cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Association between human cancer and two polymorphisms occurring together in the p21Waf1/Cip1 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor gene

BACKGROUND The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor gene p21Waf1/Cip1 plays a role in signaling cellular growth arrest. In response to DNA damage, p21 is induced by the p53 gene, thereby playing a direct role in mediating p53-induced G1 arrest. Alterations in this gene may adversely affect regulation of cellular proliferation and increase susceptibility for cancer. Two polymorphisms have previously been characterized in the p21 gene: a CA transversion at codon 31 (serarg) and a CT transition 20 nucleotides downstream from the 3' end of exon 3. METHODS The codon 31 polymorphism in exon 2 of the p21 gene was identified by restriction digestion (Alw26I) of products amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The polymorphism downstream from exon 3 of the p21 gene was identified by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of PCR amplified products and was confirmed by PstI enzyme restriction digestion. DNA variant alleles were confirmed by direct DNA sequencing. The entire coding region and the promoter region (p53 binding domain) of the p21 gene were screened for mutations by SSCP analysis or DNA sequencing. RESULTS The two polymorphisms were found in 18 of 96 tumor samples lacking p53 alterations (18.8%). Nine of 54 prostate adenocarcinoma samples (16.7%) contained both p21 variants, whereas 9 of 42 squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (21.4%) displayed both polymorphisms. Of the 110 controls examined, 10 (9.1%) had both alterations. Both p21 polymorphisms occurred together in all samples examined and there was no indication of mutation in the coding region of the p21 gene or in the p53 binding domain of the promoter region. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that p21 gene variants may play a role in increased susceptibility for the development of some types of cancer. In the current study, the authors demonstrated that the occurrence of these two polymorphisms is increased in prostate adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The polymorphic sites may be directly responsible for this apparent increased susceptibility or they may be linked to regulatory region alterations. Cancer 1997; 79:2424-9. © 1997 American Cancer Society.
THE COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS OF BIVALIRUDIN AND PLATELET GLYCOPROTEIN IIBIIIA INHIBITORS AMONG PATIENTS UNDERGOING CONTEMPORARY PRIMARY PCI: INSIGHTS FROM THE BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF MICHIGAN CARDIOVASCULAR COLLABORATIVE (BMC2)

Bivalirudin compared with platelet glycoprotein IIbIIIa inhibitors (GPI) was associated with reduced bleeding, increased stent thrombosis and improved survival in patients undergoing primary PCI (PPCI) in the HORIZONS AMI trial. These findings have not been externally corroborated. Our study cohort
Mathematical and experimental analyses of oppositional algorithms

Evolutionary algorithms (EAs) are widely employed for solving optimization problems with rugged fitness landscapes. Opposition-based learning (OBL) is a recent tool developed to improve the convergence rate of EAs. In this paper, we derive the probabilities that distances between OBL points and the optimization problem solution are less than the distance between a given EA individual and the optimal solution. We find that the quasi-reflected opposition point yields the highest probability and is the most likely candidate to be closer to the optimal solution. We then employ CEC 2013 competition benchmark problems and select a set of trajectory optimization problems from the European Space Agency to study the performance of three OBL algorithms in conjunction with three different EAs. The CEC 2013 test suit simulations indicate that quasi-reflection accelerates the performance of the EA, especially for more difficult composition functions. The space trajectory experiments reveal that differential evolution with opposition generally returns the best objective function value for the chosen minimization problems.
MANAGED CARE IN OBSTETRICS

Managed care has evolved from an experiment in cost-containment to a major force in the health care industry in the United States. Obstetrics, as a high-volume, high-cost specialty, seems to have attracted considerable attention from the managed care industry. Wide variations in standards for treating common pregnancy complications as well as the keen interest expressed by regulatory agencies and employer groups have resulted in a variety of preventative practice and disease management guidelines in this field.
Fabrication and Photoelectrical Characteristics of Polymer-Organic-Blend Photodetectors

