cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lipid oxidation-induced oxidation in emu and ostrich myoglobins.

Emu and ostrich are ratites gaining increasing popularity as sources of low-fat meats. Secondary products of lipid oxidation, such as 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE), compromise myoglobin redox stability in a species-specific manner. However, the molecular basis of lipid oxidation–induced oxidation in ratite myoglobins has not been investigated. Therefore, our objective was to characterize lipid oxidation–induced oxidation in ratite myoglobins, in comparison with beef myoglobin. At physiological condition (pH 7.4, 37 °C) HNE accelerated (P < 0.05) oxidation of emu, ostrich, and beef oxymyoglobins. Autoxidation and HNE-induced oxidation were greater (P < 0.05) in ostrich oxymyoglobin than in emu and beef oxymyoglobins. Mass spectrometric analyses revealed that HNE formed mono-adduct with both emu and ostrich myoglobins after 6 h of incubation. Tandem mass spectrometry demonstrated that HNE adducted histidine 36 in ostrich myoglobin, whereas histidines 34 and 36 were adducted in emu myoglobin. The results indicate that primary structure of ratite myoglobins influences their redox stability in the presence of prooxidants.
Transient epithelial loss in rat larynx after acute exposure to tobacco smoke

After a single 1 h exposure to cigarette smoke by inhalation, the degree of damage to the epithelial layer lining the ventral wall of the rat larynx has been assessed using a semi-quantitative scoring system. The damage was characterised mainly by partial or complete loss of epithelium. The time at which a maximal response was observed depended upon the smoke concentration. Regeneration was rapid and was followed by development of hyperplasia; the regenerative phase was progressively more delayed with higher concentrations of smoke. Smoke concentrations have been compared during the regenerative phase and an approximately linear dose-response relationship has been found. The causative agents were in the smoke particulate phase. The severity of the damage response may parallel the extent of subsequent hyperplasia and metaplasia. Laryngeal damage may thus provide a short-term bio-assay for the inhalation toxicity of cigarette smoke.
Effect of Charge Stabilization on Electron Transfer Reactions in Zeolites

Photoinduced charge-transfer reactions between adsorbed pyrene and N,N‘-dimethylaniline (DMA) in zeolites are examined by fluorescence quenching and transient absorption spectroscopy. The quenching of pyrene fluorescence by DMA is found to be limited by the diffusion of DMA that is confined in zeolite supercages. The diffusivity of DMA is measured to be 8.4 × 10-6 cm2/s in K+ ion-exchanged zeolite X. The resultant exciplex between pyrene and DMA is very short lived, and its decay leads to a large yield of ion radicals. Although no emission from the exciplex is observed in ionic zeolites within the experimental capability (i.e., fluorescence quantum yield Φf < 0.001), it exhibits a normal fluorescence spectrum in a nonionic zeolite (Ultra Stable Y: USY) with a maximum around 460 nm, indicating a very weak interaction between the adsorbate and the host in contrast to its behavior in ionic zeolites. The large yield and the long lifetime of ion radicals are attributed to the high electric field and the stron...
Optimizing weight for maternal and infant health: tenable, or too late?

Obesity in pregnancy is the leading cause of maternal and fetal morbidity, and gestational weight gain (GWG) is one modifiable risk factor that improves pregnancy outcomes. Most pregnant women gain more than the 2009 Institute of Medicine recommendations, particularly overweight and obese women. GWG even less than the 2009 IOM guidelines in obese women may improve pregnancy outcomes and reduce large-for-gestational-age (LGA) infants, an independent risk factor for childhood obesity, without increasing small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants. Unfortunately, despite the fact that over 50 interventional trials designed to decrease excess GWG have been conducted, these interventions have been only modestly effective, and interventions designed to facilitate weight postpartum weight loss have also been disappointing. Successful interventions are of paramount importance not only to improve pregnancy outcomes but also for the future metabolic health of the mother and her infant, and may be key in attenuating the trans-generational risk on childhood obesity.
Dietary protein concentration affects intestinal microbiota of adult cats: a study using DGGE and qPCR to evaluate differences in microbial populations in the feline gastrointestinal tract

Summary The objective of this study was to identify qualitative and quantitative differences in microbial populations of adult cats fed diets containing different protein concentrations. Following a 4 week baseline period, eight healthy adult domestic short-hair queens (>1-year-old) were randomly allotted to a moderate-protein (MP; n = 4) or high-protein (HP; n = 4) diet for 8 weeks. Fresh faecal samples were collected after baseline and 8 weeks on treatment and stored at −80 °C. Following DNA extraction, samples were analyzed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis to distinguish qualitative changes between diets. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to measure E. coli, Bifidobacterium, Clostridium perfringens, and Lactobacillus populations. Compared to baseline, cats fed MP had a bacterial similarity index of 66.7% as opposed to 40.6% similarity for those fed HP, exhibiting marked changes in intestinal bacteria of cats fed HP. Bifidobacterium populations were greater (p < 0.05) in cats fed MP versus HP (9.44 vs. 5.63 CFU/g). Clostridium perfringens populations were greater (p < 0.05) in cats fed HP than MP (12.39 vs. 10.83 CFU/g). In this experiment, a high-protein diet resulted in a dramatic shift in microbial populations. Decreased Bifidobacterium population in cats fed HP may justify prebiotic supplementation for such diets.
Oncornavirus budding: kinetics of formation and utilization of viral membrane glycoprotein.

