cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Speaking back to Manifest Destinies: a land education-based approach to critical curriculum inquiry

This article examines the ways in which settler colonialism shapes place in the social studies curriculum, producing understandings of land and citizenship in educational settings. To do this, the author uses the emergent framework of land education to move forward the important projects of place-based education, especially its potential for centering indigeneity and confronting educational forms of settler colonialism in environmental education. To emphasize how place-based education can intersect with land education, the author outlines how a concept of place, informed by Indigenous knowledge, renders settler colonialism visible. The author then describes how current models of place-based education differ from land education in a number of ways. Finally, using a land education approach, the author demonstrates how schooling, through social studies curriculum, transmits a settler colonial land ethic that must be made explicit in order to decolonize settler colonial relations attached to current pedagogic...
Perception of affect in biological motion cues in anorexia nervosa.

Objective: Nonverbal motion cues (a clenched fist) convey essential information about the intentions of the actor. Individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) have demonstrated impairment in deciphering intention from facial affective cues, but it is unknown whether such deficits extend to deciphering affect from body motion cues. Method: We examined the capacities of adults with AN (n 5 21) or those weight restored for 12 months (WR; n 5 20) to perceive affect in biological motion cues relative to healthy controls (HC; n 5 23). Results: Overall, individuals with AN evidenced greater deficit in discriminating affect from biological motion cues
Investigation of barriers to clinical practice guideline-recommended pharmacotherapy in the treatment of COPD

Background: The adoption of clinical practice guideline recommendations for COPD is suboptimal. Determining the barriers to the implementation of these practice guidelines may help improve patient care.Objective: To determine whether barriers to the use of pharmacotherapy according to practice guidelines are related primarily to patient or prescriber factors.Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Members of a health maintenance organization identified as having spirometry-defined COPD ranging from stage II to IV. Electronic medical records were reviewed for documentation of the following: 1) patient affordability issues, 2) history of an adverse drug reaction, 3) history of inefficacy to therapy, and 4) prescription history.Results: A total of 111 medical records were reviewed. There were 51% of patients who had not filled medications that had been prescribed in accordance with guidelines and 43% did not have the guideline recommended medications prescribed in the previous year. Only 4% and 2% of patients had documented inefficacy and affordability issues, respectively. There were no reported cases of adverse drug reactions.Conclusions: This study provides insight to the acceptance of COPD treatment recommendations by patients and providers. Further research is needed to design interventions to reduce barriers and optimize COPD treatment.
Can tacrolimus ointment (Protopic) exacerbate an intercurrent fungal infection

To the Editor. — Previous studies, including the recent randomized, vehicle-controlled study by Schachner et al,1 have emphasized the safety of tacrolimus ointment (Protopic) in the treatment of pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis.1–5 The experience of an adolescent in our clinic, however, has suggested that the systemic absorption of tacrolimus ointment, although minimal, may potentially exacerbate a concurrent infectious process. Our patient is a 14-year-old immunocompetent …
Energy transfer from colloidal nanocrystals into Si substrates studied via photoluminescence photon counts and decay kinetics

NSF (DMR-1207123), NSF (CHE-091197) and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board NHARP programs.
Studies on the comparative histology of the digestive tube of certain teleost fishes. III. A bottom‐feeding fish, the sea robin (Prionotus carolinus)

This paper presents the third of a series on comparative microscopic anatomy of the entodermal tract of certain teleost fishes, selected for their feeding habits: A study of the histology of the digestive tube of a bottom-feeding species, the Carolina sea robin (Prionotus carolinus (L.)). Mainly from study of sections, but dissections of both fresh and preserved material were employed to furnish the necessary background of gross anatomy. A short resume of the literature is given. Treats the general histology of the different divisions of the tube, the tunics and tissues present, and findings on structure and arrangement of cells. Particular emphasis is placed on histological adaptations to meet the demands of physiological processes. Escphagus, stomach, intestine and pyloric caeca are given detailed treatment. The tunica mucosa, with its histological constituents and their arrangement, receives particular stress, being considered in relation to various phases of digestion and absorption. Particular consideration is given to the following: Effects of amount of food present in the tube on extent of mucosal folding; histological transitions from one region of the tract to another, particularly as regards epithelia; histology of peptic glands in cardiac division of stomach; origin and development of mucosal goblet cells; comparisons between the histology of the pyloric caeca and that of the adjacent intestine from which they arise, together with a detailed account of the histology of the former.
Compulsive Sexual Behavior and Risk for Unsafe Sex Among Internet Using Men Who Have Sex with Men

