cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multiracial women and the African press in post-World War II Lourenço Marques, Mozambique

AbstractBased on original research of the biweekly publication of the women's pages in Lourenco Marques' only ‘African’ newspaper, O Brado Africano, this paper addresses racial and class dimensions of urban ideals of feminine modernity in the colonial capital of Mozambique. Between 1948 and 1958 the Pagina para a mulher produced rich and at times radical content. During this period, an urban multiracial middle class of Christian, educated women used the Pagina para a mulher to transmit, discuss, and debate ideas of what it meant to be a modern woman, mother, wife, daughter, and contributing member of society. The article looks specifically at feminine ideals of modernity that gave meaning to colonial categories of ‘civilised’ and ‘non-civilised’ Africans within an assimilationist legal framework of ‘native’ African subject and ‘non-native’ African citizen, and the racial tensions produced by a colonial ideology of European racial and cultural superiority. I argue that the content of the women's pages of O...
Downregulation of a GPCR by β-Arrestin2-Mediated Switch from an Endosomal to a TGN Recycling Pathway.

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is an incretin hormone involved in nutrient homeostasis. GIP receptor (GIPR) is constitutively internalized and returned to the plasma membrane, atypical behavior for a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR). GIP promotes GIPR downregulation from the plasma membrane by inhibiting recycling without affecting internalization. This transient desensitization is achieved by altered intracellular trafficking of activated GIPR. GIP stimulation induces a switch in GIPR recycling from a rapid endosomal to a slow trans-Golgi network (TGN) pathway. GPCR kinases and β-arrestin2 are required for this switch in recycling. A coding sequence variant of GIPR, which has been associated with metabolic alterations, has altered post-activation trafficking characterized by enhanced downregulation and prolonged desensitization. Downregulation of the variant requires β-arrestin2 targeting to the TGN but is independent of GPCR kinases. The single amino acid substitution in the variant biases the receptor to promote GIP-stimulated β-arrestin2 recruitment without receptor phosphorylation, thereby enhancing downregulation.
Demand fulfillment probability under parameter uncertainty

We study a multi-item inventory system with normally distributed demands in the presence of demand parameter uncertainty - the uncertainty that stems from the estimation of the unknown demand parameters necessitated by limited amounts of historical demand data. Using an asymptotic normality approximation, we quantify the variance of the demand fulfillment probability (i.e., the probability that all item demands will be satisfied from stock) that is due to demand parameter uncertainty. We use this quantification to understand the impact of demand parameter uncertainty on the demand fulfillment probability and investigate the sensitivity of the variance of the demand fulfillment probability to selected inventory model parameters.
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in the Era of Genomic Medicine

Abstract Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a relatively common, primary disorder of the myocardium characterized by unexplained left ventricular hypertrophy affecting perhaps as many as 1 in 500 people. HCM is underscored by profound phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity, with currently more than 20 genes associated with HCM. The underlying genetic mechanism for approximately 30%–60% of HCM remains elusive. Although many genotype–phenotype relationships have been observed, only a few carry enough clinical significance to aid physicians predicting genotype, course, and prognosis of the disease. Current treatment for HCM is aimed at symptom relief, but (animal) studies and clinical trials are underway to test (genotype-specific) pharmacologic treatments for prevention or regression of cardiac hypertrophy. This chapter details the clinical presentation of HCM, its genetic and nongenetic predisposition, important genotype–phenotype relationships, implications for genetic counseling and family screening, and treatment options for the disease.
Methodology for Computational Fluid Dynamic Validation for Medical Use: Application to Intracranial Aneurysm.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a promising tool to aid in clinical diagnoses of cardiovascular diseases. However, it uses assumptions that simplify the complexities of the real cardiovascular flow. Due to high-stakes in the clinical setting, it is critical to calculate the effect of these assumptions in the CFD simulation results. However, existing CFD validation approaches do not quantify error in the simulation results due to the CFD solver’s modeling assumptions. Instead, they directly compare CFD simulation results against validation data. Thus, to quantify the accuracy of a CFD solver, we developed a validation methodology that calculates the CFD model error (arising from modeling assumptions). Our methodology identifies independent error sources in CFD and validation experiments, and calculates the model error by parsing out other sources of error inherent in simulation and experiments. To demonstrate the method, we simulated the flow field of a patient-specific intracranial aneurysm (IA) in the commercial CFD software star-ccm+. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) provided validation datasets for the flow field on two orthogonal planes. The average model error in the star-ccm+ solver was 5.63 ± 5.49% along the intersecting validation line of the orthogonal planes. Furthermore, we demonstrated that our validation method is superior to existing validation approaches by applying three representative existing validation techniques to our CFD and experimental dataset, and comparing the validation results. Our validation methodology offers a streamlined workflow to extract the “true” accuracy of a CFD solver.
Against the Epistemicide. Itinerant Curriculum Theory and the Reiteration of an Epistemology of Liberation.