Polymer optoelectronics and microelectronics have been recognized as next generation technologies. One of the widely investigated materials for photodiode, LED and solar cell applications is the insoluble conjugated polymer poly(p-phenylene vinylene) or PPV. In this paper we present experimental results of a blended polymer-organic compound photodiode. This diode is based on a soluble derivative of PPV, poly(2-methoxy-5- (2,9-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4- phenylene vinylene) or MEH-PPV, and the organic material ethyl viologen dibromide or EVD. In making the photodiodes, solutions of MEH-PPV and EVD were spin-coated on indium tin oxide coated glass substrates. The thicknesses of these polymer-organic thin films were approximately 190 nm. An aluminum cathode was deposited by thermal evaporation. These devices were illuminated under monochromatic light in UV and visible range wavelengths. These thin polymer-organic blend photodiodes have shown an eight-fold increase in responsivity and quantum efficiency compared to pure MEH-PPV photodiode devices. The increase in photoconductivity of blended MEH-PPV:EVD photodiodes may be due to charge transfer by EVD dication. The results from this work clearly demonstrate the application of the reported approach for the realization of polymer photodiodes with increased photoconductivity characteristics.
Atmospheric circulation anomalies during two persistent north american droughts: 1932-1939 and 1948-1957

We use an early twentieth century (1908–1958) atmospheric reanalysis, based on assimilation of surface and sea level pressure observations, to contrast atmospheric circulation during two periods of persistent drought in North America: 1932–1939 (the ‘Dust Bowl’) and 1948–1957. Primary forcing for both droughts is believed to come from anomalous sea surface temperatures (SSTs): a warm Atlantic and a cool eastern tropical Pacific. For boreal winter (October–March) in the 1950s, a stationary wave pattern originating from the tropical Pacific is present, with positive centers over the north Pacific and north Atlantic ocean basins and a negative center positioned over northwest North America and the tropical/subtropical Pacific. This wave train is largely absent for the 1930s drought; boreal winter height anomalies are organized much more zonally, with positive heights extending across northern North America. For boreal summer (April–September) during the 1930s, a strong upper level ridge is centered over the Great Plains; this feature is absent during the 1950s and appears to be linked to a weakening of the Great Plains low-level jet (GPLLJ). Subsidence anomalies are co-located over the centers of each drought: in the central Great Plains for the 1930s and in a band extending from the southwest to the southeastern United States for the 1950s. The location and intensity of this subsidence during the 1948–1957 drought is a typical response to a cold eastern tropical Pacific, but for 1932–1939 deviates in terms of the expected intensity, location, and spatial extent. Overall, circulation anomalies during the 1950s drought appear consistent with the expected response to the observed SST forcing. This is not the case for the 1930s, implying some other causal factor may be needed to explain the Dust Bowl drought anomalies. In addition to SST forcing, the 1930s were also characterized by massive alterations to the land surface, including regional-scale devegetation from crop failures and intensive wind erosion and dust storms. Incorporation of these land surface factors into a general circulation model greatly improves the simulation of precipitation and subsidence anomalies during this drought, relative to simulations with SST forcing alone. Even with additional forcing from the land surface, however, the model still has difficulty reproducing some of the other circulation anomalies, including weakening of the GPLLJ and strengthening of the upper level ridge during AMJJAS. This may be due to either weaknesses in the model or uncertainties in the boundary condition estimates. Still, analysis of the circulation anomalies supports the conclusion of an earlier paper (Cook et al. in Proc Natl Acad Sci 106:4997, 2009), demonstrating that land degradation factors are consistent with the anomalous nature of the Dust Bowl drought.
A tectonic model of the Antarctic Gondwana margin with implications for southeastern Australia: isotopic and geochemical evidence