The present study explored the relationship between compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) and unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) for men who have sex with men (MSM) across a number of ethnic/racial groups and who used the Internet to seek sexual partners. A sample of 2,716 MSM (512 Asian, 445 Black, 683 Latino, 348 Other, 728 White) completed on online survey that collected information about their sexual behaviors with partners met online and offline. The survey also included the Compulsive Sexual Behavior Inventory (CSBI). Consistent with the notion that CSB is a stable trait, higher scores on the CSBI were associated with greater odds for engaging in UAI, regardless of the context in which sex partners were met (online or offline). Differences in median CSB scores were generally similar across racial and ethnic groups. The median CSB score was significantly higher for HIV-positive participants than for HIV-negative participants. HIV-prevention interventions are needed among MSM, but should take into account that some may be resistant to risk reduction strategies because of CSB.
ENWATBAL.BAS: A Mechanistic Evapotranspiration Model Written in Compiled BASIC

ENWATBAL, a mechanistic energy, water balance model originally written in the CSMP simulation language, was largely incompatible with personal computers (PCs). ENWATBAL.BAS was developed to extend the model application to PCs using BASIC which is widely available. BASIC functions or subprograms were provided to emulate CSMP language commands including integration, implicit root finding and generation of dependent variable values from tables of dependent-ind ependent variable data pairs. The BASIC version is highly modular and thus easier to read and maintain. The verification o f ENWATBAL.BAS against ENWATBAL, using identical input data, discretization and time integration steps, indicated no appreciable differences between the two versions. Runtimes for a seasonal simulation (100 days) were nearly the same (about 5 hours) for the compiled BASIC version using a 20 MHz, 80386 based PC and the CSMP version using a MicroVAX II, and four times faster for a 33 MHz, 80486 based PC. Discretization analysis showed that soil layer thickness should be no larger than 0.002 m for the surface layer although thickness may increase to as much as 0.2 m for subsurface layers. Parameter sensitivity analysi s showed that evapotranspiration estimates changed as expected in response to changes in parameter values for surface roughness length, maximum crop water potential, soil albedo, and crop hydraulic resistance . execute in a computer language which is more accessible, Many model changes were made to the BASIC version subsequent to the speed comparisons resulting in a more advanced and flexible model. ENWATBAL.BAS is a useful tool for investigating the comple x mechanisms of evapotranspiration. imulation models are useful tools for investigating
TWO EVOLUTIONARY THEORIES (II)

1959 will find the majority of Western biologists assenting with renewed enthusiasm to the basic principles enunciated a century ago in The Origin of Species. But there continues to be an heretical minority, and, moreover, the heretics speak with authority and vigour. When, in turn, the orthodox pause to answer the dissenters’ arguments, they offer an illuminating paradigm of scientific controversy: illuminating both for a study of the nature of scientific disputes in general and for the epistemological problems inherent in evolutionary controversy in particular.
Dietary nitrite restores NO homeostasis and is cardioprotective in endothelial nitric oxide synthase-deficient mice

Endothelial production of nitric oxide (NO) is critical for vascular homeostasis. Nitrite and nitrate are formed endogenously by the stepwise oxidation of NO and have, for years, been regarded as inactive degradation products. As a result, both anions are routinely used as surrogate markers of NO production, with nitrite as a more sensitive marker. However, both nitrite and nitrate are derived from dietary sources. We sought to determine how exogenous nitrite affects steady-state concentrations of NO metabolites thought to originate from nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-derived NO as well as blood pressure and myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Mice deficient in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS-/-) demonstrated decreased blood and tissue nitrite, nitrate, and nitroso proteins, which were further reduced by low-nitrite (NOx) diet for 1 week. Nitrite supplementation (50 mg/L) in the drinking water for 1 week restored NO homeostasis in eNOS-/- mice and protected against I/R injury. Nitrite failed to alter heart rate or mean arterial blood pressure at the protective dose. These data demonstrate the significant influence of dietary nitrite intake on the maintenance of steady-state NO levels. Dietary nitrite and nitrate may serve as essential nutrients for optimal cardiovascular health and may provide a novel prevention/treatment modality for disease associated with NO insufficiency.
Pitch-based monaural segregation of reverberant speech

In everyday listening, both background noise and reverberation degrade the speech signal. Psychoacoustic evidence suggests that human speech perception under reverberant conditions relies mostly on monaural processing. While speech segregation based on periodicity has achieved considerable progress in handling additive noise, little research in monaural segregation has been devoted to reverberant scenarios. Reverberation smears the harmonic structure of speech signals, and our evaluations using a pitch-based segregation algorithm show that an increase in the room reverberation time causes degraded performance due to weakened periodicity in the target signal. We propose a two-stage monaural separation system that combines the inverse filtering of the room impulse response corresponding to target location and a pitch-based speech segregation method. As a result of the first stage, the harmonicity of a signal arriving from target direction is partially restored while signals arriving from other directions are further smeared, and this leads to improved segregation. A systematic evaluation of the system shows that the proposed system results in considerable signal-to-noise ratio gains across different conditions. Potential applications of this system include robust automatic speech recognition and hearing aid design.
Non-linear spatial warping of endoscopic images: an architectural perspective for real time applications

