cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A strategy for merging and analyzing work history data in industry-wide occupational epidemiological studies.

Study populations examined in epidemiologic investigations of occupational disease risks often are assembled by the pooling of employee data from several workplaces that share common exposure factors. The primary objectives of this approach are to enhance the representativeness of the overall study population and to obtain sufficient employee sample sizes in exposure subgroups of interest. Among the many epidemiologic aspects that must be considered carefully in such industry-wide studies is the inter- and intra-company or plant comparability of employee work history data. Currently, the literature is void of articles that specifically address the fundamental data reduction and statistical analysis issues related to merging work history data from several distinct cohorts. This paper describes the basic methodologic problems associated with the pooling of work history data and proposes a joint job title/job exposure-based uniform coding scheme (UCS) that facilitates the aggregation of data from similar or ...
Should remaining stockpiles of smallpox virus (variola) be destroyed

In 2011, the World Health Organization will recommend the fate of existing smallpox stockpiles, but circumstances have changed since the complete destruction of these cultures was first proposed. Recent studies suggest that variola and its experimental surrogate, vaccinia, have a remarkable ability to modify the human immune response through complex mechanisms that scientists are only just beginning to unravel. Further study that might require intact virus is essential. Moreover, modern science now has the capability to recreate smallpox or a smallpox-like organism in the laboratory in addition to the risk of nature re-creating it as it did once before. These factors strongly suggest that relegating smallpox to the autoclave of extinction would be ill advised.
Respiration in a polyploid series in Saccharomyces.

Abstract 1. 1. A polyploid series from haploid through tetraploid in Saccharomyces has been analyzed for respiration and aerobic fermentation with glucose as substrate. 2. 2. Q O 2 (cell) and Q CO 2 air (cell) increase in integral fashion with ploidy in cultures grown under comparable conditions. 3. 3. Respiration-sufficient hybrids with one respiration-deficient parent exhibit the full ploidy-dependent respiration of the hybrid. 4. 4. The findings are interpreted as dependence of quantitative enzyme potential on the quantitative genetic complement.
Families of continuous approximate processes for the solution of ordinary differential equations

Abstract As is well known, the solution of the initial value problem y' = f(x, y), y(x0) = y0 is a contiuously differentiable function. Having this property in mind the author, in 1984, developed a polynomial function of fourth degree: P 4 (x), x = x 0 + ch, 0 , where h is the chosen step-size, such that for any c ≠ 1, P4(x0 + ch) would constitute a fourth order Runge-Kutta approximation to y(x0 + ch), and for c = 1, the obtained approximation is upgraded to fifth order. The author will show that there is a family of such polynomial approximants, and that for any chosen fixed value of c ∈ (0, 1] (not just for c =1), P4(x0 + ch) constitutes a fifth order Runge-Kutta approximation. All these P4s necessitate six evaluations of f, i.e. they constitute six-stage processes. However, the first four stages are common to all members of the family. The latter property may be used advantageously for step-size adjustment and for error estimation. The entire process is valid for scalar as well as vector initial value problems.
"Negative" Crystals in Ice: A Method for Growth

Holes bounded by crystal-lographic faces, or "negative" crystals, may be made in ice by inserting a hypodermic needle and connecting it to a vacuum. The evaporation habit changes as a function of temperature and growth rate. This procedure is a simple way of producing mirror-smooth, uncontaminated, crystallographic surfaces in compounds which have high vapor pressure.
Environmental factors and quality improvement in county and local health departments.

OBJECTIVE: On the basis of resource dependency theory and the uncertainty principle, this study examines the relationship between the local public health market environment and the use of quality improvement (QI) strategies in local health departments. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study uses secondary data from the 2008 National Association of County & City Health Officials profile study, the Health Resources and Services Administration's Area Resource File, and the County Health Rankings 2010 data set. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: US local health departments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Seven binary dependent variables that represented the use of QI processes or QI training within local health departments were used. Eight independent variables were identified and operationalized to measure the constructs of munificence, dynamism, and complexity for the local public health market environment. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were used. RESULTS: Two of the 3 munificence variables were positively associated with QI, as predicted. These included percentage of zip codes with healthy food outlets (β = +.016, P < .05) and the number of primary care physicians per capita (β = +1.327, P < .05). Two of the 3 measures of complexity were, as predicted, negatively associated with indicators of QI. These included smoking prevalence (β = -.118, P < .05) and obesity rates (β = -.081, P < .10). With respect to dynamism, 1 variable (change in population size over a 5-year period) was unexpectedly, positively related to QI (β = +.118, P < .10 and β = +0.235, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Overall findings provide moderate support for the use of resource dependency theory and the uncertainty perspective to understand the influence of the external environment on QI within the local public health setting. Future research should examine other ways of operationalizing these environmental constructs to examine the relationship between the environment and other elements of public health practice.
Tevatron top A FB versus LHC top physics