Echoing Ettore Scola metaphor “Bruti, Sporchi & Cativi”, this chapter challenges how hegemonic and specific (or so called) counter hegemonic curriculum platforms – so connected with Western Eurocentric Modernity – have been able to colonize the field without any prudency to “fabricate” and impose a classed, raced and gendered philosophy of praxis, as unique, that drives the field to an ideological surrealism and collective suicide. Such collective suicide framed by a theoretical timesharing unleashed by both dominant and specific counter dominant platforms that tenaciously controlled the circuits of cultural production grooms the field as a ghetto, flooded with rudeness, and miserable ambitions, a theoretical caliphate that wipes out any episteme beyond the Western Eurocentric Modern terrain, insolently droving to sewage of society the needs and desires of students, teachers and the community.
A gut bacterial pathway metabolizes aromatic amino acids into nine circulating metabolites

The human gut microbiota produces dozens of metabolites that accumulate in the bloodstream, where they can have systemic effects on the host. Although these small molecules commonly reach concentrations similar to those achieved by pharmaceutical agents, remarkably little is known about the microbial metabolic pathways that produce them. Here we use a combination of genetics and metabolic profiling to characterize a pathway from the gut symbiont Clostridium sporogenes that generates aromatic amino acid metabolites. Our results reveal that this pathway produces twelve compounds, nine of which are known to accumulate in host serum. All three aromatic amino acids (tryptophan, phenylalanine and tyrosine) serve as substrates for the pathway, and it involves branching and alternative reductases for specific intermediates. By genetically manipulating C. sporogenes, we modulate serum levels of these metabolites in gnotobiotic mice, and show that in turn this affects intestinal permeability and systemic immunity. This work has the potential to provide the basis of a systematic effort to engineer the molecular output of the gut bacterial community.
Bernal Díaz del Castillo, la memoria y la representación

En este trabajo se analizan los procedimientos narrativos que verosimilizan la version de la historia que define Bernal Diaz del Castillo. Se analiza la funcion que en el total del relato cumplen los capitulos de largos listados que lo cierran y, especialmente, el capitulo CCVI, dedicado a los retratos indistinguibles de los capitanes espanoles de la Nueva Espana. Se muestra como la memoria privilegiada del cronista esta funcionando bajo el predicamento de una retorica -en este caso, la del retrato del heroe, de origen medieval- que disputa su lugar frente a la pretendida reconstruccion de la experiencia por la via unica de la memoria. This work analyse the narrative procedures which Bernal Diaz del Castillo uses to make his version of history appear to be probable. The function of the long lists at the end of the story and, especially of Chapter CCVI, containing the indistinguishable portraits of New Spain's Spanish capitains is explained. How the chronicler's privileged memory functions as a rhetorical category -in this case, that of the portrait of a medieval hero- who argues his case for the pretended reconstruction of an experience based only on memory is shown.
Theoretical Models for Modal Analysis

This chapter presents a summary of the analytical tools required to understand the theoretical aspects of modal analysis. From the mathematical point of view, modal analysis results because of the ability to decouple coupled sets of ordinary differential equations. This ability is normally set in the context of linear algebra and the theory of matrices. Hence, much of what follows is based upon manipulations of vectors and matrices. The orientation of this chapter is to provide the elementary background required for the following chapters.
A Virtue-Based Approach to Business Ethics: Insights from Aristotle and Sociobiology

This paper starts from the Aristotelian premise that business people become good business people by doing business well. How do we become good at something, be it a craft, a technical skill, or an intellectual activity? Through practice, habituation, and experience, explains Aristotle in his Nicomachean Ethics. It is no different where our character is concerned: we become good people by performing good actions. Managers at all levels are no exception to Aristotle’s theory about the importance of practice. Of particular interest here is the fact that business people are called “good” not just because of their amoral, strictly “technical” or managerial skills, but because of a combination of these skills and their moral integrity.
Potential Cardiovascular Disease Events Prevented with Adoption of the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Blood Pressure Guideline.

Background: Over 10 years, achieving and maintaining 2017 ACC/AHA guideline goals could prevent 3.0 million (UR, 1.1–5.1 million), 0.5 million (UR, 0.2–0.7 million), and 1.4 million (UR, 0.6–2.0 mi...
The association of mitochondrial DNA haplogroups with POAG in African Americans.

