cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phase-separation of wetting fluids using nanoporous alumina membranes and micro-glass capillaries

Phase separation in two-phase microfluidic exchangers is a promising strategy for reducing the required pumping power. Past research has focused on using hydrophobic nanoporous structures in order to extract water vapor and retain liquid within the vapor-cooling device. This study focuses on characterizing the bursting pressure, the maximum Laplace pressure for liquid containment, of nanoporous alumina membranes and micro-glass capillaries. The pore size diameters of the alumina membranes have a nominal diameter of 170 nm that can produce a pressure drop of 1.5 kPa for wetting dielectric liquids. In order to contain higher Laplace pressures, the pore geometry for 'pinning' of the fluid at the liquid-vapor interface needs to be optimized. Single glass micro-glass capillaries were used in order to study the 'pinning effect' of wetting fluids for various micro-capillary diameters. The glass capillary diameters ranged from 250-840 μm with measured Laplace pressures up to ~0.9 kPa. Experimental results agreed well with an analytical model that calculates the Laplace pressure as a function of pore geometry.
COMMUNITY NARRATIVES AND PERSONAL STORIES IN ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

Storytelling is an extremely common activity in the spiritually-based mutual help organization Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.). This paper describes the typical content, function(s), and structure of five types of A.A. stories, devoting particular attention to the interplay between the A.A. community narrative and the life stories of individual members. The information presented here suggests that a narrative point of view can fruitfully guide future investigations of mutual help organizations at multiple levels of analysis. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Factors Influencing Leg Abnormalities in Poultry: A Review*

Leg weakness is a problem that has plagued the poultry industry incessantly for many years. Medication costs, as well as mortality, condemnation and down-grading of poultry associated with this aff...
Heat transfer to a laminar flow fluid in a circular tube

Presentation d'une solution analytique generale de forme close du champ de temperatures dans un ecoulement laminaire developpe dans une conduite circulaire par la methode de la transformee variable. Obtention d'expressions theoriques du nombre de Nusselt en fonction du nombre de Graetz
On the sociocognitive dynamics between categories and product models in mature markets

Abstract This research tests the interrelationship between product category structure and marketed product models in a mature industry. It focuses on the motorcycle industry between 1990 and 1996. Market stories from published sources for each year are content analyzed to trace the emergence, growth, and disappearance of product categories, and to ascertain the association between the evolving category structure and product model longevity. The results suggest that the number of product models that are associated with product categories influences the creation and elimination of categories and subcategories. Results also suggest that product model longevity is influenced by the strength of models' conceptual association with categories and by the number of categories to which product models are associated.
Using thermal remote sensing as a tool for calibrating a hydrodynamic model in inland waters

Remote sensing has been proven as an effective tool for mapping and monitoring water quality in coastal/inland waters during the past two decades. In light of this, it can also be applied to calibrate hydrodynamic models which predict the distribution of river plumes and streams in coastal/inland waters. This research examines the capability of Landsat 7 thermal data to calibrate a 3D hydrodynamic model by simulating a moderate sized river plume discharging into Lake Ontario, USA. The model is provided with a set of input variables and involves modeling material transport using a finite-differencing method to generate profiles of temperature within the water column as well as a surface temperature map. In this way, a Look-Up-Table (LUT) of multiple scenarios of environmental conditions was built by running the hydrodynamic model for several simulation hours. This process resulted in various shapes of the thermal plumes, one of which represented the best output. This was determined by making a comparison with atmospherically compensated Landsat 7 thermal data in the surface temperature domain. The best agreement with the remotely sensed data was found through an optimization in which an error function, calculated between the model outputs and the imagery, was minimized. The root-mean-squared-error (RMSE), computed between the best model output and the observed imagery on a pixel-by-pixel basis, indicated a good fit with less than half of a degree, approximately 0.34° C, on average, over the plume area. This research demonstrates the potential of existing Landsat data and the corresponding method to monitor river plumes of moderate size in inland/coastal environments.
Body temperature influences ethanol and ethanol/pentobarbital lethality in mice

The effect of body temperature on ethanol (ETOH) or ethanol plus pentobarbital (ETOH/PB) lethality was investigated in C57BL/6J mice. Decreasing ambient temperatures from 35-20°C, decreased rectal temperatures from 38-20°C and increased 8-hour survival from 0–93% for ETOH-treated and from 0–100% for ETOH/PB-treated mice. ETOH and ETOH/PB animals with no hypothermia (body temperatures = 38°C) had the highest lethality. Those with body temperatures between 30–32°C had the highest 24-hour survival. These results suggest that controlled hypothermia may be useful in reducing lethality from ethanol or ethanol/combination overdoses.
Longitudinal evaluation of bronchopulmonary disease in children with cystic fibrosis