Abstract Previous studies have revealed two distinct pathways leading to the assembly and extrusion of Moloney sarcoma-leukemia virus (MSV(MLV)) from a constitutively infected cell line, 78A1 (Witte, O. N., and Weissman, I. L. (1974). Virology 61, 575–587). Core synthesis and appearance of recently synthesized products in extracellular virions is rapid, whereas appearance of labeled major membrane glycoproteins (gp69,71) in extracellular virions is delayed. In this paper, we have used experiments involving pulse-chase incorporation of labeled polypeptide and carbohydrate precursors into intracellular virion components isolated by immunoprecipitation to investigate the mechanism of this delay. The major intracellular component precipitated by anti-gp69,71 antisera is a 69,000–71,000-dalton form(s) which contains both amino acid (leucine) and carbohydrate (glucosamine) precursors. Following a short (10 min) pulse label with [ 3 H]leucine, these 69,000–71,000-molecular weight forms rapidly appear and rise to their maximum intracellular specific activity within 10–20 min of chase. This maximum specific activity remains constant for 1 hr of chase. During this period little immunoprecipitable gp69,71 is released into the supernatant fluid. During later chase intervals (to 3 hr), the intracellular gp69,71-specific activity falls, while the extracellular supernatant gp69,71 rises proportionally. We conclude from these experiments that the delay in appearance of label in extracellular gp69,71 is due to some postsynthetic process involving passage of these recently synthesized glycoproteins through one or more large intermediary pools prior to availability for the budding process. Lactoperoxidase-catalyzed pulse radioiodination of log-phase 78A1 cells followed by analysis of subsequently budded virions reveals such a large pool of these glycoproteins on the cell membrane and, as well, provides evidence for a striking selection of available cell membrane proteins for inclusion in the budding site.
Effect of oilfield chemicals on the cloud point of nonionic surfactants

Abstract An experimental study was conducted to assess the effect of various oilfield chemicals on the cloud point of nonionic surfactants of the Triton-X series. The effects of simple salts, alkalis, acids, polymers, scale and corrosion inhibitors, biocides, a mutual solvent and a crude oil on the cloud point of several nonionic surfactants were examined over a wide range of parameters. The study also included evaluation of several additives, including short-chain alcohols, urea, and anionic surfactants, to raise the cloud point of these surfactants under oil reservoir conditions. The results obtained in this study indicated that oilfield chemicals affect the cloud point of nonionic surfactants, and the effect depends on the number of ethylene oxide groups, n, of the surfactant. At acid concentrations greater than 1 wt.%, hydrochloric or acetic acid increased the cloud point of nonionic surfactants having n > 7, with a higher cloud point being obtained with hydrochloric acid. Alkalis caused a sharp drop in the cloud point of nonionic surfactants. This effect was enhanced in the presence of sodium chloride. Anionic and cationic polymers depressed the cloud point of nonionic surfactants. Addition of an anionic polymer to alkaline solutions of TX-100 resulted in a further drop in the cloud point. Addition of urea or methanol increased the cloud point of nonionic surfactants having n > 7. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) raised the cloud point of neutral and alkaline solutions of TX-100 at low sodium chloride concentrations only. SDS also raised the cloud point of TX-45 (n = 5) at SDS concentrations greater than 0.8 wt.%. The effect of mutual solvent on the cloud point of the four nonionic surfactants depended on the concentration of the mutual solvent and the number of ethylene groups in the surfactant.
An on-line unsupervised learning machine for adaptive feature extraction

Adaptive feature extraction is useful in many information processing systems. This paper proposes a learning machine implemented via a neural network to perform such a task using the tool principal component analysis. This machine (1) is adaptive to nonstationary input, (2) is based on an unsupervised learning concept and requires no knowledge of if, or when, the input changes statistically, and (3) performs online computation that requires little memory or data storage. Associated with this machine, the authors propose a learning algorithm (LEAP), whose convergence properties are theoretically analyzed and whose performance is evaluated via computer simulations. Two major contributions of this paper are: (1) Under appropriate conditions, the authors prove that the algorithm will extract multiple principal components, when the learning rate is constant; and (2) they identify a near optimal domain of attraction. >
Sex differences in mate choice criteria are reflected in folktales from around the world and in historical European literature