Abstract Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in the pathogenesis of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). However, the potential significance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups to POAG has not been evaluated in the overaffected African American population. To investigate the association of mtDNA haplogroups with POAG and its phenotypic characteristics, genotyping data from 4081 African American subjects (1919 cases and 2162 controls) was analyzed using 1293 positions on mtDNA. The overall frequency of mtDNA haplogroups in the Primary Open-Angle African American Glaucoma Genetics (POAAGG) study cohort was 37% L3, 29% L2, 21% L1, 4% L0, and 10% non-African haplogroups (non-L). When all haplogroups (L0, L1, L2, and non-L) were compared against theL3 reference group, after adjusting by age and principal component of ancestry, the non-L3 haplogroups showed higher risk of POAG (OR-1.19, p = 0.02), with a particularly strong association among males (OR = 1.41, p = 0.003). More specifically the non-L group was associated with higher POAG risk than the L3 haplogroup (OR = 1.77, p = 0.007, Bonferroni adjusted p = 0.027) and to the L3e (n = 256, OR = 1.92, p = 0.007, Bonferroni adjusted p = 0.029). No significant association was found when genders were analyzed together or in female only analysis. There were no significant differences in various POAG endophenotypes across mtDNA haplogroups. This study expands our knowledge of mitochondrial genetics and mtDNA haplogroup associations in African American POAG. Further work is needed to better understand the functional role of mtDNA polymorphisms and their interactions with nuclear genes that affect POAG.
Calculating a Portfolio's Beta

We present an active-learning computer exercise where students pick stocks for a portfolio. Using their selection of stocks, two different portfolios are created: 1) a portfolio that never rebalances and 2) a portfolio that continuously rebalances. They then calculate the rates of return and betas for their individual stocks and for their portfolios. The students are then asked to draw conclusions about the benefits of diversification which are shown to apply regardless of the specific type of rebalancing in a diversified portfolio.
The Molecular Basis of Increased Glomerulosclerosis after Blockade of the Renin Angiotensin System in Growth Hormone Transgenic Mice

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) therapy delays the onset of renal failure in diabetic nephropathy and inhibits or delays the onset of proteinuria in several animal models. We examined this question using a transgenic model of chronic glomerulosclerosis caused by an excess production of growth hormone (GH) in which there is progressive glomerular scarring leading to uremia. In addition, since GH mice do not have systemic hypertension or an elevated glomerular filtration rate, we could address the question of whether ACEi or angiotensin II receptor antagonists (AII RA) had an effect on the development of glomerulosclerosis under these conditions. Since excess matrix accumulates in glomerulosclerosis because of alterations in the balance between its synthesis and degradation, we examined the effect of ACEi and AII RA on these parameters. Systemic blood pressure was unaffected by ACEi treatment, but the glomerular filtration rate decreased 85%. ACEi-treated mice had increased mesangial deposition of type I collagen and decreased 105 kD complex collagenase activity. In addition, ACEi-treated GH mice had increased glomerular α1 type I collagen, α1 type IV collagen, and α-smooth muscle cell actin mRNAs. No changes were noted in β actin, or 72 kD metalloproteinase mRNAs. The result of these changes was a net increase in sclerosis. Surprisingly, GH mice treated with ACEi or AngII RA developed marked renal arteriolar lesions.
Integrated Multi-satellite Evaluation for the Global Precipitation Measurement: Impact of Precipitation Types on Spaceborne Precipitation Estimation

An integrated multi-sensor assessment is proposed as a novel approach to advance satellite precipitation validation in order to provide users and algorithm developers with an assessment adequately coping with the varying performances of merged satellite precipitation estimates. Gridded precipitation rates retrieved from space sensors with quasi-global coverage feed numerous applications ranging from water budget studies to forecasting natural hazards caused by extreme events. Characterizing the error structure of satellite precipitation products is recognized as a major issue for the usefulness of these estimates. The Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission aims at unifying precipitation measurements from a constellation of low-earth orbiting (LEO) sensors with various capabilities to detect, classify and quantify precipitation. They are used in combination with geostationary observations to provide gridded precipitation accumulations. The GPM Core Observatory satellite serves as a calibration reference for consistent precipitation retrieval algorithms across the constellation. The propagation of QPE uncertainty from LEO active/passive microwave (PMW) precipitation estimates to gridded QPE is addressed in this study, by focusing on the impact of precipitation typology on QPE from the Level-2 GPM Core Observatory Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) to the Microwave Imager (GMI) to Level-3 IMERG precipitation over the Conterminous U.S. A high-resolution surface precipitation used as a consistent reference across scales is derived from the ground radar-based Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor. While the error structure of the DPR, GMI and subsequent IMERG is complex because of the interaction of various error factors, systematic biases related to precipitation typology are consistently quantified across products. These biases display similar features across Level-2 and Level-3, highlighting the need to better resolve precipitation typology from space and the room for improvement in global-scale precipitation estimates. The integrated analysis and framework proposed herein applies more generally to precipitation estimates from sensors and error sources affecting low-earth orbiting satellites and derived gridded products.
Perceptions of offsite construction in the United States: An investigation of current practices