Children with cystic fibrosis (CF) develop bronchopulmonary disease at variable ages. Determining the epidemiology of chronic lung disease and quantifying its severity, however, have been difficult in infants and young children. As part of the Wisconsin CF Neonatal Screening Project, we were presented with an ideal opportunity to assess longitudinally the evolution of symptoms, signs, and quantitative measures of CF respiratory disease. After newborn screening test results led to early recognition, 64 patients diagnosed at a median age of 6.71 weeks were enrolled and studied systematically at a median age of 11.3 years to obtain clinical information, chest radiographs, and pulmonary function tests. Our observations revealed that a frequent cough by history is evident by 10.5 months of age in half the patients. Quantitative chest radiology (CXR scoring) demonstrated that potentially irreversible abnormalities are present in half the children by 2 years. The severity of Wisconsin and Brasfield CXR scores increased in association with respiratory infections. Longitudinal progression of Wisconsin CXR scores was related to age (P < 0.001), pancreatic insufficiency (P = 0.005), and respiratory secretion cultures positive for Staphylococus aureas (P = 0.039). In contrast, serial spirometry showed limited sensitivity, as did lung volume determinations; neither was satisfactory as repeated measures with acceptable quality control until after 7 years of age. Time to event analyses revealed that half the patients had % predicted FEF(25-75) and FEV(1)/FVC values greater than 80% until 10.7 and 9.9 years, respectively. We conclude that of the methods evaluated, quantitative chest radiology is currently the best procedure for frequent assessment of bronchopulmonary disease in CF, and that radiographic progression is evident in approximately 85% of patients by 5 years of age. Our results also suggest that bronchiectasis and other radiographic evidence of chronic infection are apparent prior to airways obstruction in young CF patients.
Conditioning Protects C. elegans from Lethal Effects of Enteropathogenic E. coli by Activating Genes that Regulate Lifespan and Innate Immunity

Caenorhabditis elegans exhibits avoidance behavior when presented with diverse bacterial pathogens. We hypothesized that exposure to pathogens might not only cause worms to move away but also simultaneously activate pathways that promote resistance to the pathogen. We show that brief exposure to virulent or avirulent strains of the bacterial pathogen enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) "immunizes"C. elegans to survive a subsequent exposure that would otherwise prove lethal, a phenomenon we refer to as "conditioning." Conditioning requires dopaminergic neurons; the p38 MAP kinase pathway, which regulates innate immunity; and the insulin/IGFR pathway, which regulates lifespan. Our findings suggest that the molecular pathways that control innate immunity and lifespan may be regulated or "conditioned" by exposure to pathogens to allow survival in noxious environments.
Multiparameter Cell Cycle Analysis

Cell cycle cytometry and analysis are essential tools for studying cells of model organisms and natural populations (e.g., bone marrow). Methods have not changed much for many years. The simplest and most common protocol is DNA content analysis, which is extensively published and reviewed. The next most common protocol, 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine S phase labeling detected by specific antibodies, is also well published and reviewed. More recently, S phase labeling using 5'-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation and a chemical reaction to label substituted DNA has been established as a basic, reliable protocol. Multiple antibody labeling to detect epitopes on cell cycle regulated proteins, which is what this chapter is about, is the most complex of these cytometric cell cycle assays, requiring knowledge of the chemistry of fixation, the biochemistry of antibody-antigen reactions, and spectral compensation. However, because this knowledge is relatively well presented methodologically in many papers and reviews, this chapter will present a minimal Methods section for one mammalian cell type and an extended Notes section, focusing on aspects that are problematic or not well described in the literature. Most of the presented work involves how to segment the data to produce a complete, progressive, and compartmentalized cell cycle analysis from early G1 to late mitosis (telophase). A more recent development, using fluorescent proteins fused with proteins or peptides that are degraded by ubiquitination during specific periods of the cell cycle, termed "Fucci" (fluorescent, ubiquitination-based cell cycle indicators) provide an analysis similar in concept to multiple antibody labeling, except in this case cells can be analyzed while living and transgenic organisms can be created to perform cell cycle analysis ex or in vivo (Sakaue-Sawano et al., Cell 132:487-498, 2007). This technology will not be discussed.
Selective Leaching of Chromium from Washed 241-S-110 Hanford Tank Sludge

This report describes our continuing studies directed at enhancing the dissolution of Cr(III) from Hanford tank sludges by treatment with oxidants under alkaline conditions. This study evaluates the use of ferrate, permanganate, and persulfate, for selectively removing chromium from washed Hanford Tank 241-S-110 sludge. Variables examined include the initial hydroxide concentration, time, and temperature. It was found that all oxidants enhanced both the rate and extent of chromium dissolution, with more than 90% of the total chromium being dissolved under optimum conditions after 48-h contact times. The dissolved chromium was determined to be present as chromate, Elevated transuranic (TRU) element concentrations in the leach solutions were observed, attributed to enhanced Pu dissolution, but in all cases, an immobilized form of the leach solutions would not be a TRU waste. Evaluation of the immobilized high-level waste (IHLW) that would be generated following oxidative alkaline leaching indicates that bot...
Pinus flexilis and Picea engelmannii share a simple and consistent needle endophyte microbiota with a potential role in nitrogen fixation.