Abstract Geochemical studies of Paleozoic granites in northern Victoria Land (NVL) and the central Transantarctic Mountains (CTM) are integrated with structural and lithologie studies into a model for the tectonic development of the Antarctic-south-east Australian Gondwana margin in late Precambrian-middle Paleozoic time. Isotopic data (Nd, Sr, O) are used to define crustal basement age boundaries and subduction polarity and thus help identify suspect terranes. In the CTM, three basement age-blocks are recognized: The outboard two provinces are inferred to be allochthonous, with accretion to the Gondwana margin occurring between ≈ 750 and ≈ 500 Ma. This tectonic scenario is inferred to apply also to NVL and southeastern Australia (SEA). In the CTM and NVL, chemical and isotopic polarity of ca. 500 Ma granitoids indicate a cratonward-dipping subduction zone. In NVL, terranes outboard of the belt of ca. 500 Ma granites contain Devonian (ca. 400 Ma) I-type granites with chemical and isotopic polarity opposed to that of the ca. 500 Ma granites. In the furthest outboard position, S-type granites emplaced at ca. 600 and 525 Ma occur with ca. 400 Ma granites and indicate the presence of early Proterozoic basement. This NVL terrane collage is allochthonous; it was assembled, intruded by Devonian granites, and then tectonically accreted to the Gondwana margin between latest Devonian and Permian time. Terrane correlations with SEA imply that much of the latter was accreted to the Gondwana margin after Devonian time. Other fragments of this allochthonous continental collage are probably in Marie Byrd Land (West Antarctica) and New Zealand (including the Campbell Plateau).
Assessing the local economic implications of two residential energy efficiency standards

Abstract Despite temporary and downward price fluctuations in some energy markets, the long-run energy picture remains one of decreasing supplies and increasing prices. If a municipality can devise a strategy to reduce energy consumption in its residential sector, then it may reduce the outflow of energy dollars, giving individuals more disposable income to spend on other goods and services in the local economy. Various state and local governments in the U.S. have conducted analyses of their local energy situation and have developed policies to promote conservation. Two residential space conditioning strategies, building energy performance standards and energy efficiency resale standards, and their potential for savings, are assessed. Estimating the impact of energy conservation is a necessary step in justifying local energy programs. This paper outlines an energy analysis method that is understandable to local administrators, is easy and inexpensive to implement and has important policy implications.
Radiation therapy in the management of patients with mesothelioma

The results of radiation therapy in the management of 27 patients with malignant mesothelioma were reviewed. Eight patients were treated with a curative intent combining attempted surgical excision of tumor (thoracic in 6 and peritoneal in 2), aggressive radiation therapy, and combination chemotherapy using an adriamycin-containing regimen. One patient achieved a 2-year disease-free interval followed by recurrence of tumor above the thoracic irradiation field. This patient was retreated with localized irradiation and is disease-free after 5 years of initial diagnosis. One patient has persistent abdominal disease at 18 months; the other 6 patients suffered local recurrence within 8-13 months of initiation of treatment. Radiation therapy was used in 19 other patients who received 29 courses for palliation of dyspnea, superior vena cava syndrome, dysphagia, or neurological symptoms of brain metastasis. A palliation index was used to determine the effectiveness of irradiation and revealed that relief of symptoms was complete or substantial in 5 treatment courses, moderately effective in 6 courses and inadequate in 18 treatment courses. Adequate palliation strongly correlated with a dose at or above 4,000 rad in 4 weeks. The management of patients with mesothelioma requires new and innovative approaches to increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy and minimize the significant potential combined toxicity of pulmonary irradiation and adriamycin.
Christian Charismatics, Anthropologists, and Truth: A Review Essay on Tanya Luhrmann’s When God Talks Back

Throughout her career, anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann has inquired into the nature of belief. One focus of her efforts has been the question of how outsiders can grasp the beliefs of groups whose fundamental convictions differ from their own. In the work reviewed here, these concerns play out in a study of the Vineyard church, a charismatic Christian group. As she presents her ethnographic account of the group, Luhrmann also addresses theoretical questions about the evaluation of truth across different cultural contexts.
Percutaneous Absorption of Nitroaromatic Compounds: In Vivo and In Vitro Studies in the Human and Monkey

