application of cytogenetic and molecular techniques to archival material have been crucial in this respect. Molecular genetics has already become an integral part of the work-up of some tumors, e.g., small cell sarcomas of childhood, which demonstrate fairly characteristic translocations, often involving the Ewing's sarcoma gene. Some genetic abnormalities have become established as prognostic marker, such as the deletion of the short arm of chromosome 1 for neuroblastomas. Soft tissue tumor pathology has also benefitted from major advances in identifying genes that are critical in mesenchymal differentiation or cell cycle control. MyoD is a good example of a such a gene, that has become useful as a diagnostic tool in rhabdomyosarcomas. Beyond potential practical applications of cytogenetic and molecular analyses in the diagnosis of these tumors, we also review their impact on several philosophical concepts concerning soft tissue neoplasia.
The Process of Mutual Change

A psychology of interdependence brings us and marginalized persons into a mutual change process. Caregiving involves the recognition of an ongoing struggle in which we reject domination and opt for valuing. It asks us to define, center, and practice a process of unfolding solidarity. This, then, leads us to assume the responsibility for establishing new meanings in the human condition and rejecting old ones founded on control and domination. Solidarity arises from a view that both we and the other person hunger for feelings of relatedness and that our commitment to this initiates a mutual change process. However, nothing will solidify until we make the decision to become interdependent and reflect on how we can express this in our daily interactions.
Novel Step Impact Electroluminescent Devices

The optical properties of rare earth ions in solids have been of interest for many years. However, the luminescence properties of 4f ions in III–V semiconductors and silicon have remained unexplored, despite their obvious potential for light emitting and laser diodes. The characteristic photoluminescence and electroluminescence spectra of rare earth ions in III–V and silicon semiconductors were reported recently [1–4].
Constructing Artificial Intelligence in Newspaper: A Cross-Cultural Analysis in the U.S. and China

How is Artificial Intelligence (AI) constructed in mass media? Incorporating corpus-assisted discourse analysis and comparative rhetorical analysis, this paper examines the representation of AI in news media in the U.S. and China, the two AI superpowers in the world. The findings suggest that the U.S. and China have different strategic areas of interest in AI, covering computer, machine, Internet, pattern recognition, driverless vehicle, and big data.
Onydecalins, Fungal Polyketides with Anti-Histoplasma and Anti-TRP Activity

We report an unusual 3-substituted pyridine polyketide, onydecalin A (1), which was obtained along with 2 as a major constituent from the fungus Aioliomyces pyridodomos (order: Onygenales) following a two-month fermentation. Feeding studies demonstrated that the pyridine subunit originates via an unprecedented biosynthetic process in comparison to other polyketide-linked pyridines or derivatives such as pyridones. The slow growth of the fungus led us to perform a one-year fermentation, leading to production of compounds 2–4 as the major constituents. These compounds showed modest but selective inhibition against a variety of transient receptor potential channels, as well as against the human pathogenic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum.
A Mastery Learning Capstone Course to Teach and Assess Components of Three Entrustable Professional Activities to Graduating Medical Students.

Problem: Thirteen measurable Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) have been proposed by the Association of American Medical Colleges as a means to operationalize medical school graduates’ pat...
The Impact of a Schoolwide Mindfulness Program on Adolescent Well-Being, Stress, and Emotion Regulation: A Nonrandomized Controlled Study in a Naturalistic Setting

Few studies have explored large, school-wide mindfulness programs targeted at adolescents in naturalistic settings, while still including key design elements like control groups. The authors explor...
Spontaneous Transfer and Molecular Organization of Dehydroergosterol in Lipid Bilayers