Abstract New offsite construction practices are emerging in the construction industry to address a broad set of productivity issues that cut across organizational, technological, and strategic domains. Despite all its benefits from sustainable and economic perspectives, offsite construction still faces significant resistance from both the construction industry and the built-environment market. Evaluating advances in this industry is critical, especially because there is a need to determine the factors that are preventing the industry from more fully and rapidly adopting offsite strategies. This paper aims to investigate the industry perspective regarding the adoption of offsite strategies and provide an understanding of the development of the offsite construction industry over time. In this regard, the “State-of-the-Art of Modular Construction Symposium” was held in May 2017 at the University of Florida with the intent to bring together stakeholders engaged in multi-trade prefabrication to debate the drivers, challenges and future directions of the offsite industry. During this event, data was collected by means of unstructured interviews and a questionnaire for the purpose of determining the characteristics the U.S. offsite construction industry. A SWOT framework was used to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the industry adopting offsite strategies as well as the external opportunities and threats. The questionnaire survey data analysis showed the current drivers, core elements, barriers, and possible solutions to the barriers of further implementation of offsite construction. The results are intended to help construction organizations understand the potential benefits of offsite construction and assist them in creating a roadmap for their future strategic development.
Clinical benefits and risks of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonists to treat severe opioid use disorder: A systematic review.

Abstract Background Demand for treatments for severe opioid use disorder is increasing worldwide. The current pharmacotherapy is mainly focused on opioid and adrenergic receptors. The N-methyl- d -aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is among other receptors that can also be targeted to treat the disease. Findings from randomized controlled trials (RTCs) on NMDAR antagonists to treat severe opioid use disorder amply varied. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical benefits and assess the potential risks for adverse events or side effects of NMDAR antagonists that were investigated for the treatment of severe opioid use disorder. Methods Articles were searched in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Proquest. Cochrane Review Database, Medline Ovid, and EMBASE from their inception to March 2019. RTCs on NMDAR antagonists for the treatment of severe opioid use disorder were independently screened and assessed by two authors. The results were synthesized qualitatively. Results Nineteen RTCs of 1459 participants met the inclusion criteria. There is moderate evidence suggesting that ketamine, memantine, amantadine, and dextromethorphan may be able to manage opioid withdrawal symptoms. There is little evidence suggesting that memantine may be able to reduce methadone maintenance dose in participants on methadone, reduce opioid use, and reduce craving. Dropout is noticeable among dextromethorphan’s participants. Safety concerns are more likely associated with dextromethorphan and ketamine. Conclusions NMDAR antagonists have the potentiality to treat severe opioid use disorder. There is insufficient evidence to recommend them for the treatment of severe opioid use disorder due to several limitations inherent to the RCTs reviewed. Further exploration is needed.
Information growth for sequential monitoring of clinical trials with a stepped wedge cluster randomized design and unknown intracluster correlation.

Background/aimsIn a stepped wedge study design, study clusters usually start with the baseline treatment and then cross over to the intervention at randomly determined times. Such designs are usefu...
ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction and Complete Heart Block in a Nitrate-free Patient using a New Emerging Substance called Rhino.

The pervasive use of counterfeit sexual enhancement supplements is increasing worldwide. There are thousands of vendors on the internet while local gas stations and convenience stores are selling it across the United States (US). We report a case of right coronary artery ST-segment elevation and complete heart block in a nitrate-free patient shortly after consuming three 950 mg pills of a sexual enhancer known as rhino and completing sexual intercourse. Coronary angiography revealed 100% occlusion of the right coronary artery and a drug-eluting stent was inserted with a transvenous pacer that he tolerated well, and recovered without complications. The counterfeit drug has gained traction for its high user satisfaction and low cost among recreational customers. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), through its MedWatch program, has frequently released citations to consumers warning them against rhino since 2015, while their labs have recognized two prime ingredients: sildenafil and tadalafil. Although adverse cardiac risk with this therapeutic class is low, we aim to parse out its temporal relationship with rhino, an enhancer containing 14-200 times the prescription limits of sildenafil and tadalafil.
An Overview of Peanut Allergenicity and Enzymatic Treatment for Reducing It