We carry out a comprehensive analysis of models for top A_{FB} at CDF in light of new top data arriving from the LHC. We begin with a careful Tevatron analysis, considering in general which sets of effective vertices give rise to a large forward-backward asymmetry while suppressing the contribution to the total t tbar cross-section. We show on general grounds that scalar models struggle to produce sufficient asymmetries consistent with CDF observations, while vector models can produce a large asymmetry with a less significant tension in the total cross-section and $t\bar{t}$ invariant mass distribution at the Tevatron. We examine the essential observables of these models for top physics at LHC7 with 1 fb^{-1} of data, including the total cross-section, invariant mass distribution and number of additional jets in t tbar events. In the case of t-channel mediators, the LHC total cross-section places a strong constraint on light mediators, while the Tevatron invariant mass distributions place strong constraints on heavy mediators that are able to produce the asymmetry. Heavy axigluons are becoming increasingly squeezed by LHC7 t tbar and dijet resonance searches. We conclude that LHC7 top analyses are rapidly closing the window for viable models of the CDF top A_{FB}.
The Value of a College Degree

Since the end of the Civil War, America has been a leader in providing public education. Ours was the first country to provide free and universal elementary schooling; at the start of the 20th cent...
Staff “poaching” in the small business context: overcoming this key barrier to training

Purpose – The present study seeks to investigate how small firm owners' “poaching” concerns could be overcome so that workforce skills development could be stimulated in such firms.Design/methodology/approach – The study draws on case‐study work in two small firms in Greece. The data collection tools involved secondary data (e.g. company reports) and in‐depth personal interviews with the two firm owners and seven employees.Findings – The empirical data revealed that owners in small firms may enhance staff loyalty significantly by placing much emphasis on their management style, as well as by creating a “friendly” atmosphere at work. The interviews indicated that employees in such enterprises seem to place much value on aspects of their working lives other than payment. This includes a supportive and competent owner, increased job autonomy and responsibility, involvement in decision making and a harmonious working climate with few conflicts.Research limitations/implications – Further empirical studies with...
Ecological Interactions between Elasmobranchs and Groundfish Species on the Northeastern U.S. Continental Shelf. I. Evaluating Predation

Abstract Elasmobranchs are an important component of the northeastern U.S. continental shelf ecosystem in terms of both biomass and abundance. It has been hypothesized that because of their high biomass these species have a significant negative impact on commercially valuable groundfish via ecological interactions. One of these hypotheses posits that elasmobranchs directly remove such groundfish by predation. We analyzed data from the stomachs of 40,756 spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias, 3,806 smooth dogfish Mustelus canis, 17,618 little skate Raja erinacea, 11,593 winter skate R. ocellata, and 2,571 thorny skate R. radiata collected in bottom trawl surveys conducted principally during spring and autumn 1973–1998 in waters from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, to Nova Scotia. Except for silver hake Merluccius bilinearis, most groundfish are not common in the diets of the elasmobranchs. Estimates of consumption indicate that both the number and the total biomass of the groundfish that are removed are generally...
C.S. Lewis: a guide to resources

Purpose – Many bibliographies of books about C.S. Lewis' works and life have been compiled in the past, but a bibliography of recent literary criticism addressing Lewis and his work is hard to come by. The purpose of this paper is to provide a bibliography of the best works recently published about C.S. Lewis and his writings.Design/methodology/approach – Many different sources were used to find current popular works about C.S. Lewis and his writings. The author searched several databases, read several book reviews, and looked through the source itself when available in order to compile an annotated list of current works, which are viewed to be important additions to the literature about C.S. Lewis and his works.Practical implications – The resulting bibliography is not a complete list of everything written about C.S. Lewis in the past few years. Instead, the intent is to compile a research guide of the sources considered to be the most useful contributions to the works about C.S. Lewis that already exist...
Existence of lattice structures in a class of magnetic phase transitions

Abstract A class of models described in terms of a charged field ψ in interaction with a uniform magnetic field is considered. They generalize the Ginzburg-Landau theory of type II superconductivity to non-local quartic interactions. If the strength of this interaction is sufficiently large this system undergoes a magnetic phase transition to a phase with lattice structure. It is shown that near the critical field the extrema of the action are obtained for ψ expressed in terms of the Jacobi function ι1(z | τ) where τ = τR + iτI for some τ on the line τ R = 0 or τ R = 1 2 . For rotational invariant kernels the action as a function of τ is modular invariant and the line τ R = 1 2 is equivalent to the boundary of moduli space. The actual configuration giving the minimum of the action depends on the particular form of the kernel.
Improving forecasts of volcanic ash concentrations