Dehydroergosterol (DHE), a fluorescent cholesterol analogue, was used as a cholesterol mimic to study both the transfer kinetics between phospho-lipid bilayers and the molecular organization of this sterol in the bilayer vesicles during transfer. The fluorescence intensity was used to monitor the transfer rate of DHE between 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphatidylcholine small unilamellar vesicles at different temperatures. The equation that best fits the data is a single exponential decay plus a base value due to a non-exchangeable pool, A exp(-kt)+B. The fitted halftimes (t½ = ln2/k) and base values (B) are: 61 min and 45.4 at 16°C., 27 min and 25.1 at 24°C., 18 min and 20.0 at 37°C. These values are comparable to those obtained using 3H-labeled cholesterol (Bar et al., 1986), suggesting that DHE resembles cholesterol and that a non-exchangeable pool exists for DHE as well as cholesterol. In order to examine the changes in DHE organization during the transfer, acrylamide quenching was performed on the donor vesicles both at the beginning of transfer, designed as t°, and at the end of transfer, t∞. Our results show that the quenching rate constant at t° is greater than that at t∞. However, three days after the transfer, no apparent difference in the quenching rate constant was observed between t° and t∞. This indicates that a reorganization of DHE occurs within this time period. The fluorescence lifetime is 0.88 ns and 0.76 ns for t° and t∞, respectively. Rotational correlation times at t° and t∞ also exhibit a small difference.
Assessing the relationship between statin use and oncologic outcomes among men electing active surveillance for localized prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND This study aims to assess the effect of statin therapy on outcomes among men managed with active surveillance. METHODS This is a retrospective cohort study evaluating 635 men managed with active surveillance from 2005 to 2015 at a large, academic medical center. The primary endpoints of analyses are disease reclassification (i.e., change in volume or grade of cancer on subsequent biopsies after diagnosis), progression to definitive therapy with curative intent (i.e., surgery or radiotherapy), and surveillance failure-defined as the development of either biochemical failure after definitive therapy, metastases, or prostate cancer-specific mortality-among statin and non-statin users. Secondary analyses were performed to assess the effect of statin use on outcomes among men who progressed to definitive treatment. RESULTS Three hundred fifty-six (56.1%) patients in the cohort were on statin therapy at the initiation of surveillance. The median age was 66.7 and 63.3 years among statin and non-statin users, respectively. On univariate analysis, there were no differences in the rates of disease reclassification, progression to definitive treatment, and surveillance failure between the statin and non-statin users in the cohort (all p > 0.05). There was no difference in the rate of biochemical failure among men who progressed to definitive therapy when stratified by statin use (p = 0.89). Pathologic data were available for 105 men who progressed to radical prostatectomy while on surveillance at our institution. Duration of statin use (months) was inversely correlated with adverse pathology for radical prostatectomy on both univariate (OR: 0.99; 95% CI 0.98, 0.99; p = 0.03) and multivariate analysis (OR: 0.98; 95% CI 0.97, 0.99; p = 0.02). CONCLUSION Statin use was not associated with any clinical benefit with regard to disease reclassification, progression to definitive treatment, or surveillance failure among men selecting active surveillance at our institution. There was a 2% decrease in the odds of adverse pathology for each month of statin use among the men who progressed to radical prostatectomy while on active surveillance, but it is unclear at this time if this association has any durable impact on surveillance outcomes among men with favorable risk prostate cancer.
Near Real-Time Implementation of An Adaptive Seismocardiography – ECG Multimodal Framework for Cardiac Gating

Objective: Accurate gating for data acquisition of computed tomography (CT) is crucial to obtaining high quality images for diagnosing cardiovascular diseases. To illustrate the feasibility of an optimized cardiac gating strategy, we present a near real-time implementation based on fusing seismocardiography (SCG) and ECG. Methods : The implementation was achieved via integrating commercial hardware and software platforms. Testing was performed on five healthy subjects (age: 24–27; m/f: 4/1) and three cardiac patients (age: 41–71; m/f: 2/1), and compared with baseline quiescence derived from echocardiography. Results : The average latency introduced by computerized processing was 5.1 ms, well within a 100 ms tolerance bounded by data accumulation time for quiescence prediction. The average prediction error associated with conventional ECG-only versus SCG-ECG-based method over all subjects were 59.58 ms and 27.24 ms, respectively. Discussion : The results demonstrate that the multimodal framework can achieve improved quiescence prediction accuracy over the ECG-only-based method in near real-time.
A Mixture IRTree Model for Extreme Response Style: Accounting for Response Process Uncertainty:

This paper presents a mixture item response tree (IRTree) model for extreme response style. Unlike traditional applications of single IRTree models, a mixture approach provides a way of representin...
Chapter 9 – Respiratory System

Publisher Summary Fish live in an environment that is considerably different from that encountered by terrestrial vertebrates. Compared with air, water is 800 times more dense, 60 times more viscous, has 1/30 the capacity to hold oxygen and oxygen diffuses at 1/8000 the rate. Thus this respiratory medium is more abrasive and oxygen depleted than air. An aquatic environment also fosters the untoward transfer of water, salts, acid or base, as well as toxic substances. These necessitate corrective measures, many of which also occur at the gill. The fish gill has become a multifunctional organ designed to deal with the vagaries of an aquatic medium. The anatomy of gill tissue and its vasculature is as diverse and specialized as the functions it performs and the gill may well be the most highly differentiated of any vertebrate organ. Because all of these activities are predicated upon cellular contact with environmental water or blood, the hallmark of gill tissue is an extensive elaboration of both epithelial and vascular surfaces.
The Art of Counting the Governed: Civil War, Census Accuracy, and State Presence

Why are some countries more prone to civil wars than others? A prominent explanation in the literature looks to an opportunity-based understanding of armed conflict based either on economic factors or on state power factors. Distinguishing between the effects of income versus effects of the state has been difficult to date because of problems of data availability. We introduce develop, operationalize, and validate a new measure of the state that we term state presence, and we deploy this measure in statistical analysis to tease apart the two explanations. We find robust evidence that state capacity has an independent effect on civil war onset, and only weak evidence for the economic explanation. This result implies that policy interventions for preventing armed conflict should focus on strengthening the state.
Differences in Postmating Transcriptional Responses between Conspecific and Heterospecific Matings in Drosophila

In many animal species, females undergo physiological and behavioral changes after mating. Some of these changes are driven by male-derived seminal fluid proteins and are critical for fertilization success. Unfortunately, our understanding of the molecular interplay between female and male reproductive proteins remains inadequate. Here, we analyze the postmating response in a Drosophila species that has evolved strong gametic incompatibility with its sister species; Drosophila novamexicana females produce only ∼1% fertilized eggs in crosses with Drosophila americana males, compared to ∼98% produced in within-species crosses. This incompatibility is likely caused by mismatched male and female reproductive molecules. In this study, we use short-read RNA sequencing to examine the evolutionary dynamics of female reproductive genes and the postmating transcriptome response in crosses within and between species. First, we found that most female reproductive tract genes are slow-evolving compared to the genome average. Second, postmating responses in con- and heterospecific matings are largely congruent, but heterospecific matings induce expression of additional stress-response genes. Some of those are immunity genes that are activated by the Imd pathway. We also identify several genes in the JAK/STAT signaling pathway that are induced in heterospecific, but not conspecific mating. While this immune response was most pronounced in the female reproductive tract, we also detect it in the female head and ovaries. These results show that the female’s postmating transcriptome-level response is determined in part by the genotype of the male, and that divergence in male reproductive genes and/or traits can have immunogenic effects on females.
The perception of acoustic signals and the hormonal control over acoustic communication in rodents

Abstract Rodents live in a wide variety of habitats all over the world. They are known to use vocalizations for communication, requiring good auditory acuity to detect, discriminate, identify, and localize these vocalizations. Most of the work measuring auditory acuity as a function of species, age, and sex has been conducted on laboratory mice and rats. These measurements can be used as baseline functions to determine the effects of hormones on hearing and the auditory system in general. Hormones such as glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, estrogen, insulin-like growth factor-1, and thyroid hormone have roles in the development of the auditory system, protection of the aging auditory system, and the restoration of hearing after trauma. More studies are needed to determine whether the findings from laboratory animals translate to wild rodents living in various environments with differing ecological characteristics and evolutionary pressures.
Stroke in Pregnancy: A Multidisciplinary Approach