Peanut allergy is one of the most severe food allergies. It represents a serious health issue and a food safety issue in the developed country. The peanut allergy is triggered by allergenic peanut proteins and 17 such proteins have been identified. Among these proteins, Ara h 1, Ara h 2, Ara h 3 and Ara h 6 are defined as major allergens because of their high contents in peanut and their high allergenic potential. The eliciting dose of peanut allergy is low and the severity of allergic reaction increased with peanut protein dose. Due to the increasing applications of peanuts in food products, it is very difficult for people who are sensitive to peanut to completely avoid from exposure to peanut. Technologies that can reduce the allergenicity of peanuts will greatly contribute to the allergic safety of peanuts, reduce the severity of allergic reaction due to accidental exposure, and ease the stress of individuals who are allergic to peanuts. Although many methods have been proposed to reduce allergenicity or immunoreactivity of peanut and other food protein, enzymatic treatment is a promising because it is safer and practical although this method can not completely desensitize peanut allergens. This review covered the characteristics of peanut allergy, methods of allergenicity evaluation, and effects of proteolytic hydrolysis on the allergenicity of peanut protein, peanut flour and peanut kernels.
RNAseq Reveals Sensitive, Concentration-Dependent Transcriptional Markers of Copper in Mytilus californianus Larvae and Adults

Copper contamination of coastal waters is a long-standing problem in many regions. Copper water quality criteria in marine waters is often determined with bivalve embryo-larval toxicity tests which measure survival and normal development as endpoints. Gene expression data is increasingly incorporated into such assays as a complementary and sensitive marker of contaminant exposure or toxicity. Here we measured the impacts of copper on Mytilus californianus larval transcriptional profiles, and identified sensitive biomarkers of copper exposure. Key functional categories that were identified among these genes include biomineralization/shell formation, metal binding, and development. Finally, we compared the transcriptional response of larvae to that of adult gill tissue, and show in both datasets that patterns of declining transcript expression occur at lower copper concentrations than those required to induce increases in transcript expression, suggesting that down-regulated genes serve as the most sensitive marker of copper exposure.
Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation on Flecainide Therapy.

Abstract Flecainide pill-in-the-pocket therapy is a pharmacologic treatment option for patients with infrequent episodes of symptomatic atrial fibrillation. We report a case of wide complex tachycardia due to atrial flutter with 1:1 atrioventricular conduction in a patient who took pill-in-the-pocket flecainide without concomitant atrioventricular nodalblockade.
Beam intensity effects in Fermilab Booster synchrotron

Detrimental beam dynamics effects limit the performance of high-intensity rapid cycling synchrotrons (RCSs) such as the 8 GeV proton Fermilab Booster. Here we report the results of comprehensive experimental studies of various beam intensity dependent effects in the Booster. In the first part, we report the dependencies of the Booster beam intensity losses on the total number of protons per pulse and on key operational parameters, such as the machine tunes and chromaticities. Then we cross check two methods of the beam emittance measurements (the MultiWires proportional chambers and the ionization profile monitors). Finally, we used the intensity dependent emittance growth effects to analyze the ultimate performance of the machine in the present configuration, with the maximum space-charge tuneshift parameter $\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Delta}}{Q}_{\mathrm{SC}}\ensuremath{\sim}0.6$, and after its injection energy is upgraded from 0.4 to 0.8 GeV.
NetProtect: Network Perturbations to Protect Nodes against Entry-Point Attack

In many network applications, it may be desirable to conceal certain target nodes from detection by a data collector, who is using a crawling algorithm to explore a network. For example, in a computer network, the network administrator may wish to protect those computers (target nodes) with sensitive information from discovery by a hacker who has exploited vulnerable machines and entered the network. These networks are often protected by hiding the machines (nodes) from external access, and allow only fixed entry points into the system (protection against external attacks). However, in this protection scheme, once one of the entry points is breached, the safety of all internal machines is jeopardized (i.e., the external attack turns into an internal attack). In this paper, we view this problem from the perspective of the data protector. We propose the Node Protection Problem: given a network with known entry points, which edges should be removed/added so as to protect as many target nodes from the data collector as possible? A trivial way to solve this problem would be to simply disconnect either the entry points or the target nodes – but that would make the network non-functional. Accordingly, we impose certain constraints: for each node, only (1 − r) fraction of its edges can be removed, and the resulting network must not be disconnected. We propose two novel scoring mechanisms - the Frequent Path Score and the Shortest Path Score. Using these scores, we propose NetProtect, an algorithm that selects edges to be removed or added so as to best impede the progress of the data collector. We show experimentally that NetProtect outperforms baseline node protection algorithms across several real-world networks. In some datasets, With 1% of the edges removed by NetProtect, we found that the data collector requires up to 6 (4) times the budget compared to the next best baseline in order to discover 5 (50) nodes.
Racial disparities in health care utilization, the affordable care act and racial concordance preference