Conifers predominantly occur on soils or in climates that are suboptimal for plant growth. This is generally attributed to symbioses with mycorrhizal fungi and to conifer adaptations, but recent experiments suggest that aboveground endophytic bacteria in conifers fix nitrogen (N) and affect host shoot tissue growth. Because most bacteria cannot be grown in the laboratory very little is known about conifer–endophyte associations in the wild. Pinus flexilis (limber pine) and Picea engelmannii (Engelmann spruce) growing in a subalpine, nutrient-limited environment are potential candidates for hosting endophytes with roles in N2 fixation and abiotic stress tolerance. We used 16S rRNA pyrosequencing to ask whether these conifers host a core of bacterial species that are consistently associated with conifer individuals and therefore potential mutualists. We found that while overall the endophyte communities clustered according to host species, both conifers were consistently dominated by the same phylotype, which made up 19–53% and 14–39% of the sequences in P. flexilis and P. engelmannii, respectively. This phylotype is related to Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus and other N2 fixing acetic acid bacterial endophytes. The pattern observed for the P. flexilis and P. engelmannii needle microbiota—a small number of major species that are consistently associated with the host across individuals and species—is unprecedented for an endophyte community, and suggests a specialized beneficial endophyte function. One possibility is endophytic N fixation, which could help explain how conifers can grow in severely nitrogen-limited soil, and why some forest ecosystems accumulate more N than can be accounted for by known nitrogen input pathways.
Hydrocarbon content and chlorophyll correlation in the waters between Nova Scotia and the Gulf Stream

The average hydrocarbon content found in 23 water samples from the euphotic zone between the Gulf Stream and Nova Scotia was 4.9 ± 0.92 μg l−1 with a roughly normal distribution. The average chlorophyll content was 0.193 ± 0.036 μg l−1 with one extreme value at 0.813 μg l−1, which was not used when the estimating equation was determined. A simple model was developed, which showed that an equation in the form Y = a+bX−cX2 describes the relationship between hydrocarbon and chlorophyll concentrations best. The data formed the following estimating equation H = 0.6 + 36.10 Ch − 55.327 Ch2. Although this equation only explained 19% of the variance in the hydrocarbon distribution, the correlation coefficient of 0.434 was significantly greater than zero at a probability level of 0.05, indicating that hydrocarbons were being produced by the biosphere. In addition, data found off northwest Africa was recalculated in the above form.
Cutaneous fungus infections in children.

Cutaneous fungus infection in children may be either superficial or deep. The most common superficial infections include tinea versicolor, tinea capitis, tinea corporis, tinea cruris, tinea pedis, and candidiasis. "Ringworm" is a common term used to describe these infections, stemming from the fact that "tinea" is Latin for "worm" or "moth." The only deep fungal infection discussed in this review is sporotrichosis. Diagnostic Methods All forms of superficial fungal infection can be diagnosed easily with a variety of quick, simple, and inexpensive diagnostic methods. Once mastered, the tests need not be used on patients with obvious diagnoses; nevertheless, confirmation of one9s clinical impression is personally satisfying and often important. POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE Superficial fungal infections of the skin involve the outer portion of the epidermis, including the hair and nails. Hyphae and spores are visible easily with low-to-moderate microscopic magnification. With the exception of mucous membranes or eroded surfaces (as often found in the case of candidiasis), skin and hair for sampling should be moistened with a drop of water or an alcohol swab. The skin should be abraded gently with the round belly of a 15 blade at the active margin of tinea corporis or, in the case of tinea capitis, any place where alopecia is visible.
Learning from Cultural Shocks: A Cross-cultural Longitudinal Study of Expatriate Creativity

Adopting a dynamic view of events, this study addresses two critical questions regarding expatriates’ cultural intelligence (CQ) and job creativity. First, how should expatriates respond to cultura...
On the numerical evaluation of a sum involving binomial coefficients

An efficient way to evaluate $$\sum\limits_{j = k}^n {( - 1)^{j - k - 1} \left( {\begin{array}{*{20}c} n \\ j \\ \end{array} } \right)\left( {\begin{array}{*{20}c} {j - 1} \\ {k - 1} \\ \end{array} } \right)} \ln j$$ is described. This sum, connected with the logarithmic Weibull distribution, is hard to evaluate directly, because the binomial coefficients become quite large, and then the alternating signs cause severe loss of significant figures. By converting the sum to an integral, we avoid this difficulty.
Using Discipline-Based Professional Association Standards for Information Literacy Integration: A Review and Case Study.