Abstract Images captured with a typical endoscope show spatial distortion, which necessitates spatial warping for subsequent analysis. In this paper, an efficient architecture for an embedded system for the real-time correction of barrel distortion in endoscopic images is proposed. The spatial warping procedure follows a methodology based on least-squares estimation to correct the non-linear distortion in the endoscopic images. A mathematical model of polynomial mapping is used to map the images from distorted image space onto the warped image space. The model parameters include the expansion polynomial coefficients, distortion centre, and corrected centre. The spatial warping model is applied to several gastrointestinal images. The spatial warping algorithm is mapped onto a linear array of simple processing elements with each element of a particular segment communicating with its nearest neighbours. Currently, a prototype of the VLSI architecture for an image of size 256×192 is being designed and built. The functional simulation results obtained in the warping architecture are encouraging. The VLSI based system will facilitate the use of a dedicated module that could be mounted along with the endoscopy unit.
Real-time wireless sensing with spatiotemporal tracking

This study proposes the use of an innovative array of accelerometers for inertial tracking that is enabled through the use of a non-Cartesian hyper-coordinate frame. Traditional inertial tracking technologies employ an array of accelerometers and gyroscopes oriented in the orthogonal axes of the Cartesian coordinate system. The gyroscope sensors are responsible for deducing the relative orientation of the instrumented object, while the accelerometer measurements are double integrated to approximate the change in linear position relative to the local coordinate frame. Since the position determination is dependent on the orientation derivation, the accuracy and stability of the gyroscope sensors to a large extent determines the overall system performance. Consequently, high-performance gyroscopes are generally used in inertial tracking systems, thereby driving the system cost significantly higher. The proposed approach exclusively utilizes accelerometers in an innovative six axis orientation that, through linear algebra, resolves linear and angular accelerations. The functional layout is processed in the context of hyperdimensional coordinates which ultimately produce an inherent vector redundancy when resolved in the Cartesian coordinate frame. This revised architecture is anticipated to alleviate many of the issues plaguing traditional inertial tracking that stem from the stability of derived orientation from gyroscope readings. In addition, the exclusion of gyroscopes from the design significantly reduces the unit cost of the system. This paper additionally presents the development of a wireless system that incorporates the above described, unique array of dedicated sensors for inertial tracking to provide accurate determination of position and orientation of the sensor over time. The system permits access for additional channels of sensors for application specific monitoring tasks. This allows sensing on objects in motion and in regions or flow patterns that cannot be easily instrumented with traditional wired systems while maintaining knowledge of instantaneous position relative to the initial location. To date, the majority of wireless sensor network deployments have enabled instrumentation of widespread sites, such as civil structures, to alleviate the expense associated with the lengths of cable necessary to connect the sensors to a central acquisition station. The alternative approach sought utilizes the unrestrained nature of the wireless sensor to extend the use of this technology beyond static monitoring into applications in which the sensor node travels across an area without a priori knowledge of the sensor motion. Documentation of the hardware development of the proposed wireless sensing node as well as assessment of the system performance will be provided.
Inhibition of Mnk kinase activity by cercosporamide and suppressive effects on acute myeloid leukemia precursors

Mnk kinases regulate the phosphorylation and activation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), a protein that plays key roles in the initiation of messenger RNA translation and whose activity is critical for various cellular functions. eIF4E is deregulated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and its aberrant activity contributes to leukemogenesis. We determined whether cercosporamide, an antifungal agent that was recently shown to act as a unique Mnk inhibitor, exhibits antileukemic properties. Treatment of AML cells with cercosporamide resulted in a dose-dependent suppression of eIF4E phosphorylation. Such suppression of Mnk kinase activity and eIF4E phosphorylation by cercosporamide resulted in dose-dependent suppressive effects on primitive leukemic progenitors (CFU-L) from AML patients and enhanced the antileukemic properties of cytarabine (Ara-C) or mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 inhibition. Similarly, the combination of cercosporamide with cytarabine resulted in enhanced antileukemic responses in a xenograft mouse model in vivo. Altogether, this work demonstrates that the unique Mnk inhibitor cercosporamide suppresses phosphorylation of eIF4E and exhibits antileukemic effects, in support of future clinical-translational efforts involving combinations of Mnk inhibitors with cytarabine and/or mTOR inhibitors for the treatment of AML.
Nanoparticle assemblies: interfaces behaving well.