Volcanic ash can severely damage airplanes, and eruptions such as the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption may result in major disruption to air travel. Improved forecasting of ash cloud locations and concentrations could benefit the aviation industry and reduce delays, but forecasting is challenging because eruptions and atmospheric transport of volcanic ash are complex processes. The UK Met Office had improved its modeling procedures prior to the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption, enabling peak ash concentrations to be estimated during that event. Webster et al. describe the Met Office's method of ash concentration forecasting and how it has evolved from simply predicting regions of ash to also estimating peak ash concentrations.
New Freeform NURBS Imaging Design Code

A new optical imaging design code for NURBS freeform surfaces is described, with reduced optimization cycle times due to its fast raytrace engine, and the ability to handle larger NURBS surfaces because of its improved optimization algorithms. This program, FANO (Fast Accurate NURBS Optimization), is then applied to an f/2 three mirror anastigmat design. Given the same optical design parameters, the optical system with NURBS freeform surfaces has an average r.m.s. spot size of 4 microns. This spot size is six times smaller than the conventional aspheric design, showing that the use of NURBS freeform surfaces can improve the performance of three mirror anastigmats for the next generation of smaller pixel size, larger format detector arrays.
A carotid body tumor.

YOUNG man twenty-nine years of A age was referred to us with a fairIy Iarge tumor on the Ieft side of his neck which eventuaIIy proved to be a carotid body tumor. Because this is such a rare condition, there being Iess than 300 cases in medica Iiterature, we beIieve that it merits a report. NormaIIy, the carotid body is a smaI1 organ about 8 mm. in diameter situated near the bifurcation of the common carotid artery.
Nutrient Dynamics from Broiler Litter Applied to No-Till Cotton in an Upland Soil

Applying broiler litter to the soil surface of a no-till field of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) increases the potential loss of its nutrients via runoffand volatilization. An experiment was conducted over 3 yr on an upland Atwood silt loam soil (fine-silty, mixed, semiactive, thermic Typic Paleudalfs) near Pontotoc, MS, to determine the effect of broiler litter incorporation into the surface soil of no-till cotton on nutrient availability, movement, and accumulation. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with six treatments replicated four times. Treatments were an unfertilized control, inorganic N-P-K fertilizer at the recommended rate, broiler litter at the rate of 5.2 Mg ha -1 plus 34 kg ha -1 supplemental N, and broiler litter at 7.8 Mg ha -1 without supplemental N. A surface incorporated treatment was also included for each litter rate to test for the effects of incorporation. Broiler litter significantly increased soil nutrient concentrations compared to the control. Incorporating litter into the surface soil retained more nutrients in the soil and enhanced C sequestration over nonincorporation, indicating losses of nutrients without incorporation. Application of litter at the higher rate exceeded cotton nutrient utilization as evidenced by increasing soil NO 3 -N and accumulation of P, K, Cu, and Zn in the top 5 cm of the soil. Incorporating litter increased soil nutrient content higher than nonincorporation. Incorporation of litter into the surface soil of a no-till cotton significantly reduces nutrient losses from the field.
A 40 GByte/s read-out system for large collider detectors

Abstract We present the design of a read-out system for a large collider detector. The readout was designed for GEM, one of the two detectors that was planned for the Superconducting Super Collider. However, given the similarity in requirements, the design may be relevant for other proton collider detectors. The readout is designed to cope with the huge number of channels and enormous data rates, typical for high luminosity colliders. To simplify front-end design, the system reads all digitized data from the detector data sources at the full Level 1 trigger rate of up to 100 kHz. A total read-out bandwidth of 40 Gbytes/s is available. Data are stored in buffers that are accessible for further event filtering by an on-line processor farm. Data are transported to the farm only as they are needed by the higher-level trigger algorithms, leading to a reduced bandwidth requirement in the data acquisition system.
Effects of streptozotocin diabetes on amylase release and cAMP accumulation in rat parotid acinar cells.

Rat parotid responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation in vivo are impaired 2–4 weeks after the induction of streptozotocin diabetes. In this study, the effects of experimental diabetes of similar duration and severity on noradrenaline-stimulated amylase release and cAMP accumulation were examined in vitro. Amylase levels were significantly lower in acinar cells isolated from diabetic animals than in controls, and cellular amylase increased after treatment of the diabetic animals with either thyroxine (T4) or insulin. Diabetes and T4 had no apparent affect on amylase release measured as a percentage of the total. In contrast, giving insulin resulted in a significant reduction in maximal secretion (20.4 ± 2.4% compared with 43.6 ± 7.6%). Similar results were observed when amylase release was stimulated with forskolin. Basal cAMP levels were unaffected by diabetes or T4 (7.8 ± 2.3 pmol/mg protein), but stimulated cAMP levels were significantly greater in diabetic acinar cells than in controls. Insulin reversed the effects of diabetes on cAMP accumulation, whereas T4 had no effect. Thus, diabetes (2–4 weeks) and insulin in vivo appear to have paradoxical effects on parotid amylase release and cAMP accumulation in vitro. Further, the effects of diabetes appear to be unrelated to thyroid status.
Thermotropic phase behavior of mixed-chain phosphatidylglycerols: implications for acyl chain packing in fully hydrated bilayers.