This article describes the outcome of a collaboration between a faculty member and a librarian to integrate information literacy into a graduate counseling psychology program. This collaboration used discipline-based standards from a professional association (the Association of Counselor Education and Supervision, ACES) to provide instructional goals, rather than utilizing the more traditional Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) standards. The authors discuss how using the discipline standards allows for a richer, more authentic collaboration, especially in a graduate program geared toward students who are already working in their field. Ultimately, using discipline standards could be a more effective way to promote information literacy in graduate and professional programs.
Adaptive Control of a Quadrotor with Dynamic Changes in the Center of Gravity

Abstract In this paper, we address the problem of quadrotor stabilization and trajectory tracking with dynamic changes in the quadrotor's center of gravity. This problem has great practical significance in many UAV applications. However, it has received little attention in literature so far. In this paper, we present an adaptive tracking controller based on output feedback linearization that compensates for dynamical changes in the center of gravity of the quadrotor. Effectiveness and robustness of the proposed adaptive control scheme is verified through simulation results. The proposed controller is an important step towards developing the next generation of agile autonomous aerial vehicles. This control algorithm enables a quadrotor to display agile maneuvers while reconfiguring in real time whenever a change in the center of gravity occurs.
A steel pipe‐climber

Most of the Federal-State cooperative snow-courses in Oregon are now permanently marked at end-points and tangent-intersections by two-inch iron pipes set in concrete. These pipe-markers painted in alternating two-foot wide red and yellow stripes, are surmounted by the conventional yet low and black snow-course-marker signs.
Fragile X repeats are potent inducers of complex, multiple site rearrangements in flanking sequences in Escherichia coli.

Abstract (CGG·CCG)n repeats induce the formation of complex, multiple site rearrangements and/or gross deletions in flanking DNA sequences in Escherichia coli plasmids. DNA sequence analyses of mutant clones revealed the influence of (a) the length (24, 44 or 73 repeats), (b) the orientation of the CGG·CCG region relative to the unidirectional origin, and (c) its transcription status. Complex rearrangements had occurred in the mutant clones since some products contained deletions, inversions and insertions and some products had only gross deletions. Furthermore, the CGG·CCG repeats repeatedly induced, up to 22 times, the formation of identical (to the bp) mutagenic products indicating the powerful nature of the complex processes involved. Also, the mutations were bidirectional from the CGG·CCG tract. The healed junctions had CG-rich microhomologies of 1–6 bp, CG-rich regions and putative cruciforms and slipped structures. Hence, the fragile X syndrome mutagenic spectrum has been found, at least in part, in our model system.
Oxygen-derived free radicals and myocardial reperfusion injury: an overview.

Reperfusion of acutely ischemic myocardium is associated with various distinctive pathophysiologic derangements, which are collectively referred to as reperfusion injury. Among these, three have been atributed to oxygen radicals: a) arrhythmias, b) transient mechanical dysfunction (“stunning”), and c) cell death. a) Reperfusion-induced arrhythmias. Although the precise mechanism for reperfusion arrhythmias remains to be determined, considerable evidence suggests that oxygen radicals play an important pathogenetic role in these rhythm disturbances. b) Transient mechanical dysfunction (“myocardial stunning”). Studies suggest that this abnormality is caused by events occurring in the initial seconds of reperfusion, and therefore represents a manifestation of sublethal, reversible reperfusion injury. Although our understanding of the mechanism of myocardial stunning is still fragmentary, there is overwhelming evidence for a pathogenetic role of oxygen radicals. c) Cell death. The evidence that reperfusion causes extension of the infarct produced by the antecedent ischemia is highly controversial. Although several studies have reported reduction of infarct size with antioxidants applied at the time of reperfusion, numerous other investigations have failed to reproduce these results. At present, there is no obvious explanation for this discrepancy. What is clear is that short-term administration of antioxidants at the time of reperfusion will not produce sustained limitation of infarct size. However, the possibility that long-term administration of antioxidants will produce sustained limitation of infarct size merits further consideration. In conclusion, there is strong evidence that the generation of oxygen radicals upon reperfusion plays an important pathogenetic role in two manifestations of reperfusion injury, namely, arrhythmias and stunning. Intense controversy persists regarding whether oxygen radicals contribute to extending cell death upon reperfusion and whether reperfusion in itself causes cell death. On the basis of the evidence available at this time, oxygen radicals appear to be important in the genesis of relatively mild, sublethal forms of myocellular damage, but their role in the genesis of lethal myocellular injury remains to be established.
Delivering interactive services via a digital TV infrastructure

This article discusses an architecture for interactive service delivery to the home via the digital television (DTV) infrastructure in systems with and without return channels. This approach relies on a broadcast computing model adapted to suit the DTV environment. The model works even with low-cost user terminals, such as the basic DTV set-top boxes with limited computational and graphics capability and no local disk storage.
Leukæmia-inhibiting Properties and L-Asparaginase Activity of Sera from Certain South American Rodents

GUINEA pig serum is known to exert a striking inhibitory effect on certain transplantable leukaemias of the mouse and rat1. Suppression may be seen, not only with long transplanted leukaemias, but also with recently derived spontaneous and radiation-induced leukaemias (preceding communication). Other sera have been tested, but none has shown unequivocal activity1,2. The only rodent other than the guinea pig, the serum of which has been examined and found to be negative, is the rat2. Up to the present time, however, no animal closely related to the guinea pig has been studied.
Physicians' self‐directed learning a new perspective for continuing medical education ii. leaning from colleagues

Eds.' note: This is Part II. of a MOBIUS series on styles of self-directed learning among physicians, excerpted from a monograph produced by Dr. Richards. We are pleased to offer it to our readers.
Density and Binding Energy of Electron-Hole Droplets in Uniformly Stressed Germanium

Abstract We have measured the electron-hole droplet density and binding energy in germanium as a function of uniform, uniaxial stress along the 〈111〉 axis. Our values are in reasonable agreement with the theory of Markiewicz and Kelso and with experimental measurements on strain-confined γ-drops.
A dynamic analysis of an elastic model of the human head.