Abstract This article reports results of a multiple-coder content analysis of the mate preferences of characters in two different sources of literary data: 658 traditional folktales from 48 different culture areas and plot and character summaries from 240 works taken to be representative of Western literature. This study represents an attempt to extend some of the mate preference findings of Buss [Behav. Brain. Sci. 12 (1989a) 1] in a large data set of non-Western, preindustrial populations. A prominent criticism of Buss was that a preponderance of data was gathered from Western or westernized societies and, as a result, it was not possible to rule out the conclusion that regularities in mate preferences resulted from cultural transfer rather than from evolved sexual psychology. By including information derived from band, tribal, and preindustrial state populations, the current study attempts to address concerns based on the possibility of cross-cultural transfer.
Loss of GSTM1, a NRF2 target, is associated with accelerated progression of hypertensive kidney disease in the African American Study of Kidney Disease (AASK)

Oxidative stress is acknowledged to play a role in kidney disease progression. Genetic variants that affect the capacity to handle oxidative stress may therefore influence the outcome of kidney disease. We examined whether genetic variants of the GSTM1 gene, a member of a superfamily of glutathione S-transferases, influence the course of kidney disease progression in participants of the African American Study of Kidney Disease (AASK) trial. Groups with and without the common GSTM1 null allele, GSTM1(0), differed significantly in the time to a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) event or dialysis (P = 0.04) and in the time to GFR event, dialysis, or death (P = 0.02). The hazard ratios (HR) for the time to a GFR event or dialysis in those with two or one null allele relative to those possessing none were 1.88 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07 to 3.30, P = 0.03] and 1.68 (95% CI, 1.00 to 2.84, P < 0.05), respectively. For the time to GFR event, dialysis, or death, the HR for two null alleles was 2.06 (95% CI, 1.20 to 3.55, P = 0.01) and for one null allele 1.70 (95% CI, 1.02 to 2.81, P = 0.04). We demonstrated that GSTM1 directly regulates intracellular levels of 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) in vascular smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, we showed that renal 4-HNE levels and GSTM1 are both increased after reduction of renal mass (RRM) in the mouse. We conclude that GSTM1 is normally upregulated in chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a protective response to increased oxidative stress. A genetic variant that results in loss of GSTM1 activity may be deleterious in CKD.
Can you vaccinate against substance abuse

Vaccines are being developed against substance abuse and most progress has been made with anti-cocaine, nicotine and opiate vaccines, but new ones are being developed for methamphetamine and may be in humans within 18 – 24 months. These haptenated vaccines share a common problem in that only about one-third of those vaccinated get a sufficiently robust antibody titer to enable them to effectively block drug use. This problem is being addressed with better carrier proteins and new adjuvants beyond alum. This review provides details about these developing vaccines that act through pharmacokinetic rather than pharmacodynamics blockade. Due to this pharmacokinetic mechanism of keeping abused drugs in the bloodstream and not allowing them entry into the brain or other organs, these vaccines have very few side effects compared to other blockers used in addictions treatment.
A Discourse Analysis of Online Classroom Chats: Predictors of Cyber-Student Performance.

We applied a discourse analysis (DA) to the electronic chat room discussions of a 16-week, Internet-based section of a class in statistical methods in psychology. This analysis revealed that across the semester, several DA categories (e.g., total number of student comments) were correlated with final grade in the class. An additional analysis involving only the chat room discussion of Week 3 revealed that 2 DA categories (i.e., student response to a problem or example given in lecture and total number of student comments) correlated with final grade in the class. We discuss the pedagogical implication of these results with regard to an instructor's ability to identify early warning predictors of student performance in the virtual classroom.
The concentration and isotopic fractionation of gases dissolved in freshwater in equilibrium with the atmosphere. 1. Oxygen

Equations and tables are presented from which accurate values can be obtained, in any of several sets of units, for the concentration of oxygen dissolve11 in freshwater in equilibrium with the atmosphere from 0” to 40°C and 0.5 to 1.1 atm. The y are based on values for the Henry coefficient of oxygen, k,,, which have an estimated accuracy of 0.02%. Equations are derived which relate k, to equilibrium concentrations in natilral waters. The equations include corrections for molecular interactions in the vapor pha.;e. Uncertainty about the best way to correct for these interactions limits the estimated act Iracy of the derived values to about & 0.07% at 0°C and 0.04% at 4O”C, but the new results are much more accurate than values from the UNESCO tables. Within their random errors, previous measurements agree very well with the new results. Under equilibrium conditions, and between 0” and 6O”C, the per mil difference between the 340,:3202 abundance ratio in t le dissolved gas and the air is given by 6 = -0.730 + (427/T), where T is in kelvin and the standard deviation is <0.02%0. Accurate values for the solubility of
Effect of intravenous gammaglobulin (IVIG) on the platelet count in patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome

The ability of IVIG to increase platelet counts in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura suggests its potential usefulness in other disease states characterized by low platelet counts. This possibility was evaluated in nine patients with the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) who received IVIG, at a dose of 400 mg/kg every 4 weeks. The mean platelet count prior to institution of IVIG was 32,000/cumm (range 2,400 to 98,000). Following administration of IVIG, the platelet count ranged between 5,000 and 85,000/cumm. There were no immediate increases in platelet counts after IVIG infusion in any patient who had serial platelet counts. During treatment, patients were not given any routine platelet transfusions for low platelet counts. However, while on IVIG, two patients showed a good response to platelet transfusion prior to surgical procedures. In conclusion, chronic IVIG therapy does not appear to affect platelet counts in patients with the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.
Guided Wave Behavior Analysis in Multi-Layered Inhomogeneous Anisotropic Plates

Guided waves behave much differently in inhomogeneous anisotropic plates than in homogeneous anisotropic plates. It has been reported before that guided waves in inhomogeneous plates tend to follow preferred directions based on the location of ply-groups as well as the orientation of the fibers [1]. The pattern obtained by imaging the leaked energy into the surrounding fluid (earlier called as Plate Wave Flow Patterns) has been shown to indicate fiber orientations [2]. In this paper, a model based on the Thomson-Haskell transfer matrix is employed to obtain the internal distributions of the energy vector within the inhomogeneous plate. Based on the theoretical results, the plate wave flow patterns can be predicted and compared with the experimental results. The results provide insight into the understanding of the generation mechanism of guided wave mode patterns in inhomogeneous plates.
Monism, but not through Reductionism

It is an undeniable fact that our contemporary conception of nature is, to a large extent, shaped by science. For many educated people, for example, the basic idea of relativity theories and quantum theory, big bang cosmology and cosmic evolution, the origin of life, evolutionary theory, molecular biology and genetics, physiology and neuroscience, computer science and artificial intelligence, and many other widely popularized scientific ideas, have played an important role in their conception of the world. According to this science-based conception, all phenomena, all objects that we have encountered in the world, must have their material embodiment. Nothing is primitively immaterial. Even consciousness, the most immaterial entity, can also be shown to be lodged firmly within the brain, a material organ. When the brain is injured in certain ways, consciousness is impaired. This simple fact clearly indicates that consciousness has no existence independent of brain. In general, according to this conception, whatever phenomena we have encountered in the world, or imaginable in our mind, are, in the last analysis, only different forms and manifestations of the entities, originally present at the very beginning of the universe. That is, they are different manifestations of elementary particles, whose behavior is governed by physical laws described by fundamental physics. Thus, this conception endorses, not only the unity of the world or monism, but also, as some scientists and philosophers would argue, the unity of science.
How the zebrafish got its stripes

Live-cell imaging and genetic tools reveal a new way in which pigment cells communicate in zebrafish
Increased urinary clearance of lysine vasopressin in the deoxycorticosterone acetate-hypertensive pig

We have previously reported an increased urinary excretion of vasopressin without a rise in circulating levels of this hormone in the deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-hypertensive pig (DH). The present study was designed to characterize the renal handling of vasopressin in DH that might account for this paradox. DOCA hypertension was produced in seven domestic female pigs by means of subcutaneous implants of Silastic rubber impregnated with DOCA. Thirty days after DOCA implantation, urinary clearances of inulin, para-aminohippurate (PAH), and vasopressin were measured in the conscious animals during infusion of a 5% dextrose solution, first without and then with lysine vasopressin. Subsequent to this study, four of the pigs were placed on a low-sodium (10 meq/kg food) diet for 4 wk. At the end of this period, the clearances were again evaluated. We observed an increased urinary vasopressin clearance (CLVP) in the DH associated with an increased urinary flow but without significant changes in the clearances of inulin or PAH. Dietary sodium restrictions reversed the hypertension and the increased urinary flow and returned the CLVP to normotensive levels. These results indicate that the increased urinary excretion of vasopressin in DH is because of an increased urinary clearance of this hormone. This increased urinary CLVP is the consequence of the high urine flow in these pigs.
Effect of Cyclosporin A in the Treatment of Aplastic Anemia in Children