The Affordable Care Act was implemented with the aim of increasing coverage and affordable access with hopes of improving health outcomes and reducing costs. Yet, disparities persist. Coverage and affordable access alone cannot explain the health care gap between racial/ethnic minorities and white patients. Instead, the focus has turned to other factors affecting utilization rates such as the patient-provider relationship. Data from nationally represented U.S. households in 2009-2017 were used to study the association between patient-provider social distance as measured by "racial/ethnic concordance" and health care utilization rates for periods covering pre- and post-ACA. Despite the reduction in financial barriers to health access with the implementation of the ACA, the correlation between racial/ethnic concordance and utilization remains positive and significant. The results suggest that while the ACA may have improved coverage and affordability, other dimensions of access, particularly acceptability, as measured by patient-provider clinical interaction experience, remains a factor in the decision to utilize care.
Effect of Differently Oriented Interlayer Phases on the Radiation Damage of Inconel-Ni Multimetallic Layered Composite

Multimetallic layered composites (MMLCs) have shown an excellent potential for application under extreme environments, e.g., accident-tolerant fuel cladding, because of their low oxidation tendency and high corrosion resistance. Interfacial phases or complexions in nanocrystalline materials accelerate the annihilation of defects and enhance the radiation resistance of materials, making MMLCs with engineered interlayer phases compelling to deploy in extreme conditions. However, implementation of MMLCs in full capacity remained a challenge due to a lack of fundamental understanding of the underlying mechanisms governing the characteristics of the interface between the metallic layers. The precise role of interlayer phases in MMLCs and their interaction with defects, specifically under extreme conditions, is still unexplored. Pursuing atomistic simulations for various Inconel-Ni MMLCs model materials, we revealed accelerated defect mobility in interlayers with larger crystalline misorientation and the inverse relationship between the interface sink strength to the misorientation angle. Furthermore, we found a linear relation between interlayer misorientation angle with the density of radiation-induced defects and radiation enhanced diffusion. Finally, our results indicate that radiation-induced material degradation is accelerated by the higher defect formation tendency of MMLCs with a high-angle interlayer interface.
Effect of thematic map misclassification on landscape multi-metric assessment

Advancements in remote sensing and computational tools have increased our awareness of large-scale environmental problems, thereby creating a need for monitoring, assessment, and management at these scales. Over the last decade, several watershed and regional multi-metric indices have been developed to assist decision-makers with planning actions of these scales. However, these tools use remote-sensing products that are subject to land-cover misclassification, and these errors are rarely incorporated in the assessment results. Here, we examined the sensitivity of a landscape-scale multi-metric index (MMI) to error from thematic land-cover misclassification and the implications of this uncertainty for resource management decisions. Through a case study, we used a simplified floodplain MMI assessment tool, whose metrics were derived from Landsat thematic maps, to initially provide results that were naive to thematic misclassification error. Using a Monte Carlo simulation model, we then incorporated map misclassification error into our MMI, resulting in four important conclusions: (1) each metric had a different sensitivity to error; (2) within each metric, the bias between the error-naive metric scores and simulated scores that incorporate potential error varied in magnitude and direction depending on the underlying land cover at each assessment site; (3) collectively, when the metrics were combined into a multi-metric index, the effects were attenuated; and (4) the index bias indicated that our naive assessment model may overestimate floodplain condition of sites with limited human impacts and, to a lesser extent, either over- or underestimated floodplain condition of sites with mixed land use.
Slow-wave structure for high-power electron devices

One of the main features of slow-wave structures (SWS), intended for electromagnetic wave amplification or for the acceleration of electron beams, is the presence of a longitudinal electric field, with a relatively uniform distribution in the SWS cross-section. A new type of SWS corresponding to the mentioned requirement is presented in this work. The axially symmetric E-type electromagnetic wave is excited in a tube with a relative permeability /spl mu/ in the azimuth direction. The excited wave has the same components as the E/sub 01/ wave in a cylindrical waveguide and propagates along the magnetic tube with deceleration. The analysis has shown, that the field of the E/sub 01/ wave in a magnetic tube has a structure which is optimum for interaction with an electron beam. The creation in the future of a magnetic material with small electromagnetic losses will allow one to realize the proposed SWS for high-power devices.
Advance and Runoff-Surge Flow Furrow Irrigation

Furrow advance and runoff evaluations were conducted on a field having a silt loam soil using pulsed water applications. The irrigation method, defined as “surge flow,” was applied in two experiments, each covering 100 m furrow sections. The first experiment consisted of 13 combinations of on- and off-times, replicated five times. The second experiment included 10 combinations of cycle period and cycle ratio with two replications. The results indicate that surge flow treatments significantly accelerated furrow advance per unit of applied water and reduced the temporal and spatial variability among furrows in the field. It is theorized that furrow drainage between surges accelerates the formation of thin surface seals, thereby reducing intake rates.
Internal Organisation of Post-Communist Parliaments over Two Decades: Leadership, Parties, and Committees