Abstract The determination of possible locations of brain damage caused by the generation of tensile pulses in the brain for axisymmetric impact is investigated. The head is modeled as a spherical fluid-filled shell and as a prolate ellipsoid of revolution. In the latter case both cavitating and noncavitating central fluids were used. The models are analyzed using a two-dimensional Lagrangian, finite difference computer computation. Results show rarefactions occur in the fluid both adjacent to and opposite to the loading point. The elliptical geometry increases the maximum tensile value and the occurrence of cavitation causes major modification of the levels in the rarefaction areas.
Reasoning about curvilinear motion: Using principles or analogy

People possess implicit theories about the motion of objects, theories that are often incorrect. When asked to predict the path of an object emerging from a curved tube, for example, people often say that the object will continue to follow a curved path. However, when solving a problem that reminds them of a familiar previous instance, people often reason by analogy to the instance. In this study, we show that a previous instance must be very superficially similar to a problem in order to be used as an analogy; otherwise, people will use their implicit theories as the basis of their reasoning.
ULTRASTRUCTURAL AND BIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF SPERM FLAGELLA FROM AN INFERTILE MAN WITH A ROD-DOMINANT RETINAL DEGENERATION

This study examined the ultrastructural morphology and posttranslationally modified alpha-tubulin isoforms in the sperm flagella of a patient presenting with infertility and retinal degeneration. Clinical evaluation showed impaired motility and gross morphological abnormalities of the sperm and a rod-dominant retinal degeneration with midperipheral pigment clumping and scattered bone spicules. Other neurological indications included delayed neuroelectric transmission in the auditory brainstem and a temporal lobe seizure disorder. Ultrastructural analysis showed that 46% of sperm axonemes had missing and/or misplaced doublets compared with 10% to 12% in control subjects. ELISA analysis showed hypoacetylation of alpha-tubulin (30% of control) but normal levels of alpha-tubulin tyrosination. Tubulin acetyl-transferase specific activity was also 30% of control activity. These characteristics may be indicative of microtubule instability leading to the pathological consequences described.
Political memories of conflict, economic land concessions, and political landscapes in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Abstract Political memories—which are crucial for establishing and maintaining ‘political capital’, based on individual and group positioning during past conflict and wars, but also in relation to presentday politics—are important when considering varied outcomes from negotiations and other interactions that occur in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in relation to large-scale economic land concessions. This paper continues to expand on the idea of political memories of past conflicts and wars by considering the concept in relation to the theoretical framework proposed by Hall et al. (2011) in their book Powers of Exclusion, which stresses the importance of interactions between regulation, force, the market and legitimation for understanding different types of exclusionary processes, especially those linked to land access. I argue that political memories are particularly relevant when it comes to legitimation, but that expanding the concept so as to include political memories is important. In relation to large-scale plantation, mining and hydropower dam concessions, I also stress the importance of political memories in (re)shaping understandings of landscapes, thus creating particular varieties of memory laden political landscapes, which too are constituted by the past but are also politically mobilized in the present.
11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase functions reversibly as an oxidoreductase in the rat hippocampus in vivo

The localization in the brain and metabolism of 3H-labeled corticosterone (B) and 11-dehydrocorticosterone (A) of high specific radioactivity was determined after stereotaxic injection into the hippocampus of anesthetized rats. [3H]B was cleared very rapidly with, on average, only about 7% being recovered after 5 min and 0.5% after 30 min. Most of this 3H-radioactivity was localized in the area surrounding the site of injection with little diffusion to adjacent areas. These findings make it possible to compare the short term metabolism of [3H]A and [3H]B in different lobes of the hippocampus in the same animal and establish their local equilibrium point in vivo. Under these conditions, about 5% conversion of each steroid to the other was observed in contrast to the situation in cultured hippocampal cells where 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11-HSD) has been shown by others to act primarily as a reductase catalyzing the conversion of A to B. This method can also be used to study the effect of inhibitors such as 11alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, applied locally in the brain, on the metabolism of corticosteroids. The rate of conversion [3H]B or [3H]A to their dihydro- and tetrahydro-derivatives capable of modulating the GABAa receptor in the hippocampus was much lower than their interconversion. Thus, factors which influence the direction of the 11-HSD catalyzed reaction are important in regulating not only salt appetite and blood pressure but also the levels of neuroactive metabolites of corticosterone.
Helping Students Choose Courses