Interfaces between gold nanoparticle films and semiconductor substrates are found to behave like nearly ideal Schottky diodes. Moreover, the detailed electronic structure of the interfaces can be tuned by electrochemical charge-transfer.
The effect of essential fatty acid deficiency on the distribution of endogenous cholesterol in the plasma and liver of the rat.

Abstract 1. 1. When rats were maintained on fat-low diets over a prolonged period, the cholesterol content of the liver and adrenal glands was found to be increased and that of the plasma decreased over that of control rats receiving a diet containing 12.5% of cottonseed oil. 2. 2. The increased cholesterol concentration in the liver of rats on essential fatty acid-low diets was found to be confined almost exclusively to the ester fraction. 3. 3. It is suggested that, in the absence of essential fatty acids, the lowered cholesterol level in the blood and the increased levels in the liver and adrenal glands, may be the result of failure of cholesterol esters containing other than polyunsaturated acids to be available for proper metabolism.
Comment on Brent's scatter storage algorithm

R.P. Brent in his presentation of a modification to the linear quotient algorithm [1] shares the common misconception that dynamic chaining requires larger table entries because of the space required for link fields.
Structure and morphology of Au grown on Ag(110).

We report the results of an experimental investigation using medium-energy ion scattering of the growth of Au on the Ag(110) surface for Au coverages ranging from 0.05 up to 15 monolayers. The lattice parameters of Au and Ag are well matched, and the surface energies of Au and Ag are similar. One would therefore expect a simple growth mode [as earlier observed in the Au/Ag(111) system]. In contrast to this simple picture, we find the growth of Au/Ag(110) to be much more complex with several additional structural phenomena. At low Au coverages, the surface symmetry remains that of the (1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1) substrate. In the submonolayer coverage range, we find that Au grows in bilayer units in a Volmer-Weber growth mode. At higher coverages, the surface changes to a (1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}3) and eventually to a (1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2) symmetry. With these changes of symmetry, we find changes in the growth properties such that the Ag surface is completely covered by the Au film in the (1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}2) phase.
Competence with fractions predicts gains in mathematics achievement.

Competence with fractions predicts later mathematics achievement, but the codevelopmental pattern between fractions knowledge and mathematics achievement is not well understood. We assessed this codevelopment through examination of the cross-lagged relation between a measure of conceptual knowledge of fractions and mathematics achievement in sixth and seventh grades (N=212). The cross-lagged effects indicated that performance on the sixth grade fractions concepts measure predicted 1-year gains in mathematics achievement (s=.14, p .50). In a follow-up assessment, we demonstrated that measures of fluency with computational fractions significantly predicted seventh grade mathematics achievement above and beyond the influence of fluency in computational whole number arithmetic, performance on number fluency and number line tasks, central executive span, and intelligence. Results provide empirical support for the hypothesis that competence with fractions underlies, in part, subsequent gains in mathematics achievement.
Improving Acute Respiratory Infection Care Through Nurse Phone Care and Academic Detailing of Physicians

Introduction: To address unnecessary use of antibiotics for uncomplicated acute respiratory infection, we implemented a standardized care pathway composed of: (1) academic detailing of primary care providers, and (2) telephonic care from nurses. Methods: To evaluate the intervention, we performed a retrospective time series study and cost analysis at a primary care provider network in the Pacific Northwest with 118 providers at seven sites. The main outcomes were: (1) antibiotic rate, (2) provider visits avoided, and (3) cost savings from the payer and health care system perspectives. Data were collected for January 2, 2010 to November 30, 2013, with the interventions occurring on March 1, 2012. Results: There were 54,283 acute upper respiratory infection visits (34,678 [64%] female; average age, 52.1 years). After the intervention, nurse phone consultation involved 13.8% (3,289 of 23,769) of care episodes. The intervention was associated with a 16.5% absolute decrease in antibiotic rate (95% CI, −0.205 to −0.125; P Conclusions: Implementation of nurse phone care and provider academic detailing was associated with lower inappropriate antibiotic usage and fewer unnecessary provider visits.
Fifteen years of wheat yield, N uptake, and soil nitrate-N dynamics in a biosolids-amended agroecosystem

Understanding N dynamics in biosolids-amended agroecosystems can help avoid over-application and the potential for environmental degradation. We investigated 15-years of biosolids application to dryland-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown on Weld loam soils (fine, montmorillonitic, mesic Aridic Paleustolls) located about 25 km east of Brighton, CO, USA, questioning what is the relationship between cumulative grain yield and N uptake (N removal) and biosolids or N fertilizer rates and how many times biosolids or N fertilizer are applied? How are wheat-grain production and N uptake intertwined with residual soil NO3–N? We found that biosolids or N fertilizer rates plus the number of applications of each material produced planar-regression (3D) models with 15-years of grain yield and N uptake data (all R2 > 0.93). To evaluate how yield or N uptake impacted residual soil NO3–N, we completed linear regressions on yield, N uptake, and soil NO3–N. We then correlated the slopes where P < 0.10 for the yield and soil NO3–N and the N uptake and soil NO3–N. A significant negative relationship was found for biosolids application for each of these comparisons while the N fertilizer results were inconsistent. For the biosolids treatments, as yield or N uptake increased, residual soil NO3–N decreased. Our findings show that planar-regression models could aid biosolids beneficial-use management programs when considering agroecosystem N dynamics.
Capital Budgeting in the Decentralized Firm