Pregnancy confers a substantially increased risk of stroke, especially during the third trimester and until 6 weeks postpartum. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and gestational hypercoagulability are important contributors to obstetric stroke. Preeclampsia and eclampsia confer risk for future cardiovascular disease. Hemorrhagic stroke is the most common type of obstetric stroke. Ischemic stroke can result from cardiomyopathy, paradoxical embolism, posterior reversible encephalopathy, reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome, and dissections. Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis is a frequent complication of pregnancy.
B Cell Expansion and Neoplasia in Sjögren’s Syndrome

Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) is a progressive systemic autoimmune disease causing chronic inflammation of the salivary, lacrimal, and other glands and B cell hyperactivity leading to the production of autoantibodies, such as anti-Ro (SS-A), La (SS-B), and rheumatoid factor (RF), and a 40-fold increased risk of extranodal B cell lymphoma arising in the inflamed salivary glands, especially the parotid glands. Although most of the cells infiltrating the salivary glands are T cells, B cells and plasma cells within the inflammatory infiltrates may undergo benign or malignant expansions. A variety of B cell lymphoproliferative processes are seen, both benign (e.g., lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis) and malignant (e.g., marginal zone lymphoma, diffuse large B cell lymphoma, and follicular lymphoma). Many of the B cell lymphomas produce RF with restricted usage of somatically mutated heavy-chain genes. We discuss the pathogenesis of B cell lymphomas in SS as well as their higher frequency in primary compared with secondary SS. Finally, we review clinical aspects of lymphoid neogenesis in SS, including the risk factors, diagnostic considerations, and therapeutic options.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities: Essential Workers, Mental Health, and the Coronavirus Pandemic

Evidence is emerging of the pandemic disproportionately impacting communities of color. This study investigates mental health distress among essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic across...
Agriculture and the Cochise

ABSTRACTMaize entered the Southwest during the Chiricahua stage of the Cochise culture about 2000 B.C. but it did not become widespread until a century or two before the time of Christ. This paper examines the circumstances leading to the acceptance and proliferation of maize agriculture by the San Pedro Cochise and its effects on other aspects of their culture, culminating in their transformation into early Mogollon.
The Unprecedented Age Wave and Challenged Fixed-Route and Specialized Transportation Services: The Case of Richmond, Virginia

The Richmond region currently faces very challenging transit and paratransit planning, funding and operating issues. This study proposes and evaluates political, economic, planning and technological strategies based on an analysis of these issues. These strategies could potentially be implemented with different priorities and degrees of obstacles. Ultimately this region deserves an empowered regional transportation authority, which can more effectively generate new transportation revenues, contain transportation expenses, and provide efficient and equitable transportation services. In addition, it is necessary to take a holistic view of these issues and to tackle them in a concerted manner.
Book Review: Global Child Poverty and Well-Being: Measurement, Concepts, Policy and Action” by Alberto Minujin and Shallen Nandy

Abstract Of the countless people around the world enduring deprivation and tremendous suffering from poverty and malnutrition, hundreds of millions are children. But research on poverty and development has only relatively recently begun to focus on this aspect of global poverty. Featuring contributions from leading researchers, this book examines how child poverty and well-being are conceptualized, defined, and measured and presents regional and national studies of child poverty from around the world. Global Child Poverty and Well-Being is an urgent call to arms for researchers and policymakers to confront one of the world's great ongoing tragedies.
An Analytic Center Machine