"Oh, I just can't decide which additional course to take this term" is a familiar student lament, even after the merits of available and feasible courses have been examined. Many factors en te r into a decision, bu t a choice must be made. Here is a quick and easy, five-step, self-help method for selecting the course-the Course Selection Matrix Chart. T o illustrate: Chris is trying to choose one course from among the following. (Assume that courses are available, class time will fit, Chris is eligible to enroll, and some rationale exists for each.)
The National Environmental Literacy Project: A Baseline Study of Middle Grade Students in the United States

The authors discuss environmental literacy in the United States and present a brief summary of the results of a major national study designed to attain a baseline measure of environmental literacy among middle school students in the United States The authors include events that led up to the study and desctibe future directions for environmental literacy assessment.
Benefits of volunteering as campus tour guides: the rewards of serious leisure revisited

This study investigated the benefits received by university students who volunteered as campus tour guides in their leisure time. Past leisure research on the benefits of volunteering mainly adopted the serious leisure framework. Although most studies supported the framework, others extended or refined it, indicating the potential for improvement. Volunteering can be a beneficial leisure activity for university students, but few leisure researchers have studied the benefits of volunteering received by university students and fewer still have studied volunteer campus tour guides. Using participant observation and in-depth interviews with 16 volunteer tour guides at a large public university in the Northeast United States, four types of benefits emerged: psychological, social, instrumental and communal. The result refined and extended the serious leisure framework in terms of benefits of volunteering. It also provides insight into the benefits derived by university student volunteers.
Investigating the Integration of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and a Gas Turbine System With Coal Gasification Technologies

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology incorporates electrochemical reactions that generate electricity and high quality heat. The coupling of this technology with gas turbine bottoming cycles, to form hybrid power systems, leads to high efficiency levels. The purpose of this study is to conceptually integrate the hybrid power system with existing and imminent coal gasification technologies through computer simulation. The gasification technologies considered for integration include the Kellogg Brown Root (KBR) Transport Reactor and Entrained Coal Gasification. Parametric studies were performed to assess the effect of changes in pertinent fuel cell stack process settings such as operating voltage, inverse equivalence ratio and fuel utilization will be varied. Power output, system efficiency and costs are the chosen dependent variables of interest. Coal gasification data and a proven SOFC model program are used to test the theoretical integration. Feasibility and economic comparisons between the new integrated system and existing conventional systems are also made.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Applied physics: spintronics gets a magnetic flute.

Magnetic-memory devices of the future could be based on 'spintronics', through switching the directions of electron spins. New work confirms the physics behind a spin-switching mechanism.
INTERSTITIAL CELL STIMULATING HORMONE III. METHODS OF ESTIMATING THE HORMONAL CONTENT OF PITUITARIES1

IN THE PRECEDING PAPER on the biological properties of ICSH it has been demonstrated that this protein neither increases considerably the weights of the accessories in the male rat nor produces ovarian weight ‘augmentation’ in the female rat to any great extent. Nor were great effects of this kind obtained by injection of diverse pituitary extracts nor of any fraction prepared from such crude extracts. Since implantation of fresh glandular tissue is often regarded as the standard method for the evaluation of the hormonal content of the pituitary and other endocrines, this technic was then resorted to. Heads of sheep were brought to the laboratory immediately after the death of the animals. The pituitaries were dissected under aseptic conditions, within i to 3 hours after death, minced with scissors, the desired amount of tissue weighed, suspended in Locke solution, and immediately injected by means of a glass cannule
A multimodal, β-amyloid-targeted contrast agent

A multimodal, β-amyloid-targeted contrast agent was synthesized and studied in vitro. The agent has a higher relaxivity than a clinically approved contrast agent and interacts with β-amyloid aggregates producing changes in relaxation rate and fluorescence emission.
Alignments grow, secondary structure prediction improves.

Using information from sequence alignments significantly improves protein secondary structure prediction. Typically, more divergent profiles yield better predictions. Recently, various groups have shown that accuracy can be improved significantly by using PSI-BLAST profiles to develop new prediction methods. Here, we focused on the influences of various alignment strategies on two 8-year-old PHD methods. The following results stood out. (i) PHD using pairwise alignments predicts about 72% of all residues correctly in one of the three states: helix, strand, and other. Using larger databases and PSI-BLAST raised accuracy to 75%. (ii) More than 60% of the improvement originated from the growth of current sequence databases; about 20% resulted from detailed changes in the alignment procedure (substitution matrix, thresholds, and gap penalties). Another 20% of the improvement resulted from carefully using iterated PSI-BLAST searches. (iii) It is of interest that we failed to improve prediction accuracy further when attempting to refine the alignment by dynamic programming (MaxHom and ClustalW). (iv) Improvement through family growth appears to saturate at some point. However, most families have not reached this saturation. Hence, we anticipate that prediction accuracy will continue to rise with database growth.
SAJGBR on the move: contribution, context and quality