In this communication we report the first systematic investigation of the thermodynamic properties of fully hydrated mixed-chain phosphatidylglycerols (PG) using high-resolution differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The crystal structure of dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol shows an acyl chain conformation that is nearly opposite to that of phosphatidylcholine (PC). In PC, the sn-1 chain is straight while the sn-2 chain contains a bend; for PG, the sn-1 contains a bend while the sn-2 chain is in the all-trans conformation (R.H. Pearson, I. Pascher, The molecular structure of lecithin dihydrate, Nature, 281 (1978) 499-501; I. Pascher, S. Sundell, K. Harlos, H. Eibl, Conformational and packing properties of membrane lipids: the crystal structure of sodium dimyristoylphosphatidylglycerol, Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 896 (1987) 77-88). If the structure of PG found in the single crystal can be extrapolated to that in the fully hydrated gel-state bilayer, the observed difference in acyl chain conformations implies that modulation of the acyl chain asymmetry will have an opposite effect on the thermotropic phase behavior of PG and PC. For example, it is expected, based on the crystal structures, that C(15):C(13)PG should have a higher main phase transition temperature (Tm) than C(14):C(14)PG, and C(13):C(15)PG should have a lower Tm than C(14):C(14)PG. However, our DSC studies show clearly that the expectation is not borne out by experimental data. Rather, the Tm values of C(15):C(13)PG, C(14):C(14)PG, and C(13):C(15)PG are 18.2 degrees C, 23.1 degrees C, and 24.4 degrees C, respectively. Several other PGs, each with a unique acyl chain composition, have also been studied in this laboratory using high-resolution DSC. It is shown that the acyl chain conformation of fully hydrated PG in general is nearly opposite to that seen in the PG crystal structure.
Spatial and Temporal Sequence of Corneal Crystal Deposition in Nephropathic Cystinosis

We studied 15 patients with infantile nephropathic cystinosis. We found that anterior corneal cystine crystal deposition began early in life and proceeded posteriorly as the patient aged; deposition advanced more rapidly in the periphery. Ultrastructural analysis of a corneal button obtained from a 20-year-old patient undergoing corneal transplantation confirmed our clinical observations that crystals were deposited throughout the entire central stroma.
Impurity segregation at low-angle grain boundaries in sodium chloride

Abstract The concentration and binding of divalent ions at low-angle grain boundaries in NaCl was studied by a novel approach which separates electric charge cloud effects from other impurity-dislocation interactions. The lower limit of binding energy was determined to be 0.2 eV.
Ockham, Scotus, and the Censure at Avignon

The third decade of the fourteenth century might well be considered a pivotal period for William of Ockham. In the first place, it witnessed his metamorphosis from theologian into political theorist. More ominously, it was during these years that he changed from a faithful son of the church into a rebel against papal authority.l Both of these transformations came about largely because of his trip to Avignon to defend himself against the charges first leveled by Johannes Lutterell and then investigated by a papal commission. Having been summoned to defend his theological orthodoxy, Ockham found himself drawn into the quarrel between John XXII and Michael of Cesena. Ockham sided with Michael and eventually escaped with him in 1328, fleeing into the arms of Ludwig the Bavarian. Thus, from the papal viewpoint, the Ockham who departed in 1328 was a man with appreciably more sins to his credit than the one who had arrived approximately four years earlier.
Association of serum nitrate and nitrite levels with longitudinal assessments of disease activity and damage in systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis.

Objective Reactive intermediate production is an essential component of the innate immune response that is induced during disease activity in murine lupus. This study was undertaken to determine whether a marker of systemic nitric oxide (NO) production correlates with prospectively studied disease activity in human systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis patients. Methods Eighty-three SLE patients and 40 control subjects were studied longitudinally. The SLE group included 23 patients with lupus nephritis documented by renal biopsy and 26 with a history of lupus nephritis. During each visit, following a 24-hour low-nitrate diet, traditional markers of disease activity and damage were determined. Serum nitrate plus nitrite (NOx) levels were determined by chemiluminescence detection. Results NOx levels were higher in SLE patients than in controls during the first visit. In univariate longitudinal analyses, NOx levels were associated with SLE Disease Activity Index scores. In multivariate analyses, NOx levels were associated with serum levels of C3 and creatinine and the urinary protein:creatinine ratio. Among patients with lupus nephritis, those with proliferative lesions had higher NOx levels, and higher NOx levels were associated with accumulation of renal damage and lack of response to therapy. Conclusion This is the first study to prospectively demonstrate longitudinal associations between serum NOx levels and markers of SLE and lupus nephritis disease activity. The more pronounced association with proliferative lupus nephritis and with longitudinal response to lupus nephritis therapy provides a rationale for the study of reactive intermediates as biomarkers of disease activity and therapeutic targets in proliferative lupus nephritis.
The Development and Validation of the Religious/Spiritually Integrated Practice Assessment Scale:

Objective:This article describes the development and validation of the Religious/Spiritually Integrated Practice Assessment Scale (RSIPAS). The RSIPAS is designed to assess social work practitioners’ self-efficacy, attitudes, behaviors, and perceived feasibility concerning the assessment or integration of clients’ religious and spiritual beliefs in clinical practice.Methods:After establishing content validity of the RSIPAS with a group of nationally known experts in the area of religion/spirituality and behavioral health, a national sample of master’s social workers (N = 482) was randomly selected to assess the scale’s internal consistency, criterion validity, discriminant validity, and factorial validity.Results:Findings support the scale’s reliability (α = .95), criterion validity, discriminant validity, and factorial validity.Conclusions:The RSIPAS may be a useful instrument for elucidating current views and training needs among social work practitioners or to evaluate the outcomes of training or educa...
Was Vietnam a Class War

A random sample of Army veterans who served during the Vietnam War was collected by the Centers for Disease Control. Its distributions by race and education are similar to those of the general Amer...
Vortex Motion and the Geometric Phase. Part II. Slowly Varying Spiral Structures

We derive formulas for the long time evolution of passive interfaces in three “canonical” incompressible, inviscid, two-dimensional flow models. The point vortex models, introduced in Part 1 [1] are (i) a “restricted” three-vortex problem, (ii) a vortex and a particle in a closed circular domain, and (iii) a particle in the flowfield of a mixing layer model undergoing a vortex pairing instability. In each configuration, it was shown in Part 1 that the passive particle exhibits a geometric or Hannay-Berry phase over long time periods induced by the slowly varying periodic background field. In this paper we show how the formula for the evolution of a passive interface driven by the dynamics of the vortices inherits this geometric phase effect. The interface wraps into a spiral formation around the “parent” vortex, with a slowly varying component induced by the farfield vorticity. The length formula for the long time growth of the slowly rotating spiral decomposes into a “dynamic” part and a “geometric” part. The dynamic part is the length in the “unperturbed” system—i.e., in the absence of the background field—and the geometric part is the contribution of the geometric phase θg for a passive particle in the flow. We derive the following simple formula for an interface along a smooth curve joining two arbitrary particles labelled A and B. Define ΔL(T) as the difference in interface lengths between the “unperturbed” system and the “perturbed” slowly varying system at the end of the long time period T. In each case, \(\Delta L = \lim _{T \to \infty } \Delta L\left( T \right) = - \int_{\xi _A }^{\xi _B } {d\left( {\xi \theta _g } \right)}\), where ξ is the radial coordinate parametrizing the interface at t = 0.
Optical power supply unit utilizing high power laser diode module developed for fiber laser pumping

High power laser diode developed for fiber laser pumping is evaluated as a light source for an optical power supply unit. The output power of the newly developed laser diode module exceeds 15 W with 105 μm core fiber. It is estimated that more than 1600 mW power supply can be achieved with the single emitter laser diode module and a polycrystalline silicon cell over 1 km away from the light source. This unit can be used for sensor nodes in the fiber sensor network.
Detection of Bacillus globigii spores using a Fourier transform infrared-attenuated total reflection method.

The use of an alumina-coated ZnSe internal reflection element (IRE) to detect spores by attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) was investigated. Two methods for coating the IRE with alumina are described. It is shown that the adsorption proceeds through an interaction of the carboxylate groups on Bacillus globigii (BG) and positively charged sites on the alumina. The amount adsorbed is highly dependent on solution pH and passes through a maximum value near pH 5, which is dictated by the charge density on the spores and the charge density on the alumina surface. Furthermore, it is shown that lateral–lateral repulsion between the spores limits the maximum adsorbed amount, giving rise to a detection limit of 107 spores per cm2 of the IRE.
Motivators and enablers of SCOURing: A study of online piracy in the US and UK

Abstract S haring C opyrighted o r U nauthorized R eplications (SCOURing) is a common activity among some 80 million online file-swappers. Unfortunately, SCOURing is also an illegal activity. A better understanding of SCOURing could help to mitigate its practice. To that end, results from an empirical study of US and UK consumers suggest SCOURing is explained by motivations (justification, believed pervasiveness by peers, believed risklessness, and experiential reasons) and ability (tech-savviness). If true, then companies' efforts to reduce SCOURing by legal action or trying to educate consumers about the victims of SCOURing may be ineffective.
EFFECTS OF POST-HARVEST STORAGE ON THE QUALITY OF CANNED SNAP BEANS