Objective To Explore the effect of cyclosporine A( CsA) in the treatment of aplastic anemia in children.Methods 89 children with aplastic anemia were selected in our hospital from January 2010 to June 2013,the children were randomly divided into CsA- treated group( 49 cases) and the conventional treatment group( 40 cases). The conventional treatment group was given medicine for treatment and recycling blood film,the CsA treatment group was given CsA capsules based on the conventional treatment group. The wffects were observed,The normal peripheral blood cells of two groups were examined before and after administration,and incidence of adverse reactions were recorded. Results The total effective rate of CsA- treated group was 85. 7%( 42 /49),higher than that of conventional treatment group of 52. 5%( 21 /40)( P 0. 05). Before the treatment,the white blood cells,platelets,and hemoglobin and other indicators of two groups were compared,the difference were not statistically significant( P 0. 05). After the treatment,the white blood cells,platelets,hemoglobin,incidence of adverse reactions and other indicators of CsA- treated group were higher than those of conventional treatment group( P 0. 05).Conclusion CsA in children with aplastic anemia has a significant effect,although there are some adverse reactions,but after stopping,will disappear on their own,will not affect the treatment effect. Therefore,CsA in the treatment of children with aplastic anemia there should be more widely used.
Qualitative Research on Nursing Feeling of Mothers of Premature Infants

Objective To investigate the nursing feeling of mothers of premature infants,so as to lay the research basis for further nursing support after the discharge of premature infants.Methods Claizzi phenomenological research methods of qualitative research was employed to interview 20 mothers of premature infants by recording and analyzing in detail.Results After repeated comparision,induction and abstraction,four main problems(pressure and sense of guilty in general for mothers of premature infants; anxieties about the prognosis;feeling of helplessness;continuous self-adjustment to adapt to the environment and realize self-value during the process of nursing babies)and two stages(early clinical change; adaptation to the changes and facing the future with courage)on the nursing feeling of mothers of premature children were manifested.Conclusion This research reveals the feeling process of mothers of premature infants,which requires various means of extensive and lasting nursing supports.
Combating Veteran Poverty: Providing Veterans with the Means to Avoid Living in Poverty

The number of veterans living in poverty is growing each year. In fact, veterans are overrepresented in the homeless population. Also, veterans with disabilities are at greater risk than veterans without disabilities of living in poverty. This article examines the VA claims process and the role of the Department of Veterans Affairs in compensating these men and women for their service. The VA claims process is slow and overwhelmed and can lead to veterans waiting an extremely long time to receive their benefits even though the process is supposed to be pro-claimant. Additionally, veterans, during the claims process, have the burden of proving that their injury or disability is service-connected. However, the VA claims process does provide certain presumptive periods for some physical and psychological disabilities, which relieves veterans of the burden to prove that their injury is actually service-connected. This article also examines other programs which help compensate veterans for their service to have the means to live above the poverty line. Such programs provide veterans with compensation for injuries and disabilities which occurred during service and funding for higher education. Perhaps the most important tool that the VA uses to combat veteran poverty is legislation that provides tuition for veterans, and, in some cases, allows veterans to attend college for free. Education is perhaps the most important tool because it provides veterans the skills to get a civilian job and make a living to provide for themselves and their families after service. In order to reduce the number of veterans living in poverty, the VA compensation process must be streamlined, and funds issued to veterans to pay for higher education should be increased, not reduced.
An Introduction to Tunnel Engineering

A tunnel is much more than just a tunnel. It serves any of myriad functions—highway, railroad, or rapid transit artery; pedestrian passageway; fresh water conveyance, cooling water supply, wastewater collector or transport; hydropower generator; or utility corridor. Tunnels are constructed by cut- and-cover methods; in long, prefabricated sections sunk in place as in immersed tubes; in short prefabricated sections pushed into place from jacking pits; by drilling and blasting; by mechanized means such as tunnel boring machines or continuous miners (roadheaders), with the aid of a protective shield in free or compressed air; and they will eventually be constructed in ways now existing only in our imaginations. In cross section it takes one of several shapes—circular, multicurve, horseshoe, cathedral arch, arched, or flat-roofed, and with clear spans of from a few feet to more than 50 ft and, in cavern form, much wider. Its length can vary from less than 100 ft to more than 30 miles. A tunnel can be lo- cated in any of a variety of places—under mountains, cities, rivers, lakes, sea estuaries, straits, or bays.
What Is Thinking

During each moment of our waking lives, our mind is engaged in the biological process of thinking. However, not everything that goes through our mind is “thinking.” And there are different types of thinking for different purposes. In this chapter, we review different types of thinking and discuss the definitions used by educators, psychologists, and other professionals.
Introduction to Integrative Medicine in the Primary Care Setting

Integrative Medicine has been described as "healing oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person (body, mind, and spirit) including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes therapeutic relationships and makes use of all appropriate therapies, both conventional and alternative." National surveys consistently report that approximately one-third of adults and 12% of children use complementary and integrative medicine approaches. Although there are barriers to primary care professionals engaging in discussions about lifestyle change and complementary and integrative medicine options, there is also great potential to impact patient well-being.
Cognition in Context: The Role of Objective and Subjective Measures of Neighborhood and Household in Cognitive Functioning in Later Life.