Support vector machines have recently attracted much attention in the machine learning and optimization communities for their remarkable generalization ability. The support vector machine solution corresponds to the center of the largest hypersphere inscribed in the version space. Recently, however, alternative approaches (Herbrich, Graepel, & Campbell, In Proceedings of ESANN 2000) have suggested that the generalization performance can be further enhanced by considering other possible centers of the version space like the center of gravity. However, efficient methods for calculating the center of gravity of a polyhedron are lacking. A center that can be computed efficiently using Newton's method is the analytic center of a convex polytope. We propose an algorithm, that finds the hypothesis that corresponds to the analytic center of the version space. We refer to this type of classifier as the analytic center machine (ACM). Preliminary experimental results are presented for which ACMs outperform support vector machines.
Acanthamoeba Myosin II. INTERACTION WITH ACTIN AND WITH A NEW COFACTOR PROTEIN REQUIRED FOR ACTIN ACTIVATION OF Mg2+ ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATASE ACTIVITY

Purified Acanthamoeba myosin binds reversibly to filaments of muscle actin forming a complex which is dissociated by Mg2+ and ATP. Electron microscopy reveals that the Acanthamoeba myosin binds to actin filaments in a regular way which accentuates the helical repeat of the actin filaments but the myosin does not form the distinct arrowhead-shaped complexes typical of other actin-myosin complexes. Actin filaments treated with Acanthamoeba myosin are usually found closely spaced in parallel arrays suggesting that the Acanthamoeba myosin crosslinks the filaments. Under physiological conditions actin activates the Mg2+ ATPase of the Acanthamoeba myosin but this activation requires the presence of another Acanthamoeba protein which we have named the cofactor protein. Cofactor protein has been partially purified and the available data suggest that it is composed of a single polypeptide chain with a molecular weight of 97,000. The Mg2+ ATPase activity that results from the interaction of Acanthamoeba myosin, cofactor, and actin is dependent on the concentration of each of these proteins but it is not affected by the concentration of Ca2+. The cofactor protein, therefore, does not seem to be analagous to the Ca2+-sensitive control proteins found in the muscles of higher animals.
A Comprehensive Determination of Effects of Calcined Petroleum Coke Properties on Aluminum Reduction Cell Anode Properties

A bench scale determination of effects of calcined coke properties on prebaked anode properties was made using 16 cokes. Coke physical and chemical analyses included bulk and real densities, crystallite height, electrical resistivity, BET surface area, mercury porosimetry, and impurity analyses. Anode density, electrical resistivity, excess electrolytic consumption, and air burning rate were determined. Least squares regression analyses were carried out. Anode density correlated well with coke vibrated bulk density and coke porosity below 5 um in diameter. Electrical resistivity correlated very well with coke resistivity, along with vibrated bulk density. Air burning to a 10% weight loss correlated only with mercury porosimetry values, although rate toward the end of the experiments increased with coke vanadium content. Consumption during electrolysis correlations were weak, but consumption increased with metallic impurities such as nickel.
N-myristylation of the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase conveys structural stability

Coexpression of the yeast N-myristyltransferase with the murine catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase in prokaryotic cells results in the N-myristylation of the recombinant catalytic subunit. The acylated recombinant catalytic subunit was purified following in vitro holoenzyme formation with a mutant form of the regulatory subunit and compared to the non-myristylated recombinant enzyme and to the mammalian porcine enzyme. All three enzymes are very similar in terms of their kinetic properties and their capacity to reassociate in vitro with the regulatory subunit to form holoenzyme. In contrast, the myristylated recombinant catalytic subunit is significantly more stable to thermal denaturation than the non-myristylated enzyme. Its thermal stability is now comparable to the mammalian enzyme. All three catalytic subunits are significantly more stable to thermal denaturation when they are part of the holoenzyme complex. Each shows an increase in T1/2 of 10 degrees C. This study demonstrates that one function for the myristic acid at the NH2 terminus of the catalytic subunit is to provide structural stability.
Is History Still a Fraud