In this paper we analyze the capital budgeting problem of an organization which contains a central headquarters and K divisions. The headquarters serves as the planner-coordinator of the capital budgeting process and is the only member of the organization which has access to the external capital markets. The K divisions make decisions regarding the set of capital projects each wants to accept. The capital budgeting problem of this decentralized organization is solved and analyzed with the aid of an algorithm based on mathematical decomposition. It is shown that i the decomposition algorithm does indeed converge to an optimal corporate solution, ii under reasonable assumptions, the marginal rate of return on the last dollar spent is the same for each division and is equal to the corporate headquarters' “cost of capital,” iii in some circumstances, the decomposition model will only select integral projects, and iv the optimal choice of projects for the firm is made independently by the divisions, each acting in its own self-interest. This last feature of the capital budgeting model suggests that the firm may be able to achieve the informational economies usually associated with a decentralized organization structure.
Optimistic transactional boosting

Herlihy and Koskinen's transactional boosting methodology addressed the challenge of converting concurrent data structures into transactional ones. We present an optimistic methodology for boosting concurrent collections. Optimistic boosting allows greater data structure-specific optimizations, easier integration with STM frameworks, and lower restrictions on the boosted operations than the original boosting methodology.
Demonstration of 10-Gb/s transmissions over a 1.5-km-long multimode fiber using equalization techniques

In a multimode fiber (MMF) transmission system, the power penalty due to intersymbol interference (ISI) caused by the differential mode delay (DMD) is one of the main contributors to the total penalties in the link budget. We demonstrated using equalization techniques to overcome the signal degradation caused by differential modal delay in a conventional (62.5 /spl mu/m) MMF. 10-Gb/s transmissions through a 1.5-km-long MMF were realized. In principle, this method can be applied to achieve nearly any loss-limited distance.
Site Specificity of Atherosclerosis Site-Selective Responses to Atherosclerotic Modulators

Atherosclerosis is a complex disease process that affects very specific sites of the vasculature. It is recognized that hemodynamic forces are largely responsible for dictating which vascular sites are either susceptible or resistant to developing atherosclerosis. In addition, a number of systemic and local factors also modulate the pathogenesis of the disease. By studying the development of atherosclerosis in mice, investigators have gained insights into the molecular mechanisms of this disease, although studies have largely focused on a single vascular site. Here, we review those recent studies in which vascular site-specific effects on atherosclerosis were reported when more than 1 site was examined. We assess the hypothesis that regional differences in the hemodynamic profile prime the endothelial phenotype to respond distinctly to such systemic risk factors as hypercholesterolemia, genetics, immune status, gender, and oxidative stress. Because a given treatment may differentially affect the development of atherosclerotic lesions throughout the vasculature, the sites chosen for study are critically important. By accounting for the complex interplay of factors that may operate at these different sites, a more complete understanding of the overriding mechanisms that control the initiation and progression of the atherosclerotic lesion may be realized.
Endoglin is required for hemangioblast and early hematopoietic development.

Endoglin (ENG), an ancillary receptor for several members of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta superfamily, has a well-studied role in endothelial function. Here, we report that endoglin also plays an important role early in development at the level of the hemangioblast, an embryonic progenitor of the hematopoietic and endothelial lineages. Eng -/-, Eng +/- and Eng +/+ mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells were differentiated as embryoid bodies (EBs) and assayed for blast colony-forming cells (BL-CFCs). Our results showed a profound reduction in hemangioblast frequency in the absence of endoglin. Furthermore, cell-sorting experiments revealed that endoglin marks the hemangioblast on day 3 of EB differentiation. When analyzed for hematopoietic and endothelial activity, replated Eng-/- BL-CFCs presented limited hematopoietic potential, whereas endothelial differentiation was unaltered. Analysis of hematopoietic colony formation of EBs, at different time points, further supports a function for endoglin in early hematopoiesis. Taken together, these findings point to a role for endoglin in both hemangioblast specification and hematopoietic commitment.
Electrochemical self‐assembly of porous alumina templates