Background and objectives Although the role of place on health is not new, less is known about how place matters for cognition. By investigating both neighborhood and home as the sociospatial realms of older adults, we explore associations between health and place across multiple contexts. We also distinguish objective and subjective measures of place and disentangle their differential associations with cognition. Research design and methods We analyzed place effects on cognition from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (N = 2,260) linked to neighborhood characteristics and crime data. We measured place in four ways: (a) objective indicators of neighborhood such as police-reported crime rates and interviewer-reported on presence of disordered conditions on the streets; (b) perceptions of neighborhood by respondents (perceived danger and social cohesion); (c) objective conditions of home (interviewer's report on presence of clutters, odor, and messiness); (4) perceived social support, strain, and threat by household members. The MoCA-SA was used to assess cognitive functioning. Results Subjective interpretations appeared to have more direct effects on cognition than did objective indicators of neighborhood or home. When examining these living environments together, we found the association between neighborhood and cognition is partially explained by characteristics of home environment, especially perceived social support. We found a buffering effect of social support on cognition for women, not for men. Discussion and implications Late life living environments are important contexts for aging. Aging-in-Place interventions should address subjective interpretations of place to reduce future risks of cognitive decline.
Does schooling foster environmental values and action? A cross-national study of priorities and behaviors

Abstract Steering the course of climate change will require coordination and collective action between nations, which are directed not only by the interests of their political leaders and elites but also the values of citizens. Previous studies have investigated macro-level factors that help explain international differences in general environmental concern. The present article draws on the sixth wave of the World Values Survey, which offers researchers an even starker outcome measure than general concern: whether or not environmental protection should be prioritized over economic growth. Here we report on WVS data from 50 countries to show the individual-level and national-level factors associated with respondents’ prioritizations of the environment.
The Influence of Thermal Cycling on the Properties of Si3N4 Whisker Reinforced Aluminium Alloy Composites

Thermal cycling tests were performed on the Si3N4 whisker/99.9% aluminum and /AC8A alloy composites obtained by squeeze casting, followed by tensile tests, observation of fracture surfaces and microstructures to examine the fatigue of matrices. Little change in tensile strength was observed for the specimen subjected to 1,000 cycles, except T6 treated AC8A alloy matrix composite. After 500 cycles, the effect of T6 treatment was lost. However, fracture surfaces showed somewhat brittle surface, which should be caused by locall plastic flow of matrice.
On the role of sampling and sparsity in phase retrieval for optical coherence tomography

This paper considers the problem of sparse phase retrieval for Frequency Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (FDOCT). Existing phase retrieval algorithms typically require larger number of measurements and the reconstruction is accurate only up to some ambiguities that are inherent in Fourier phase retrieval. In this paper, we overcome these drawbacks by developing a compressive differential FDOCT (dFDOCT) technique that uses li minimization for reconstructing the signal from a pair of differential phaseless measurements. Theoretical guarantees are developed which establish that the proposed method requires minimal number of measurements for sparse phase retrieval. Numerical results demonstrate the superior performance of this method for signals of large length and sparsity without any ambiguities.
Political enablers of energy subsidy reform in Middle Eastern oil exporters

Oil-exporting states in the Middle East and North Africa have launched reforms of long-standing energy subsidies thought to comprise an important source of legitimacy for autocratic regimes. The actions challenge enduring academic assumptions of the illegitimacy of retrenchment in polities underwritten by hydrocarbon rents. Here, I argue that a series of converging trends provided political cover for the reforms, including fiscal stress from low world oil prices, escalating regional instability, international environmental pressure, as well as untenable growth in domestic consumption of exportable commodities. While the reforms signal an important shift in state–society relations, the new policies appear to be designed to update — rather than jettison — rent-based autocratic governance.
A Computational Exploration of Lateral Channel Engineering to Enhance MOSFET Performance

Techniques to engineer a MOSFET's channel in the lateral direction have been proposed to enhance the device performance. In this paper, we present a thorough simulation study to evaluate the feasibility of such lateral engineering techniques. Each of three types of transport equations, the ballistic Boltzmann, drift-diffusion and non-equilibrium Green's function with scattering, is solved self-consistently with 2-D Poisson equation to simulate device performance under both the ballistic and dissipative transport conditions. The results indicate that even if highly idealized device structures are assumed, only limited improvements over the conventional MOSFETs can be achieved by the channel engineering techniques. These results don't conflict with reports of large on-current improvements using the lateral channel engineering, because those comparisons with the conventional MOSFETs were done without specifying a common off-current.
Extensible resource management for networked virtual computing