This article presents an analysis of parliamentary leadership, party, and committee structures in seven post-communist parliaments: Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, and Ukraine. The study examines the similarities and differences between these parliaments in the distribution of power in and among these organisational structures. Legislatures in parliamentary systems seem less prone to conflicts than legislatures in presidential systems. Legislatures in which new political elites exhibit continuity of old Soviet elites experience higher levels of conflict than those without such a connection. At the end of the second post-communist decade, key factors which may explain these institutional developments lie in the constitutional system, parliamentary rules and procedures, and continuity of political elites.
Role for protein kinase C in A23187 induced glomerular arachidonate release and PGE2 production.

Abstract A high concentration of the calcium ionophore A23187 (10 uM) stimulated release of labeled arachidonate and immunoreactive PGE 2 from isolated superfused glomeruli. A lower concentration of A23187 (1uM) or 12-0-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13 -acetate (TPA, 0.1 uM), a direct activator of protein kinase C, when added alone was without effect on these parameters. Combined addition of A23187 (1 uM) and TPA (0.1 uM) synergistically stimulated arachidonate release and PGE 2 production. 1-(5-isoquinolinyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7) a known inhibitor of protein kinase C in other tissues, suppressed increases in arachidonate release and PGE 2 production mediated by A23187 (10 uM) or TPA plus A23187 (1 uM). H-7 inhibited while TPA stimulated protein kinase C activity that had been partially purified from soluble fractions of glomerular homogenates. These results support a role for protein kinase C in A23187 mediated arachidonate release.
In vivo bone response to biomechanical loading at the bone/dental-implant interface.

Since dental implants must withstand relatively large forces and moments in function, a better understanding of in vivo bone response to loading would aid implant design. The following topics are essential in this problem. (1) Theoretical models and experimental data are available for understanding implant loading as an aid to case planning. (2) At least for several months after surgery, bone healing in gaps between implant and bone as well as in pre-existing damaged bone will determine interface structure and properties. The ongoing healing creates a complicated environment. (3) Recent studies reveal that an interfacial cement line exists between the implant surface and bone for titanium and hydroxyapatite (HA). Since cement lines in normal bone have been identified as weak interfaces, a cement line at a bone-biomaterial interface may also be a weak point. Indeed, data on interfacial shear and tensile "bond" strengths are consistent with this idea. (4) Excessive interfacial micromotion early after implantation interferes with local bone healing and predisposes to a fibrous tissue interface instead of osseointegration. (5) Large strains can damage bone. For implants that have healed in situ for several months before being loaded, data support the hypothesis that interfacial overload occurs if the strains are excessive in interfacial bone. While bone "adaptation" to loading is a long-standing concept in bone physiology, researchers may sometimes be too willing to accept this paradigm as an exclusive explanation of in vivo tissue responses during experiments, while overlooking confounding variables, alternative (non-mechanical) explanations, and the possibility that different types of bone (e.g., woven bone, Haversian bone, plexiform bone) may have different sensitivities to loading under healing vs. quiescent conditions.
The effect of experimenter location and subject anxiety on cerebral activation as measured by lateral eye movements.

Abstract Recent research pointed to the usefulness of lateral eye movements as an index of cognitive activity, cerebral activation and anxiety. In the current study the previously reported findings were not confirmed. We conclude that the validity and reliability of lateral eye movements as a measure of hemispheric activation need further study.
Detection of incipient cavitation and determination of the best efficiency point for centrifugal pumps using acoustic emission

AbstractPumps play a significant role in industrial plants and need continuous monitoring to minimize loss of production. To date, published information on the application of acoustic emission (AE) to incipient pump cavitation has been contradictory. This article re-assesses the application of AE for detecting incipient cavitation. In addition, this paper presents results from an on-going programme to ascertain the applicability of the AE technique for determining the best efficiency point (BEP) of an operating system. Three different sized pumps (60 kW, 127 kW, and 2.2 MW) formed the basis of this investigation, which included NPSH (net positive suction head) and performance tests. Results obtained demonstrate the successful use of the AE technique for detecting incipient cavitation and highlight the enormous potential of the technique in determining the BEP of a pump or system.
Ductility in Zn-22%Al above the eutectoid temperature

Abstract The results of ductility tests performed on the Zn-22%Al solid solution alloy at 673 K (above the eutectoid temperature) show that the plot of ductility versus strain rate is similar in trend to that reported for the alloy when tested under the conditions of superplasticity (below the eutectoid temperature); maximum ductility occurs at intermediate strain rates. The origin for the variation in ductility with strain rate in the alloy above the eutectoid temperature is discussed in terms of deformation mechanisms associated with the creep behavior of solid solution alloys.
Excitation of surface plasmons on metals by low-energy electrons: The role of interference effects