Porous alumina templates are fabricated by anodization of Al in an acid. The characteristics of the template, such as the pore diameter, interpore separation, and the periodicity of the porous structure depend on the conditions of anodization and the acid that is used as electrolyte. The variation of pore diameter and interpore separation as a function of anodization parameters are described. The use of porous alumina templates as masks to assemble nanoarrays is an important application and the deposition of Au nanodots on a surface of silicon is discussed. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 51: 649–655, 2005
A theory of quality‐related differences in retail margins: why there is a ‘premium’ on premium gasoline

This paper develops a theory of vertical and horizontal product differentiation to explain observed price-cost margin differentials for goods that differ in quality. The difference in price-cost margins between the high- and low-quality goods is shown to depend positively on consumers' average valuation for incremental increases in quality and positively on the distance to each competitor's closest rival. These predictions are largely supported using an extensive station-level data set of premium and regular unleaded gasoline prices from the Los Angeles Basin area from 1992–1995.
Police Cynicism and Professionalism

The present study tests for the first time Niederhoffer's assertions that (1) cynicism, a long-standing problem among police, can be reduced by or is incompatible with professionalism and (2) cynicism in early and late stages of one's police career is low, but high in mid-career. Cases in this study are uniformed police personnel in nine Northwest Pacific police departments. The findings lend some support to both propositions but with important qualifications: The cynicism-professionalism linkage is due in part to differential bias, and the mid-career peak in cynicism is not very pronounced.
Structure and activity of the acid-sensing ion channels

The acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) are a family of proton-sensing channels expressed throughout the nervous system. Their activity is linked to a variety of complex behaviors including fear, anxiety, pain, depression, learning, and memory. ASICs have also been implicated in neuronal degeneration accompanying ischemia and multiple sclerosis. As a whole, ASICs represent novel therapeutic targets for several clinically important disorders. An understanding of the correlation between ASIC structure and function will help to elucidate their mechanism of action and identify potential therapeutics that specifically target these ion channels. Despite the seemingly simple nature of proton binding, multiple studies have shown that proton-dependent gating of ASICs is quite complex, leading to activation and desensitization through distinct structural components. This review will focus on the structural aspects of ASIC gating in response to both protons and the newly discovered activators GMQ and MitTx. ASIC modulatory compounds and their action on proton-dependent gating will also be discussed. This review is dedicated to the memory of Dale Benos, who made a substantial contribution to our understanding of ASIC activity.
Changes in level of activity of NAD-dependent and NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenases during the development of the chick spinal cord†

The specific activities of threo-Ds-Isocitrate:NAD oxidoreductase (E.C.1.1.1.41; NAD-ICDH) and threo-Ds-Isocitrate:NADP oxidoreductase (E.C. 1.1.1.42; NADP-ICDH) were measured in the brachial spinal cord of chick embryos ranging in development from 3.5 to 21 days' incubation. The activity of NAD-ICDH increased gradually throughout the developmental period studied and appeared to be similar ontogenetically, with other enzymes of the citric acid cycle. The ontogenetic pattern of NADP-ICDH, on the other hand, was quite different. The enzymatic activity increased rapidly from 3.5 to 7 days' incubation and then increased at a slower rate throughout the remainder of development. The temporal changes in activity of both enzymes are discussed in relation to other enzymes of intermediary carbohydrate metabolism and to the processes of neuroblastic growth and differentiation. The results of this study suggest that NADP-ICDH is the major source of reduced NADP for the reductive syntheses associated with neuroblastic growth and differentiation whereas glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and the pentose cycle provide the major source of NADPH during the preceding period of rapid proliferation and early differentiation.
Modeling Ambiguity in Census Microdata Allocations to Improve Demographic Small Area Estimates

This article describes a methodology for allocating demographic microdata to small enumeration areas such as census tracts, in the presence of underlying ambiguities. Maximum Entropy methods impute population weights that are constrained to match a set of census tract-level summary statistics. Once allocated, the household characteristics are summarized to revise estimates of tract-level demographic summary statistics, and to derive measures of ambiguity. The revised summary statistics are compared with original tract summaries within a context of expected variation. Allocation ambiguity is quantified for each household as a function of the distribution of imputed sample weights over all census tracts, and by computed metrics of confusion and variety of allocation to any census tract. The process reported here allows differentiation of households with regard to inherent ambiguity in the allocation decision. Ambiguity assessment represents an important component that has been neglected in spatial allocation work to date but can be seen as important additional knowledge for demographers and users of small area estimates. For the majority of tested variables, the revised tract level summaries correlate highly with original tract summary statistics. In addition to assessments for individual households, it is also possible to compute average allocation ambiguity for individual tracts, and to associate this with demographic characteristics not utilized in the allocation process.
Isolation and Purification of Functional Bovine Lung Mast Cells (BLMCs)