A study was conducted to simulate conditions that exist in loaded trailers and bulk bins during transport and storage of snap beans to study the effects of post-harvest storage on quality of canned snap beans. Post-harvest variables were 2 air flow rates, 3 storage times, 4 storage temperatures and 2 methods of blanch. Respiration rates were higher in beans that were held under high temperatures and a fast flow rate. Sensory ratings for color and general appearance were higher on beans stored under a slow flow rate. Beans stored under a fast flow rate were higher in % seed, fiber, hemicellulose and cellulose. Browning was more severe in beans stored at a fast flow rate. As storage times and temperatures were increased, beans decreased in greenness (‘-a’) and sensory scores. Shear press values, % seed, fiber, total sugar and cellulose increased in the canned beans as storage times and temperatures were increased. The beans that were blanched in rotary steam were lighter in color and less firm than those blanched in water.
Unique Conductance, Gating, and Selective Permeability Properties of Gap Junction Channels Formed by Connexin40

Abstract Connexin40 is selectively expressed in specialized cardiac conduction (nodal and His-Purkinje) tissues and the atrium, yet the channel properties formed by this gap junction protein have not been investigated. The conductance, gating, and selective permeability of rat connexin40 (Cx40) gap junction channels between pairs of Cx40-transfected mouse neuroblastoma (N2A) cells in culture were studied by using dual whole-cell voltage-clamp techniques. The macroscopic steady state junctional conductance gating was dependent on transjunctional voltage with a Boltzmann half-inactivation voltage of ±50 mV, a residual voltage-insensitive normalized junctional conductance of 35% of maximum, and a gating charge valence of 3. In the presence of 120 mmol/L potassium glutamate, the slope conductance of single rat Cx40 gap junction channels measured 158±2 pS (n=4). Lower conductance states equal to 21% to 48% of the main open-state conductance were also occasionally observed in two of the four cell pairs. Multichannel open probabilities were found to be heterogeneous. Ion substitution and dye transfer experiments were performed to determine the relative chloride/potassium conductance and dye permeability of anionic fluorescein derivatives in rat Cx40 channels. The rat Cx40 channel had a maximum conductance of 180±18 pS (n=3) in 120 mmol/L KCl and a detectable chloride permeability of 0.29 relative to potassium, indicating some selectivity for cations over anions. Cx40 gap junctions were permeable to 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein (diCl-F) and also to the more polar 6-carboxyfluorescein dye; however, diCl-F dye transfer was not observed to increase with increasing junctional conductance.
Simplicity in Visual Representation: A Semiotic Approach

Simplicity, as an ideal in the design of visual representations, has not received systematic attention. High-level guidelines are too general, and low-level guidelines too ad hoc, too numerous, and...
Mores and gains: The EU's influence on domestic violence policies among its new post-communist member states

Synopsis The EU indirectly affects its member states' social policy, and there is a long-standing debate about its direct causal effect on member states regarding non-economic matters. This article analyzes how the governments of new post-communist Central and Eastern European EU members and candidates reacted to pressures from the European Commission, while acknowledging that the broader context of other global, regional, and domestic actors also affects the establishment of new laws and norms related to domestic violence. The EU's influence is controversial and manifold in post-communist Central and East Europe: while it has rhetorically endorsed gender equality, it has only recently and selectively started to pressure members and candidates into implementing changes and monitoring progress.
Handling of Non-Sink Conditions: In-Vitro Dissolution Rates of Some Common Pharmaceutical Calcium Salts

AbstractA model is developed for convenient treatment of data obtained from non-sink dissolution. To demonstrate its utility, the dissolution profiles of calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate and three calcium phosphates were determined by USP dissolution in pH 1. 2 buffer. A model is developed taking into account both the decreasing size (surface area) and the changing concentration gradient during the dissolution process. All the salts adhere well to the proposed model.
Hyperoxia induces DNA damage in mammalian cells

There is mounting evidence on the role of oxygen-derived free radicals in causing damage to various cellular components. However, most studies reported in the literature have been conducted under conditions where cells were challenged with chemical free radical generating systems. In contrast, we measured DNA strand breaks, through a relatively simple and sensitive technique, as a function of the dissolved oxygen tension in a bioreactor. Cells were exposed to a step change in oxygen tension at mid-exponential growth phase. Several levels of oxygen were tested (200, 300, and 476% dissolved oxygen with respect to air saturation at 1 atmosphere) and compared against a control (10% dissolved oxygen). Hyperoxia was found to cause monotonically increasing DNA strand breakage at all the oxygen levels. In addition, hyperoxia was found to affect other metabolic functions such as the glucose consumption rate, lactate production rate, and cell growth. When hyperoxia-induced DNA strand breakage was compared to that induced by exposure to hydrogen peroxide, a similar response was observed. Exposure to a dissolved oxygen level of 200% induced DNA strand breakage comparable to a bolus of 4.2 microM hydrogen peroxide. Our results show that there is an association between hyperoxia and DNA damage.
Part I. malnutrition in the pediatric population