Is History Still a Fraud? B Y NA SSER ZAKARI YA * C YNTHIA S TOKES B ROWN . Big History: From the Big Bang to the Present. New York and London: New Press, 2007. xvi þ 288 pp., illus., bibl., index. ISBN 978-1-595-58196-9. $25.95 (hardcover). D AVID C HRISTIAN . Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History. 2nd edn. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011. xxvii þ 642 pp., illus., bibl., index. ISBN 978-0-520-27144-9. $26.95 (paper). E DMUND R USSELL . Evolutionary History: Uniting History and Biology to Under- stand Life on Earth. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. xxi þ 216 pp., illus., bibl., index. ISBN 978-0-521-74509-3. $23.99 (paper). D ANIEL L ORD S MAIL . On Deep History and the Brain. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011. xiv þ 271 pp., bibl., index. ISBN 978-0-520-25812-9. $21.95 (paper). F REDERICK S PIER . Big History and the Future of Humanity. Chichester, U.K. and Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. xv þ 272 pp., illus., bibl., index. ISBN 978-1-444-33943-7. $130.95 (hardcover). Roughly eighty years ago, J. B. S. Haldane questioned whether History, the academic and pedagogical discipline of History, was a fraud. New attitudes toward sacred texts and success in deciphering ancient scripts had made it possible ‘‘to-day for the ﬁrst time to take a bird’s eye view of history as a whole.’’ 1 By way of contrast with the prehistoric barbarism of invasions and stone ages revealed in art and human skulls, and, earlier still, of the prevalence of the ‘‘half-men’’ recorded in ﬂint tools and Neanderthal skulls, History *Michigan State University, 919 E. Shaw Lane, East Lansing, MI 48825; zakariya@msu.edu. 1. J. B. S. Haldane, ‘‘Is History a Fraud?’’ Harper’s Magazine 161, no. 9 (1930): 470–78, on 471.
Contemporary management of carotid blowout.

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this report is to summarize existing literature with respect to carotid artery blowout and to present an up-to-date algorithm for its management that incorporates recent advances with respect to its diagnosis and treatment.Recent findingsAlthough once thought as one e
Preoperative planning of airway management in critical care patients

Objective The aim of this article is to review aspects of airway evaluation that may affect the care of the critical care patient whose airway is to be managed. This information must then be incorporated into the decision-making process of the "airway manager." Design Literature review. Results Historically used indexes of airway evaluation suffer from low sensitivity and only modest specificity in identifying the difficult-to-intubate patient. Using each index in isolation of others contributes to their poor predictive power. An understanding of anatomical relationships that these indexes measure should help the clinician in evaluating the airway. The clinician's impression of the airway, as well as the likelihood of trouble with supraglottic ventilation, the patient's inability to take food orally, and the patient's general condition can be used to formulate a management plan. This plan should be consistent with the American Society of Anesthesiologist's difficult airway algorithm. Conclusions Rote decision making on airway management, based on commonly used indexes, is not adequate. The vital role of airway in anesthetic management of the critical care patient demands thoughtful consideration. Patient conditions including the need for airway control, the likelihood of difficult laryngoscopy or supraglottic ventilation, the patient's inability to take food orally, and the medical state of the patient must be incorporated.
Typical Classroom Experiences in First Grade: The Role of Classroom Climate and Functional Risk in the Development of Social Competencies

Abstract In this study we examined the relation between children’s social competence and their first‐grade classroom environment. Drawing from data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, we used cluster analysis to identify 4 types of typical classrooms based on observed classroom emotional and instructional supports. The 4 types of classrooms were marked by (1) overall high quality of both supports, including high‐quality evaluative feedback; (2) high‐quality emotional support, and low‐quality evaluative feedback; (3) mediocre levels of both supports; and (4) low levels of both supports. Of the children participating in this study, 946 students from 820 classrooms fit the 4‐cluster solution and were included in the data analysis. The association between classroom type and social competence (measured by teacher ratings and independent observations of behavior in and out of the classroom) was analyzed, and a moderating effect of the classroom on children displaying indicators of fu...
Epidemiology and Outcomes of Community-Acquired Clostridium difficile Infections in Medicare Beneficiaries