Summary Purified pulmonary mast cells were obtained from bovine lung using a combination of enzymatic digestion of tissue, density gradient centrifugation using Percoll, and centrifugal elutriation. In the initial procedure, lung tissue was enzymatically digested with collagenase, hyaluronidase, protease and elastase in three 30 min incubations at 37 °C. Monodispersed cell suspensions contained between 2 and 6 % mast cells. Further purification of these mast cells by Percoll gradients and elutriation consistently yielded mast cells of >90 % purity. These cells were morphologically intact, viable and functional, as determined by histamine release evoked by secretagogue challenge. Incubation of BLMCs with Pasteurella haemolytica A1 culture supernate containing leucotoxin (LCT) alone, resulted in increased histamine release compared to controls. LCT also potentiated calcium ionophore (Cal)-induced histamine release from BLMCs.
The Effects of 24 weeks of Resistance Training with Simultaneous Elastic and Free Weight Loading on Muscular Performance of Novice Lifters

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the effectiveness of variable resistance as provided through elastic plus free weight techniques in college aged males and females. Twenty novice lifters were randomly assigned to a traditional free weight only (6 males and 5 females) or elastic band plus free weight group (5 males and 5 females) and 9 more normally active controls (5 males and 4 females), were recruited to maintain normal activity for the duration of the study. No differences existed between control, free weight and elastic band at baseline for age, body height, body mass, body mass index, and body fat percentage. One-repetition maximums were performed for squat and bench press while both strength and power were assessed using isokinetic dynamometry. Elastic groups and free-weight groups completed 24 weeks of whole body, periodized, high intensity resistance (65-95% of one-repetition maximum) training three times/week. Training programs were identical except that the elastic group trained the barbell squat, bench press and stiff-legged deadlift with 20-35% of their total prescribed training loads coming from band resistance (assessed at the top of the range of motion) with the remainder from free weight resistance. A mixed-model analysis revealed that peak torque, average power and one-repetition maximums for squat were significantly greater after training for the elastic group compared to the control (p<0.05). In addition, the free weight group also showed significantly greater improvements over the control in peak torque and one-repetition maximums for squat and bench press. No significant differences were observed between the elastic band and free weight groups. Combined variable elastic band plus free weight exercises are effective at increasing strength and power similar to free-weights alone in novice college aged males and females. However, due to complexity in set-up and load assignment elastic adoption by novice lifters in an unsupervised situation is not advised.
Discussion of power definitions contained in the IEEE Dictionary

This tutorial paper discusses the drawbacks of the definitions of various types of powers found in the IEEE Standard Dictionary of Electrical and Electronics Terms (IEEE Std. 100-88). With the exceptions of instantaneous power and active power, all remaining kinds of "powers" are nonphysical. The concept of power factor in polyphase circuits is ambiguous. Examples that illustrate the shortcomings of many power definitions are included. The impact of these definitions on current power/energy metering practices are discussed. It is recommended that some definitions be either changed or eliminated from the IEEE Dictionary. >
Life Cycle of the Union City, Oklahoma Tornado and Comparison with Waterspouts

Abstract A major tornado struck the small farming community of Union City, Okla., on 24 May 1973. It was on the ground 26 min, attaining a maximum width (at cloud base) of nearly 600 m. Even though the funnel narrowed toward the ground, the width of the damage path consistently equalled funnel width at cloud base. The tornado life cycle consisted of four distinct parts: organizing stage (visible funnel intermittently touching ground with continuous damage path), mature stage (tornado at largest size), shrinking stage (entire funnel decreasing to thin column), and decaying stage (fragmented, contorted funnel). Even in its final stages, the tornado retained its destructiveness. The tornado life cycle resembles, in many respects, that typical of Florida Keys waterspouts. Both commence with surface evidence of vortex existence before a visible funnel cloud has descended a significant distance toward the surface. Approaching the mature stage, the tornado and waterspout exhibit spiral inflow characteristics wit...
Is the peritoneum a significant transport barrier in peritoneal dialysis

ObjectivesThe anatomic peritoneum is often considered equivalent to the barrier between the dialysate and the blood, and is also called “the peritoneal membrane.” Our hypothesis is that the normal ...
Effect of Dietary Zinc Deficiency on Lymphocyte Function in the Mouse

Dietary zinc deficiency occurs fairly frequently in the Middle East, South America and the United States. One of the most detailed descriptions of the effects of zinc deficiency in man was provided by Prasad et al. (1963). They found that zinc deficiency was very prevalent in the Middle East where the diet consists largely of grains, cereals, and unleavened bread. Such a diet contains high amounts of phytate and fiber that adversely affect the availability of zinc. Growth retardation, hypogonadism, roughened skin, anemia, etc., were common clinical features associated with the deficiency. Early indications of immune impairment were provided by the observation that lymphocytopenia, poor wound healing, and increased susceptability to disease accompanied the deficiency.
Osteogenic mandibular distraction in Nager’s Syndrome. Case report