We present quantitative theoretical studies of the wave-vector dependence of the cross section for excitation of surface plasmons by low-energy electrons incident on the Ag(100) surface. The analysis assumes the dipole mechanism provides the dominant coupling between the electron and the surface plasmon. The theory provides a very good account of the systematic features reported recently by Rocca and Valbusa. As emphasized in earlier theoretical discussions, under conditions used in the experiments, the interference between two excitation channels--- loss then reflection'' and reflection then loss''---enters importantly in the description of the excitation process. In addition, it is essential to include the influence of the image potential on both the amplitude and phase on the scattering amplitude for elastic, specular reflection from the surface.
Reactions of aldehyde oils and methyl azelaaldehydate with polyols

In exploratory tests, mono-, di-, and trialdehyde oils and methyl azelaaldehydate (MAZ), preferably in the form of their acetals, reacted with various polyols with few exceptions to produce potentially useful derivatives. The polyols included pentaerythritol, methyl glucoside, glucose, sorbitol and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Preliminary evaluation of some of the derivatives was carried out in several applications. Among the more promising were: films derived from MAZ and glucose or PVA; melt adhesives for nonpolar substrates from trialdehyde oil and methyl glucoside; and molding compounds derived from MAZ and PVA.
Situated assessment: Limitations and promise

Abstract We present some key findings of a four-year, two-phase writing assessment project at Central Michigan University: Phase One (2002), a survey of faculty members (n = 115) and subsequent focus groups (n = 14) and Phase Two (2005), an evaluation of two samples of student writing (n = 635 and 632). Major findings of Phase One reported here include the amounts and types of writing assigned by faculty members and their perceptions about the quality of their students’ writing. Phase Two revealed some surprising results about our students’ critical reading and writing abilities, confirmed the limitations of a timed-writing assessment methodology, and exposed an intriguing artifact of the data set. We reflect on the process of developing and conducting the assessment project, examine its strengths and weaknesses, and share our thoughts about the next phase of our assessment odyssey.
Classification of Sleep Patterns by Means of Markov Modeling and Correspondence Analysis

Shown is how correspondence analysis can be used to track changes in an individuals' sleep pattern. Correspondence analysis was applied to sleep stage transition matrices computed from all-night sleep of normal, obese, and apnoetic subjects. Differences between the groups, and intraindividual changes in sleep patterns could be visualized better than with a x2-based clustering approach.
Implementing Team‐Based Learning in an Introduction to Law Course

Appearing under a variety of names, including most prominently collaborative learning and cooperative learning, it is in essence “the instructional use of small groups so that students work together to maximize their own and each other’s learning.” 2 Research shows that, compared to traditional competitive or individualistic learning environments, benefits of small group learning include higher student achievement, 3 greater use of higher level reasoning and critical thinking skills, 4 more positive attitudes toward the subject matter and satisfaction with the class, 5 and better interpersonal relationships among students and between students and instructor. 6
Counting chromosomes in amphibia.

A simple technic for obtaining division figures in the gonads of amphibians in the non-breeding seasons is proposed. Salamanders were injected intraperitoneally with 0.5 ml. of a solution made by mixing 60 mg. of desiccated mammalian pituitary and 3 ml. of isotonic amphibian Ringer's solution. Forty-eight hours later the animals were injected with 0.5 ml. of a 0.0015% solution of colchicine. The gonads were fixed 2 hours later, smeared and stained with aceto-orcein. Numerous meiotic and mitotic divisions were observed with a distinct spread of metaphase chromosomes that rendered the counting of chromosomes very easy.
Skeletal metastases from cancer of the uterine cervix: Frequency, patterns, and radiotherapeutic significance

Abstract The records of eight hundred two patients who received primary radiotherapy for invasive cervical cancer between 1969 and 1985 were reviewed. The incidence of bone metastasis was 1.9% (15/802). Lumbar spine involvement was the most common site, followed by the pelvic bones. Lumbar spine involvement was characterized by unilateral destruction of one or several contiguous vertebrae. All 10 patients with lumbar spine involvement were associated with a para-spinal mass. In seven of ten patients, this bone destruction due to direct extension from metastatic pare-aortic tumor was the only recurrent cancer. In contrast, involvement of a long bone, a rib or the skull indicates hematogenous bone metastasis. When a spine X ray or bone scan is positive in the lumbar area in a cervical cancer patient with back pain, a CT scan should be performed to determine the extent of the underlying tumor. This will allow more accurate establishment of a radiation treatment plan, and will improve the chances for successful palliation.