Background The incidence of community-acquired Clostridium difficile (CACD) is increasing in the United States. Many CACD infections occur in the elderly, who are predisposed to poor outcomes. We aimed to describe the epidemiology and outcomes of CACD in a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries. Study Design We queried a 5% random sample of Medicare beneficiaries (2009−2011 Part A inpatient and Part D prescription drug claims; n = 864,604) for any hospital admission with a primary ICD-9 diagnosis code for C difficile (008.45). We examined patient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, preadmission exposure to oral antibiotics, earlier treatment with oral vancomycin or metronidazole, inpatient outcomes (eg, colectomy, ICU stay, length of stay, mortality), and subsequent admissions for C difficile . Results A total of 1,566 (0.18%) patients were admitted with CACD. Of these, 889 (56.8%) received oral antibiotics within 90 days of admission. Few were being treated with oral metronidazole (n = 123 [7.8%]) or vancomycin (n = 13 [0.8%]) at the time of admission. Although 223 (14%) patients required ICU admission, few (n = 15 [1%]) underwent colectomy. Hospital mortality was 9%. Median length of stay among survivors was 5 days (interquartile range 3 to 8 days). One fifth of survivors were readmitted with C difficile , with a median follow-up time of 393 days (interquartile range 129 to 769 days). Conclusions Nearly half of the Medicare beneficiaries admitted with CACD have no recent antibiotic exposure. High mortality and readmission rates suggest that the burden of C difficile on patients and the health care system will increase as the US population ages. Additional efforts at primary prevention and eradication might be warranted.
Anderson localization for Bernoulli and other singular potentials

We prove exponential localization in the Anderson model under very weak assumptions on the potential distribution. In one dimension we allow any measure which is not concentrated on a single point and possesses some finite moment. In particular this solves the longstanding problem of localization for Bernoulli potentials (i.e., potentials that take only two values). In dimensions greater than one we prove localization at high disorder for potentials with Holder continuous distributions and for bounded potentials whose distribution is a convex combination of a Holder continuous distribution with high disorder and an arbitrary distribution. These include potentials with singular distributions. We also show that for certain Bernoulli potentials in one dimension the integrated density of states has a nontrivial singular component.
Scaling Up the Implementation of a Pre-Kindergarten Mathematics Curriculum: Teaching for Understanding With Trajectories and Technologies

Abstract This study used a randomized field trial design to evaluate the efficacy of a research-based model for scaling up an intervention focused on preschool mathematics. Although the successes of research-based educational practices have been documented, equally well known is the paucity of successful efforts to bring these practices to scale. The same research corpus provides guidelines to scale up successful interventions. We designed an intervention model based on that research, including mathematics curricula with an emphasis on teaching for understanding following developmental guidelines, or learning trajectories, and using technology at multiple levels. We then implemented that model and evaluated the implementation with a limited scale up study. Within a design involving 25 classrooms serving children at risk for later school failure, we examined the impact of the model, using measures of fidelity of implementation, classroom observations of mathematics environment and teaching, and child outco...
Membranous remnant of left venous valve of inferior vena cava: Implications for device closure of atrial septal defects

We described three pediatric cases during which we encountered a rarely described component of the atrial septum, a membranous remnant of the left venous valve of the IVC, in patients who were brought to the catheterization lab for device closure of an atrial septal defect. In all cases, this remnant was not noted by previous transthoracic imaging. Awareness of this potential anatomic variation is important to successful device closure of atrial septal defects.
THE ACCURACY IN ESTIMATING TRUCK CLASS RATES FOR LOGISTICAL PLANNING

Abstract Truck class rates are usually needed in strategic logistical planning, especially for facility location. Using point-to-point transport rates is exact, but for practical reasons it is often necessary to estimate them from distance. Two sources of rate estimating error are examined: (a) the error resulting from the linear approximation of rates from distances; and, (b) the error associated with estimating distances from shipment origin-destination coordinate points. Suggestions are made as to how the rate estimating error may be minimized.
Dynamic small‐angle x‐ray scattering from crystalline polymers