Osteogenic distraction is used nowadays for tissuelengtheningdue to the bone formation that occurs during the progressive segment separation after corticotomy, being very useful in dentofacial anomalies, especially in severe hypoplasia. We present the case report of a patient with Nager’s syndrome, acrofacial dysostosis of the preaxial type, severe mandibular hypoplasia and oligodonthia who was treated by means of distraction osteogenesiswith ramus osteotomies to lengthen the mandible. He was treated with a Spring Bite-type orthopaedic appliance after the osteotomies. We conclude that treatment with mandibular distraction should be comprehensive and supported with the use of miofuncional advices. Key words: Nager’s syndrome, postaxial acrofacial dysostosis, mandibular distraction, mandibular hypoplasia and oligodonthia.
Resistivity variation of semi-insulating Cd 1−x Zn x Te in relationship to alloy composition

We investigated the resistivity variation of semi-insulating Cd1−xZnxTe used as room temperature nuclear radiation detectors, in relationship to the alloy composition. The resistivity and the zinc composition were determined using leakage current measurements and triple axis x-ray diffraction lattice parameter measurements, respectively. While the zinc content of the nominally xZn∼0.1 ingot varied monotonically according to the normal freezing behavior with an effective segregation coefficient of keff=1.15, the resistivity was found to vary non-systematically throughout the ingot. Furthermore, the “expected” relationship of higher zinc content with higher resistivity was not always observed. For example, wafer regions of xZn∼0.12 and xZn∼0.08 exhibited resistivity values of ∼1010 and ∼1011 Ω·cm, respectively. In general, the experimental resistivity values can be explained by calculated values which take into account a compensating deep level defect and various electron and hole mobility values. The relative influence of the parameters that govern the resistivity (n,p, µe, and µh) are quantitatively investigated.
The Effect of Order-Maintenance Policing on Serious and Non-Serious Crime: Evidence from a Quasi-Experiment

This paper presents quasi-experimental evidence on the effect of order-maintenance policing on both serious and non-serious crime. In 1997, the New York City Police Department engaged in a nine-month ticket-writing slowdown in response to a long and contentious wage contract negotiation. As a result of this labor action, parking, traffic, and criminal summonses fell by 51, 42, and 23 percent respectively. Drawing on several different data sources, I use this exogenous variation in summons-writing to empirically test whether serious and non-serious crimes are deterred by low-level, order maintenance policing. I find that, citywide, complaints for both serious and non-serious crimes increased during the slowdown period. However, a borough-by-borough comparison of crime rates during the slowdown period reveals that the patrol boroughs that participated the most in the ticket-writing slowdown experienced statistically indistinguishable increases in crime when compared to the boroughs that participated the least. These results suggest that order-maintenance policing does not have an effect on either serious crime or on non-serious crime.
Music as transitional object and practice: Children’s spontaneous musical behaviors in the subway

This study looks at children’s music making in a public setting designed for society writ large. Although known to most children in the city, the subway presents a unique environment, both structur...
Ambiguity Tolerance With Career Indecision: An Examination of the Mediation Effect of Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy

The mediation of career decision-making self-efficacy on the link of ambiguity tolerance (AT) with career indecision was examined in a sample of college students (N = 253). It was hypothesized that AT could help reduce career indecision through increasing career decision-making self-efficacy, where this effect would vary by different types of indecision. Results supported the differential mediation hypothesis, finding that career decision-making self-efficacy mediated the link of AT with lack of motivation, general indecisiveness, lack of information, and inconsistent information. The mediation effect of career decision-making self-efficacy on the link of AT with lack of motivation was relatively weak. The implications of this study are discussed and suggestions for future research are provided.
Surface-sensitive two-dimensional magneto-fingerprint in mesoscopic Bi2Se3 channels.

Periodic Aharonov–Bohm and Altshuler–Aronov–Spivak oscillations have traditionally been observed in lateral transport through patterned mesoscopic loops of diffusive conductors. However, our studies of perpendicular-to-plane magnetotransport in straight-channel, diffusive devices of epitaxial Bi2Se3 surprisingly reveal signatures of Aharonov–Bohm orbits, periodic conductance fluctuation magneto-fingerprints, even though the devices are not explicitly patterned into loops. We show that the length scale of these orbits corresponds to the typical perimeter of triangular terraces found on the surface of these thin film devices, strongly suggesting that the periodic magneto-fingerprint arises from coherent scattering of electron waves from the step-edges. Our interpretation is bolstered by control measurements in devices without such surface morphology that only show a conventional, aperiodic magneto-fingerprint. These results show that lithographically patterned Bi2Se3 devices provide a novel class of mesosco...