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to offer a recap of the past two years at SAJGBR in terms of its submissions, outline SAJGBR publication criteria and discuss the Editor's future goals with respect to solidifying its reputation as a high‐quality regional journal with a global impact.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the past two years, explains the SAJGBR publication process and criteria, and discusses the Editor's goals and how they will be achieved.Findings – SAJGBR is unique with respect to its focus upon a neglected (but socio‐economically vibrant) region and span across the full spectrum of business discipline. In its two volumes and four issues, it has made significant contributions to creating a repository of knowledge of South Asian business issues, and integrating South Asian perspectives and approaches to international business literatures.Originality/value – The paper reviews the past two years, explains the SAJGBR publication process and criteria, and discusses the Editor...
The Thrill of Victory: Measuring the Incentive to Win

There is ample evidence that incentive‐pay structures, such as tournaments, result in increased performance. Is this due to selection or increased individual effort, and is any increased individual effort caused by pecuniary incentives or merely thirst for the thrill of victory (TOV)? Prior literature has not separated the different effects. We look at performance in horse and dog racing and find that only horses, controlled by jockeys during the race, exhibit performance corresponding to pecuniary incentives, while both respond to selection and TOV. The results show that pay structures do matter.
Charge effects in the sedimentation of polyelectrolytes

The theory for sedimentation of macromolecular polyelectrolytes in solutions of low-ionic strength has been modified for the case of a supporting low molecular weight electrolyte possessing a partial specific volume close to unity. The final equations simplify greatly, allowing sedimentation data to be plotted in a linear fashion. These data then may be readily extrapolated to infinite dilution, yielding a value, So, simply related to size and shape. From the initial slope of such plots, the net charge on the macro-molecular polyelectrolyte may be determined. It is suggested that tetramethyl-ammonium chloride may prove to be a satisfactory supporting electrolyte for such studies.
Factors influencing the success of intercultural community development

Abstract Understanding the factors which influence the success of community development methods in intercultural settings is a necessary first step towards more effective intercultural programming. This study explores the influence of the characteristics of the community, the change agent, and the development program on the success of a Peace Corps Home/Community Development Project in rural Ecuadorian villages. The change agent appears to be the most important factor. Implications of the study findings and suggestions for intercultural programming are discussed.
Nested Hadamard difference sets

Abstract A Hadamard difference set (HDS) has the parameters (4N2, 2N2 − N, N2 − N). In the abelian case it is equivalent to a perfect binary array, which is a multidimensional matrix with elements ±1 such that all out-of-phase periodic autocorrelation coefficients are zero. We show that if a group of the form H × Z2pr contains a (hp2r, √hpr(2√hpr − 1), √hpr(√hpr − 1)) HDS (HDS), p a prime not dividing |H| = h and pj ≡ −1 (mod exp(H)) for some j, then H × Z2pt has a (hp2t, √hpt(2√hpt − 1), √hpt(√hpt − 1)) HDS for every 0⩽t⩽r. Thus, if these families do not exist, we simply need to show that H × Z2p does not support a HDS. We give two examples of families that are ruled out by this procedure.
Comparison of Peroxidase Reaction Mechanisms of Prostaglandin H Synthase-1 Containing Heme and Mangano Protoporphyrin IX *

Prostaglandin H synthase (PGHS) is a heme protein that catalyzes both the cyclooxygenase and peroxidase reactions needed to produce prostaglandins G2 and H2 from arachidonic acid. Replacement of the heme group by mangano protoporphyrin IX largely preserves the cyclooxygenase activity, but lowers the steady-state peroxidase activity by 25-fold. Thus, mangano protoporphyrin IX serves as a useful tool to evaluate the function of the heme in PGHS. A detailed kinetic analysis of the peroxidase reaction using 15-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HPETE), EtOOH, and other peroxides as substrates has been carried out to compare the characteristics of PGHS reconstituted with mangano protoporphyrin IX (Mn-PGHS) to those of the native heme enzyme (Fe-PGHS). The rate constant describing the reaction of Mn-PGHS with 15-HPETE to form the oxidized, Mn(IV) intermediate with absorption at 420 nm, exhibits saturable behavior as the 15-HPETE concentration is raised from 10 to 400 microM. This is most likely due to the presence of a second, earlier intermediate between the resting enzyme and the Mn(IV) species. Measurements at high substrate concentrations permitted resolution of the absorbance spectra of the two oxidized Mn-PGHS intermediates. The spectrum of the initial intermediate, assigned to a Mn(V) species, had a line shape similar to that of the later intermediate, assigned to a Mn(IV) species, suggesting that a porphyrin pi-cation radical is not generated in the peroxidase reaction of Mn-PGHS. The rate constant estimated for the formation of the earlier intermediate with 15-HPETE is 1.0 x 10(6) M-1 s-1 (20 degrees C, pH 7.3). A rate constant of 400 +/- 100 s-1 was estimated for the second step in the reaction. Thus, Mn-PGHS reacts considerably more slowly than Fe-PGHS with 15-HPETE to form the first high-valent intermediate, but the two enzymes appear to follow a similar overall reaction mechanism for generation of oxidized intermediates. The difference in rate constants explains the observed lower steady-state peroxidase activity of Mn-PGHS compared with Fe-PGHS.
Electroconformational change as a mechanism for damage to membrane proteins by intense electric fields