The variation in small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) for samples of crystalline polymers subjected to oscillatory strains has been observed employing the 10-m SAXS apparatus with a two-dimensional position-sensitive detector at the National Center for Small-Angle Scattering Research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Signal averaging has been carried out in accordance with the π/2-sector technique by gating the detection of scattered intensity in synchronism with the sample strain. In-phase and out-of-phase intensity changes have been observed for a high-density polyethylene at various frequencies (0.05–3.2 Hz) and temperatures (0–70°C). Changes are greatest at small scattering angles. Frequency dependence is greatest at lower temperatures, indicating a time-dependent response of the structural changes leading to scattering at these temperatures. The behavior is not pronounced at elevated temperatures. The similarity of the scattering at both azimuthal angles of 0° and 90° suggests the existence of an additional mechanism, perhaps microvoid formation. To evaluate void contribution, the dynamic invariant function is determined as a function of frequency and temperature. It appears that the microvoid formation lags behind the applied strain. The static and swelling SAXS studies present further evidence of void generation during elongation.
Income tax policy and lifetime labor supply

Abstract A progressive income tax structure provides incentives for individuals to alter their rate of work and their age of retirement. Compared to a zero tax or proportional tax equilibrium, progressive taxation induces individuals to take less leisure in the form of retirement in exchange for more leisure during the worklife, especially at high wage levels. The imposition of a special pension tax provision on top of a progressive tax structure offsets the distortion on leisure alternatives imposed by progressivity. Indeed, the pension tax deferral provision can neutralize the impact of tax progressivity on the work profile over life. The magnitude of these tax inducements in the U.S. tax structure are non-trivial and therefore are expected to alter labor supply decisions over the lifetime. The model finds empirical support using data from the Social Security Newly Entitled Beneficiaries Survey.
Auxins and Gibberellin-like Substances in Parthenocarpic and Non-parthenocarpic Syconia of Ficus carica L., cv. King

In the King cultivar of fig, the first crop is parthenocarpic, develops on previous year's growth, and a series of supernumerary ovules develops within the original ovules. The second crop, formed on current-season's growth, requires fertilization. To determine whether the 2 crops differed in types, and in patterns of concentrations of total ;free' auxins and acidic gibberellins, they were extracted from weekly fruit samples. Timing of the 3 peaks of total auxins and the single peak of gibberellins was identical in the 2 crops. The first auxin peak in both occurred at the end of fruit growth period I (first rapid growth period), the second shortly before the end of period II (period of slow growth), and the rise and fall in concentrations of the third peak accompanied the rise and fall of the fruit growth rate in period III. The end of period II was marked by the single gibberellin peak. Additional peaks before the first sampling dates, of auxins in the first crop, of gibberellins in the second, were indicated by high concentrations in the first samples and subsequent rapid decline. The same 4 individual auxins appeared in both crops. Auxins I and II were highest in concentration in the first total auxin peak of both crops. In the second peak of the first crop, auxins II and III were highest, whereas in that peak of the second crop auxins II and IV were highest. Qualitative differences in gibberellins occurred in the 2 crops. In general, auxin concentrations were higher in the first than the second crop, and gibberellin concentrations higher in the second. High concentrations of gibberellins coincided with low ones of auxins, and vice versa.
One-dimensional self-assembly of a water soluble perylene diimide molecule by pH triggered hydrogelation

A water soluble perylene diimide molecule has been fabricated into nanofibers via a pH triggered hydrogelation route. The one-dimensional self-assembly is dominated by the intermolecular π-π stacking interactions in concert with the hydrogen bonding between the carboxylic acid side chains. The anisotropic electronic and optical properties observed for the nanofibers are consistent with the one-dimensional intermolecular π-π arrangement.