Seema Kumar, MD, Diane L. Olson, RD, CNSD, and W.F. Schwenk, MD, CNSP T he basic goals of nutrition during infancy and childhood are optimal growth and development, and prevention of deficiency states. Worldwide, malnutrition is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood, and remains the single most common cause of growth retardation in children. Accurate assessment of nutritional status is an integral component of pediatric health care, and is based on anthropometric, clinical, dietary, and biochemical information. Management in children with nutritional depletion or who are at risk for malnutrition requires a comprehensive assessment and an individualized care plan.
Characterization of Participates in the Exhaust Plume of Large Solid-Propellant Rockets

Because of the very large size of the solid-propellant booster rockets employed by the Space Shuttle Launch System, and because of the projected high frequency of Space Shuttle launches, it has been necessary to estimate the effect of this launch activity on the environment. Two major combustion products of the rocket propellant employed in the Space Shuttle boosters are aluminum oxide (AI2O3) particles and hydrogen chloride (HC1) gas. This report is concerned with the characterization of these A12O3 particles in the atmosphere. Size distribution and number density results obtained by flying aerosol collecting and analyzing instruments through the *'ground clouds' and the high-altitude "exhaust plumes" generated by several Titan III launch vehicles, and by subsequent reduction of these data, are presented. The very-high-number densities of submicron-size particles detected in both the "ground cloud" and the high-altitude ''exhaust plume" constitute the principal and, to some extent, unanticipated results of this investigation. Preliminary results regarding the physical appearance, chemical composition, and crystallography of the particles were obtained through examination of collected particulates by scanning electron microscopy.
Abstract B100: Regional predictors of smoking status in three cities in Tennessee

Background: Smoking is one of the leading causes of premature mortality worldwide and remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Smoking is a major risk factor for lung cancer and a risk factor for other types of cancers including cancers of the throat, mouth, bladder, pancreas, and cervix. Despite overall lower smoking rates, African Americans have a higher incidence and mortality from lung cancer. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine regional predictors of smoking status among African American residents of Nashville, Chattanooga, and Memphis. The goal was to use this information to culturally and geographically tailor smoking cessation programs and to improve understanding of regional differences in smoking rates. Methods: As part of the Meharry Community Networks Program (CNP) needs assessment, a 123-item community survey was administered to assess demographic characteristics, smoking status, health care access and utilization, and lifestyle behaviors in low-income African Americans. Participants were recruited from African American communities in Nashville, Chattanooga, and Memphis. The final sample size was 1,118. The primary outcome of interest was smoking status. Results: The smoking rates in Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga were 45%, 36%, and 22% respectively. Several demographic and lifestyle variables were associated with smoking. For example, smokers were more likely to be males, have a high school or less education, have annual household incomes Discussion: Information about regional similarities and differences in predictors to smoking status can be used to develop culturally and geographically tailored smoking cessation programs. Citation Information: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010;19(10 Suppl):B100.
Alterations in serotonergic responsiveness during cocaine withdrawal in rats: similarities to major depression in humans

Abstract Background: Withdrawal from long-term cocaine use is accompanied by symptoms resembling major depression. Because acute cocaine affects serotonin (5-HT) neurons, and 5-HT dysfunction is implicated in the pathophysiology of depression, we evaluated the effects to 5-HT agonists in rats withdrawn from repeated injections of cocaine (15 mg/kg IP, b.i.d., 7 days) or saline. Methods: In the first study, prolactin (PRL) responses elicited by the 5-HT-releasing agent fenfluramine, the 5-HT1A agonist (±)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT), and the 5-HT2A/2C agonist (±)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane hydrochloride (DOI) were examined as indices of postsynaptic 5-HT receptor function. In a second study, specific responses induced by 8-OH-DPAT, namely inhibition of brain 5-HT synthesis and stimulation of feeding, were examined as correlates of 5-HT1A autoreceptor function. Results: Prior treatment with cocaine did not modify fenfluramine-evoked PRL release; however, the PRL secretory response to 8-OH-DPAT was blunted and the PRL response to DOI was potentiated after chronic cocaine treatment. Cocaine exposure did not alter the inhibitory effect of 8-OH-DPAT on 5-HT synthesis. 8-OH-DPAT-induced feeding was influenced by prior cocaine, but this effect was secondary to pronounced baseline hyperphagia in the cocaine-treated group. Conclusions: These data indicate that withdrawal from chronic cocaine renders specific subpopulations of postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors subsensitive and 5-HT2A/2C receptors supersensitive. No evidence for cocaine-induced changes in 5-HT1A autoreceptor responsiveness was found. A survey of the literature reveals similarities in the profile of 5-HT dysfunction between rats withdrawn from cocaine and humans diagnosed with depression. We propose that withdrawal from chronic cocaine in rats may serve as a useful animal model of depressive disorders.
Effect of substrate on the preferred orientation of ZnO films by chemical solution deposition