Advances in server virtualization offer new mechanisms to provide resource management for shared server infrastructures. Resource sharing requires coordination across self-interested system participants (e.g., providers from different administrative domains or third-party brokering intermediaries). Assignments of the shared infrastructure must be fluid and adaptive to meet the dynamic demands of clients. This thesis addresses the hypothesis that a new, foundational layer for virtual computing is sufficiently powerful to support a diversity of resource management needs in a general and uniform manner. Incorporating resource management at a lower virtual computing layer provides the ability to dynamically share server infrastructure between multiple hosted software environments (e.g., grid computing middleware and job execution systems). Resource assignments within the virtual layer occur through a lease abstraction, and extensible policy modules define management functions. This research makes the following contributions: (1) Defines the foundation for resource management in a virtual computing layer. Defines protocols and extensible interfaces for formulating resource contracts between system participants. Separates resource management functionalities across infrastructure providers, application controllers, and brokering intermediaries, and explores the implications and limitations of this structure. (2) Demonstrates policy extensibility by implementing a virtual computing layer prototype, Shirako, and evaluating a range of resource arbitration policies for various objectives. Provides results with proportional share, priority, worst-fit, and multi-dimensional resource slivering. (3) Defines a proportional share policy, WINKS, that integrates a fair queuing algorithm with a calendar scheduler. Provides a comprehensive set of features and extensions for virtual computing systems (e.g., requests for multiple resources, advance reservations, multi-dimensional allocation, and dynamic resource pools). Shows the policy preserves fairness properties across queue transformations and calendar operations needed to implement these extensions. (4) Explores at what layer, and at what granularity, decisions about resource control should occur. Shows that resource management at a lower layer can expose dynamic resource control to hosted middleware, at a modest cost in fidelity to the goals of the policy.
Assessing the Efficiency of R&D Projects in the Face of Resource Constraints

In a classical piece of work, Martin Weingartner back in 1963 showed how it is possible to pose the problem of allocating a given budget between a number of investment or R&D projects as a problem of zero-one programming.
Summer Employment of Mathematics Teachers in Industry.

LORD Kelvin made this statement: "When you can measure what you are thinking about, or when you can express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meager and unsatis factory kind." Having a satisfactory knowledge of what is going on in a large industrial organization means to be able to put numbers on manufacturing toler ances, standards of production or per formance, control of processes, and other factors ad infinitum. The mathema tician, for the foregoing reason, should be of value to any kind of business whether it involves design, analysis, manufacturing, insurance, research, or marketing. The Allison Division of General Motors, Indianapolis, Indiana, believes in the con tribution a mathematician can make to industry. It also believes in the concept of providing a summer employment oppor tunity for high school teachers of mathe matics living near its plants. Since 1956, Allison has employed in its laboratories and engineering department, 31 teachers of mathematics and the physical sciences. The teachers were given assignments re lated to the subjects they taught. The General Motors Program for High School Science and Mathematics Teachers began in 1956. The objectives of the pro gram are to enrich the high school teach er's background and give him actual in dustrial experience with some current ap plications of the principles he teaches in his classroom. Not to be overlooked, also, is the opportunity to supplement his in come during the summer. Allison is engaged in research relating to advanced energy conversion devices and produces a variety of products and components for both national defense and civilian purposes. Examples include turbo prop, turbojet, and turbofan aircraft en gines, propellers, industrial gas turbine engines, and automatic transmissions for trucks and other heavy duty vehicles. What is a typical job performed by a mathematics teacher in the program? Gordon Gish, who teaches mathematics at North Central High School in Indi anapolis, was employed in the Mathe matical Sciences Section during a recent summer. He worked with a space pro pulsion research group whose initial ob jective was to determine the thrust and propellant requirements for manned inter planetary missions. His initial work on orbital and interplanetary mission analy sis was based on the analytical geometry solutions of conic sections to permit the evaluation and study of orbital transfer characteristics. Transfer times, orbital perturbations, velocity, and propellant requirements were analyzed for various propulsion systems using impulsive ma neuvers.
The emotional burden of diabetes: A look at diabetes distress.

Abstract:Patients with diabetes are sometimes overwhelmed with the burden of self-care associated with the disease. Although it may seem appropriate to diagnose patients experiencing such emotional burdens with depression, the literature over the past 20 years has matured the concept of diabetes dis
Trends in African Americans’ Attitudes and Behaviors About Living Donor Kidney Transplantation:

Background:Due to marginal efforts to increase living donor kidney transplantation, it is unclear whether interventions to improve African Americans’ interest and pursuit of living donation should ...
Measuring Truth Commission Characteristics

This chapter describes the truth commission characteristics dataset collected for this project. The data collected are a series of variables used to distinguish truth commissions from one another. The data are created using the United States Institute of Peace’s Digital Library to access primary and secondary source documents related to 45 truth commissions and inquiries of truth. Key variables as well as a handful of other interesting descriptive statistics are discussed.
Implementation of contact hole patterning performance with KrF resist flow process for 60nm node DRAM application

