Analysis of quality-of-service in a wide-area interactive distance learning system

Interactive distance learning (IDL) is an evolving paradigm of instruction and learning that attempts to overcome both distance and time constraints found in traditional classroom learning. The electronic classrooms at two sites of the University of Oslo and two further sites in Norway overcome separations in space by exchanging digital audio, video, and whiteboard information via the Norwegian academic ATM-based network Supernett II. The electronic classrooms are used since 1993 for teaching graduate level courses. This paper presents measurements and analysis results of transport, application, and user level Quality-of-Service (QoS) of the electronic classrooms. We describe our general experiences with this system for synchronous IDL. The lessons learned represent the motivation for the ongoing extension to support asynchronous IDL by a multimedia database system (MMDBS) to manage all data used and generated in the electronic classrooms.     

A study of Light's criteria and possible modifications for distinguishing exudative from transudative pleural effusions

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the usefulness of modifying Light's criteria for the separation of pleural transudates from exudates. DESIGN: Retrospective review of patients who underwent a diagnostic thoracentesis during a 2-year period. SETTING: Community teaching hospital in Lleida, Spain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical records and pleural fluid characteristics of 230 consecutive patients with pleural effusion underwent a detailed review. Thirty-five of these patients were excluded from the analysis. As suggested recently by Romero et al, different cutoff levels for the criteria of Light et al were applied and their accuracies were calculated. RESULTS: Thirty-nine (20%) pleural effusions were transudates and 156 (80%) were exudates. The accuracy of the criteria of Light et al for identifying exudates was 94.7% (confidence interval, 91.6 to 97.9) in comparison to our own modified criteria (93.1%; confidence interval, 89.5 to 96.7) and the criteria suggested by Romero et al (92.6%; confidence interval, 88.9 to 96.3). These differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Changing the classic Light's criteria with different cutoff points offers no advantages for discriminating between transudative and exudative pleural effusions.     

Advances in the purification of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter using the labeled inhibitor 103Ru360

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is characterized by annual major depressive episodes. It occurs most commonly in young women during autumn and winter with full remission during the following spring. The patient's mood is a combination of depression and anxiety accompanied by fatigue, loss of libido, and a reduction of socialization. Most of these patients complain of atypical vegetative symptoms (e.g. hypersomnia, carbohydrate craving, and weight gain). Hypotheses on the underlying mechanisms of these behavioural disorders indicate that environmental variables, e.g. climate, latitude, light, and changes in neurotransmitter function that occur naturally with the seasons, may be important. Phototherapy is being used increasingly for the treatment of SAD. The antidepressant response is contingent on the exposure of the patients' eyes to light. The biological basis of the diverse psychological and biological changes in SAD and the underlying mechanism of action of phototherapy are still unclear and require further study.     

Deficient transport of dehydroascorbic acid in the glucose transporter protein syndrome

The glucose transporter protein syndrome (GTPS) is caused by defective transport of glucose across the blood-brain barrier via the glucose transporter GLUT1, resulting in hypoglycorrhachia, infantile seizures, and developmental delay. Recent reports indicated that GLUT1 is a multifunctional transporter. We investigated the transport of vitamin C in its oxidized form (dehydroascorbic acid) via GLUT1 into erythrocytes of 2 patients with GTPS. In both patients, uptake of oxidized vitamin C was 61% of the mothers' values. Our findings are consistent with recent observations that vitamin C is transported in its oxidized form via GLUT1. We speculate that impaired transport of this substrate and perhaps other substrates in GTPS might contribute to the pathophysiology of this condition.     

Education reform: Challenges for psychology and psychologists.

National, state, and local education reform agendas have been on a fast track for more than a decade. Although some psychologists have been active in promoting psychology and psychological services in education reform initiatives, knowledge about their efforts is fragmented. In order to educate psychologists about education reform, this article highlights the impetus for the recent education reform movement, briefly reviews the latest waves of education reform, and discusses the development of the National Education Goals. Then, an argument is made for the integration of education, health, and social reform initiatives; state-level education reform principles and initiatives are highlighted, illustrated by the systemic education reform mandate in Kentucky. Next, progress toward the development and implementation of an APA-sponsored response to the National Education Goals is discussed. Finally, objectives and roles for psychologists in advancing education reform are presented, and guidelines for the education and training of future psychologists are introduced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MARKTRAN II: An interactive FORTRAN program for calculating markov transition probabilities of two-dimensional patterns

MARKTRAN II is an interactive FORTRAN IV program that computes Markov transition probabilities for two-dimensional patterns. The pattern is represented by a series of discrete states at each point on a rectangular grid composed of square cells. Transition probabilities in eight directions are computed. MARKTRAN II is useful for numerically describing the fabric of patterns that possess any degree of anisotropy. Geological applications include analysis of rock fabrics, outcrop patterns of geological maps, and variations in ore grade expressed as discrete states.     