Abstract ZnO films were fabricated on different substrates using chemical solution deposition. Zinc acetate, 2-methoxyethanol, and diethanolamine were used for the synthesis of the precursor solutions. Three types of substrates such as (1 1 1)-oriented Pt, (2 0 0)-oriented Pt, and amorphous silicon nitride on silicon wafers were used. Strong dependence of the preferred orientation on substrate was characterized. The degree of c -axis orientation of solution-derived ZnO films is greatly enhanced by using the substrate with smaller lattice mismatch. Grain growth is also promoted on such substrates. The preferred orientation and microstructure of ZnO films by chemical solution deposition are discussed in terms of the change in driving force for crystallization due to the accompanying variations that occur in the energy barrier heights for nucleation on the surface of substrates.
Magnons in two-dimensional spin glasses: The high-field limit

The linearized magnetic excitations (magnons) in a two-dimensional +J Heisenberg spin glass are investigated in the limit where the field is assumed to be strong enough to set up complete alignment of the ground state. The density of states, the localization indices, and the dynamic structure factor at zero temperature are computed by numerical simulation techniques. A comparison is made between the numerical results for the density of states and the dynamic structure factor and the predictions of the coherent-exchange approximation. Numerical results at zero field are also presented. In a recent paper, ' we investigated a three-dimensional +J Heisenberg spin glass in a strong field using numerical techniques and the coherent-exchange approximation (CEA), a variation of the coherent-potential approximation. The CEA semiquantitatively reproduced the numerical data for the magnon density of states and the dynamic structure factor for a cubic lattice. We also investigated a one-dimensional version of the model which can be connected formally to the electronic disorder problem. Here the CEA quantitatively accounted for the numerical data in the low-energy regime and the exact calculations done for the electronic disorder problem in the weak disorder limit. In this paper, we study the high-field behavior of the magnons in a two-dimensional +J Heisenberg spin glass using numerical simulation techniques and the CEA. The field is assumed to be sufFiciently large to align the ground state completely, in contrast to zero field, where the spin glass is known to have a noncollinear frustrated ground state, which makes the problem very hard to cope with using conventional methods. In the high-field limit, the spin-glass system is intermediate in complexity between the spin glass in zero field and the ideal ferromagnet. The investigations reported in this paper are suggested by the work of Shender who used the effective-medium theory to calculate the low-lying collective excitations of the spin glass in the high-field limit. In this paper, we calculate the magnon density of states and the localization indices (or inverse localization lengths), and the dynamic structure factor at zero temperature for the entire spectrum using numerical methods and compare with the predictions of the CEA— which reduces to the effective
A Political Economy of Learning Disabilities

The invitation to participate in this issue of LDQ asked me to review my earlier contributions to learning disabilities research, reflect on trends since then, and offer suggestions or predictions for the future of the field. I begin by reviewing my work on the social construction and representation of school failure as student disability and on the reconstruction of special education and public education to avoid the need for such representations. In the remaining sections, I identify several trends in education and society and, by linking them, recommend that the field of learning disabilities join the struggle to create a strong democratic future for students and communities, a project that involves transforming education and American democracy itself, and begins with a transformation of professionalism in education and special education.
Excitation of single-particle states in 8Be by the 9Be (p,d)8Be reaction☆

Abstract The 9 Be(p,d) 8 Be reaction has been studied at a bombarding energy level of 40.8 MeV. It is found that the 16.93 MeV level of 8 Be is strongly excited whereas the 16.63 MeV level is not, in accordance with the prediction of the single-particle model for these isobaric-spin-mixed states.
A Case Study of Political Failure in a Refugee Camp

This article analyses political breakdown in a refugee camp with a case study of the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana. The analysis focuses on a series of social protests by Liberian refugees that prompted the intervention of host police and ended with the hostile repatriation of thousands of people back to Liberia. I argue that the transformation of the social protests into ‘criminal acts’ subject to police action constituted a political breakdown, and highlight three institutional bases for this: inadequate grievance practices, poor communications systems, and constricted durable solutions policymaking. The analysis is based on 15 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Ghana (March–April 2006; September 2007–August 2008; June–July 2011) and research in the online archives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Laser frequency control using an optical resonator locked to an electronic oscillator

A new method for controlling a laser's center frequency is reported. This method extends the Pound-Drever-Hall technique, which delivers exceptional laser linewidth. The new technique, applicable over a broad range of wavelengths, produces a laser beam with both narrow linewidth and stable center frequency. A diode-pumped ring laser is locked to an ultrahigh-finesse, tunable optical resonator which, in turn, is locked to an electronic (5 MHz) oscillator using a difference frequency developed by locking a second laser to the resonator. A 1064-nm beam is reported with linewidth less than 0.004 Hz and center-frequency stability given by the electronic reference. For the case of an oven-controlled quartz crystal, the laser center-frequency stability is less than 1 part in 10/sup 11/ per day with root Allan variance of 10/sup -12/ for a 1000-s time delay. The entire system is compact, and all elements are solid-state, making it useful both in the laboratory and in a number of space-based applications.