Small contact holes are the most difficult structures for microlithography to print because it is sensitively affected by the process condition, pattern density and environment as well. Moreover, the patterning of very small contact hole features for the 60nm node DRAM device generation will be a difficult challenge for 248nm lithography. However, we have already demonstrated the applicability of thermal flow resist to print 80nm contact holes for DRAM device using 248nm lithography in previous studies. In this work, we study the potential for contact photoresist reflow to be used with 248nm photoresist to increase process windows of small contact dimensions at the 60nm node DRAM device generation (0.21 k1). With KrF 0.80NA scanner, resist flow process and layout optimization were carried out to achieve the contact hole patterning. And also the exposure condition was optimized. For a contact hole with CDs of 69nm +/- 10%, Focus-Exposure windows over the wafer are 0.25μm and 8%, respectively. In conclusion, we have successfully achieved the contact hole patterning with KrF resist flow process for the 60nm node DRAM device.
PRC2 is high maintenance

As the process that silences gene expression ensues during development, the stage is set for the activity of Polycomb-repressive complex 2 (PRC2) to maintain these repressed gene profiles. PRC2 catalyzes a specific histone posttranslational modification (hPTM) that fosters chromatin compaction. PRC2 also facilitates the inheritance of this hPTM through its self-contained "write and read" activities, key to preserving cellular identity during cell division. As these changes in gene expression occur without changes in DNA sequence and are inherited, the process is epigenetic in scope. Mutants of mammalian PRC2 or of its histone substrate contribute to the cancer process and other diseases, and research into these aberrant pathways is yielding viable candidates for therapeutic targeting. The effectiveness of PRC2 hinges on its being recruited to the proper chromatin sites; however, resolving the determinants to this process in the mammalian case was not straightforward and thus piqued the interest of many in the field. Here, we chronicle the latest advances toward exposing mammalian PRC2 and its high maintenance.
Analytical modeling of MMCs with asymmetric cell voltages for utility-scale renewable energy integration

Modular Multilevel Converters (MMCs) have been popular in high voltage power conversion applications because they use a number of modules with relatively low voltage ratings to be cascaded to achieve high voltage operation. In HVDC transmission, for instance, a large number of modules are required to reach the desired operating voltage. Recent research has focused on using MMCs in medium voltage applications to interface renewable energy sources to the distribution grid at voltage levels of up to 35kV. Asymmetric voltages have been used with great success in conventional multilevel inverter topologies to lower the total device count, thereby resulting in a lower total system cost and complexity. MMCs with asymmetric voltages in a 2:1 ratio have been proposed but require complex voltage balancing schemes. Asymmetric multilevel inverters with other voltage ratios (such as 3:1) have been shown to have potentially lower device counts than topologies with 2:1 ratios. However, conventional modulation schemes do not scale to MMCs with 3:1 voltage ratios. This paper presents a generalized analytical model and control scheme for asymmetric MMCs using space-vectors. Capacitor voltages are balanced by a combination of common-mode and differential-mode offsets in the modulating signal. A scalable, level-shifted carrier based modulation scheme is used which eliminates recursive timing calculations. The proposed scheme is modeled in MATLAB/Simulink and the simulation results are presented.
Acyl specificity in triglyceride synthesis by lactating rat mammary gland.

Abstract We have studied the specificity of the acyl-CoA:diglyceride acyltransferase reaction in lactating rat mammary gland to provide a rational explanation at the enzyme level for the nonrandom distribution of fatty acids in milk fat triglycerides. Acyl-CoA:diglyceride acyltransferase activity was measured using various diglyceride and radioactive acyl-CoA substrates; products were identified as triglycerides by thin-layer and gas-liquid chromatography. Most of the enzymatic activity was located in the microsomal fraction and showed a broad specificity for the acyl donors tested C10, C12, C14, C16, C18, and C18:1 CoA esters). The acyltransferase activity was highly specific for sn-1,2-diglyceride enantiomers; rac-1,3- and sn-2,3-diglycerides were relatively inactive. The acyl-CoA specificity was not affected by the type of 1,2-diglyceride acceptor offered, although dilaurin was the best acceptor and sn-1,2-dilaurin greater than sn-1,2-dimyristin greater than sn-1,2-dipalmitin greater than sn-1,2-distearin. We have previously shown that in the microsomal fraction from lactating rat mammary gland, the acyltransferase activities concerned with the conversion of sn-glycero-3-phosphate to diacylglycerophosphate show a very marked specificity for long chain acyl-CoA's. Therefore, we conclude that the predominant localization of long chain fatty acids in the 1 and 2 positions, and of shorter chain fatty acids in the 3 position of the glycerol backbone, results at least in part from the specificities of the mammary gland acyltransferases.