Chimeras of the homing endonuclease PI-SceI and the homologous Candida tropicalis intein: a study to explore the possibility of exchanging DNA-binding modules to obtain highly specific endonucleases with altered specificity

Homing endonucleases are extremely specific endodeoxyribonucleases. In vivo, these enzymes confer mobility on their genes by inducing a very specific double-strand cut in cognate alleles that lack the cooling sequence for the homing endonuclease; the cellular repair of the double-strand break with the endonuclease-containing allele as a template leads to integration of the endonuclease gene, completing the homing process. As a result of their extreme sequence specificity, homing endonucleases are promising tools for genome engineering. For this purpose, it is desirable to design enzymes with defined new specificities. To analyse which DNA-binding elements are potential candidates for use in the design of enzymes with modified or even new specificity, we produced several chimeric proteins derived from the Saccharomyces cerevisiae VMA1 intein (PI-SceI) and the related Candida tropicalis VMA1 intein. Although the mature Candida intein is devoid of endonucleolytic activity, the exchange of two DNA-binding modules of PI-SceI with the homologous elements from the Candida intein results in an active endonuclease. The low sequence homology in these modules indicates that different protein-DNA contacts are responsible for the recognition of related DNA sequences. This flexibility in DNA recognition should, in principle, allow endonucleases to be produced with new specificities useful for genome engineering.     

Phase Equilibria in the Mg – Al – Ca System (Region 50-100 mass% Mg)

Phase equilibria in the ternary system Mg – Al – Ca in the composition range 50-100 mass% Mg were studied by the methods of differential thermal, xray diffraction, electron-probe and microscopic analysis. The projection of the liquidus surface on the concentration triangle, isothermal section at 150°C and polythermal sections at 4.5, 8.5, and 16 mass% Al were constructed. It was determined that additions of Al and Ca decrease the liquidus temperature of magnesium alloys (from 650 to 438°C). It is shown that the three-phase region + 2Ca> + 17Al₁₂> exists at 150°C with the corresponding two-phase fields. The temperature dependence of the homogeneity range of the Mgbased solid solution was determined, and also the temperatures of the phase transformations which occur in the investigated range of compositions in the system.     

Environmental stress and recovery: the geochemical record of human disturbance in New Bedford Harbor and Apponagansett Bay,Massachusetts (USA)

Sediments record the history of contamination to estuaries. Analysis of the concentrations of toxic organic compounds, contaminant and crustal metals, organic carbon content and isotopic composition in sediment cores from two estuarine systems in Buzzards Bay allowed reconstruction of human impacts over 350 years. Vertical distributions of the contaminants correlate with changes in the nature of watershed/estuarine activities. All contaminants were highly enriched (tens to hundreds times background) in modern New Bedford Harbor sediments. Enrichment began around the turn of the 20th century for all but PCBs, which were first synthesized in the 1930s. An increase in organic carbon content and a shift of carbon isotopes toward a more terrestrial signature illustrates increasing anthropogenic impact in New Bedford as population grew along with the industrial base. Institution of environmental protection measures in the late 20th century was reflected in decreased, although still substantially elevated, concentrations of contaminants. A lack of industrial development in Apponagansett Bay resulted in much lower concentrations of the same indicators, although specific contaminants related to the early whaling industry increased significantly above background as early as the late 18th century. The similarity of indicators in older portions of cores from NBH and unimpacted Apponagansett Bay demonstrates that cores can be used to establish reference conditions as successfully as using separate sites judged a priori to represent the reference state. The historical reconstruction approach provides the basis for establishing relationships between environmental stressors and factors that drive the stressors, as well as a framework for the assessment of ecological response(s) to environmental stressors over a range of time and/or exposure scales.