Injury associated with electric shock is often thought to be primarily thermal in nature. Recent evidence suggests however that electroporation, i.e., enhanced membrane permeability due to very large membrane electric potentials, is also a significant cause of cell death. In some instances, tissue damage can be reduced by the timely administering of surfactants that help seal the membrane. In this paper we consider possible effects of strong electric fields on the conformational states of membrane proteins, and possibilities for methods to reverse this damage.
QCA channel routing with wire crossing minimization

Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA) is a novel computing mechanism that can represent binary information based on spatial distribution of electron charge configuration in chemical molecules. QCA layout is currently restricted to a single layer with very limited number of wire crossing permitted. Thus, wire crossing minimization is crucial in improving the manufacturability of QCA circuits. In this article, we present the first QCA channel routing algorithm for wire crossing minimization. Our channel routing algorithm is able to reduce crossings, where Left-Edge First, Yoshimura and Kuh, and topologically-based algorithms fail to do so.
Parallel Implementation of a Bioinformatics Pipeline for the Design of Pathogen Diagnostic Assays

The genomes of hundreds of pathogens and their near neighbors are now available and many more are being sequenced. With the availability of this genome information, sequence-based pathogen identification has become an increasingly important tool for clinical diagnostics and environmental monitoring of biological threat agents. Chief among sequence-based identification tools are DNA microarrays, which have the ability to test for thousands of pathogens in a single diagnostic test. The design of microarray diagnostic assays involves the identification of short DNA sequences unique to a pathogen or groups of pathogens, where these unique sequences, or “fingerprints” (also referred to as probes) are used to identify the pathogens. To design pathogen fingerprints, we developed TOFI (Tool for Oligonucleotide Fingerprint Identification), a high performance computing software pipeline that designs microarray probes for multiple related pathogens in a single run. The TOFI pipeline is extremely efficient in designing microarray fingerprints for multiple pathogens. Parallel implementation of computationally expensive specificity analysis of the designed fingerprints drastically reduces the overall execution time of the software. Comprehensive performance analysis shows that TOFI achieves super-linear speedup for up to 74 processors. A Web-based user interface, developed using the User Interface Toolkit, provides easy access to the pipeline. Using 74 processors, TOFI took approximately nine hours to design 5,015 in-silico probes for eight Burkholderia genomes with a combined size of more than 50 million base pairs. Experimental validation of these probes with various Burkholderia genomes showed that nearly 80% of the designed fingerprints identify the intended targets.
Laser Transmitter for Undersea Communications Using Third-Harmonic Generation of Fiber-Laser System at 1.5 $\mu$ m

We report a viable laser transmitter for free-space undersea communications. An all-fiber, picosecond, Watt-level master-oscillator-power-amplifier (MOPA) system at 1.5 mum based on rapid amplification of mode-locked pulses in heavily Er:Yb codoped phosphate fiber is combined with fiber pigtailed lithium niobate intensity modulator (pulse picker), to construct a fully integrated eye-safe transmitter operating at 65-Mb/s data rate, that can be used in intermediate-range (few kilometers) atmospheric communication links. For undersea use, the output of the MOPA system is frequency-tripled into the blue-green transparency window of ocean water. The wavelength conversion occurs in a simple single-pass setup utilizing a sequence of two periodically poled lithium niobate crystals, both of which are operated at room temperature. The conversion efficiency from fundamental to third harmonic reached 14% and resulted in generation of 140 mW of average power at 518 nm. The conversion efficiency can be straightforwardly increased threefold using properly antireflection-coated optics in the free-space part of the setup, and the data rate can be scaled up into the gigabit-per-second range by using a faster mode-locked oscillator in the MOPA system.
On the Role of Ambient Reactive Particles in the Mixing and Afterburn behind Explosive Blast Waves

A hybrid two-phase numerical methodology is used to study the propagation of explosive blast waves from spherical charges of TNT and their interaction with an ambient dilute distribution of aluminum particles. The presence of these particles is found to cause perturbations at the contact surface between the inner detonation products and the outer shock-compressed air, which results in Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities at the contact surface. These instabilities grow in time, thereby creating a mixing layer characterized by enhanced mixing between the detonation products and air, resulting in afterburn. The afterburn energy release is observed to affect the pressure decay rate behind the blast wave and the speed and the strength of the secondary shock. The passage of the secondary shock through the mixing layer results in a Richtmyer-Meshkov instability, which is characterized by the creation of vorticity in the mixing layer through baroclinic torque effects. This phenomenon is observed to sustain the mixing p...