The percutaneous absorption of 2-nitro- p -phenylene-diamine, 4-amino-2-nitrophenol, nitrobenzene, p -nitroaniline, and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene was measured through human and monkey skin. Human studies were performed with excised skin in diffusion cells. Absorption through monkey skin was measured by in vivo and in vitro techniques. Results were compared with those from previously reported human in vivo studies on 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene and nitrobenzene. Rapid penetration was observed with all compounds, with maximum absorption occurring in the first few hours. No significant differences in absorption were found in values obtained by the different procedures except for the highly volatile (and therefore difficult to compare) compound nitrobenzene. A comparison of the human and monkey in vitro data showed a trend toward increased absorption through monkey skin, but the increase was not statistically significant. The monkey in vivo and in vitro results showed that absorption of all compounds except nitrobenzene was slightly less in the in vitro studies; however, the values were not significantly different. The relative volatility of these nitroaromatic compounds was measured by the loss of compound from epidermal discs at various time intervals. The greatest loss of applied material occurred with nitrobenzene; however, substantial amounts of the other compounds were lost, particularly during the first minute after application as the acetone vehicle evaporated. Monkey skin was found to be a good model for human skin for the determination of the percutaneous absorption of these compounds, and in vitro measurements of absorption agreed reasonably well with values obtained by in vivo techniques. A good correlation was not observed between the absorption of these compounds and their solubility properties.
The role of the bursa-dependent lymphoid tissue in oncogenesis by avian myeloblastosis virus

Abstract The bursa-dependent lymphoid system appears to be responsible for the development of resistance to tumor formation by avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) in chickens. The pattern of development of resistance to tumor induction by AMV as a function of age has been determined. It parallels the development of the capacity to synthesize circulating antibodies. Hormonal bursectomy by injection of 19-nortestosterone (19-NT) into chick embryos prevents the normal development of resistance to this tumor virus. In addition, there is no difference in susceptibility to AMV between normal and 19-NT treated 1-day-old chick in which the bursa-dependent lymphoid tissue is not yet developed.
Single-crystal x-ray diffraction of n - H 2 at high pressure

X-ray diffraction from a single crystal of solid $n$-${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ has been obtained at high pressure in a diamond-anvil cell, and the crystal structure has been determined. Nineteen diffraction maxima, corresponding to the hexagonal-close-packed structure ($\frac{P{6}_{3}}{\mathrm{mmc}}$, $Z=2$), were observed. Unit-cell dimensions at 5.40\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03 GPa and 300\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1 K are $a=2.659\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.002$ \AA{}, $c=4.334\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.003$ \AA{}, and $V=26.55\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05$ ${\mathrm{\AA{}}}^{3}$. The structure determination and volume measurement provide the most accurate checks to date on the equation of state and phase diagram of hydrogen in this pressure range.
Mental imagery: An alternative to top management team replacement for declining organizations

The role of managerial cognitive processes has so far been largely neglected within strategy research which examines organizational decline and recovery. Proposes that heuristics used by managers such as: availability, representativeness, adjustment and anchoring may contribute to the declining performance of the organization. Suggests that mental imagery could be used to adjust these heuristics and change the cognitive processes of the existing managers instead of replacing the top management team in declining organizations. This change in cognitive processes could help increase the ability of a declining firm to improve its performance.
Nerves in a pinch: Imaging of nerve compression syndromes

Nerve compression is a common entity that can result in considerable disability. Early diagnosis is important to institute prompt treatment and to minimize potential injury. Although the appropriate diagnosis is often determined by clinical examination, the diagnosis may be more difficult when the presentation is atypical, or when anatomic and technical limitations intervene. In these instances, imaging can have an important role in helping to define the site and etiology of nerve compression or in establishing an alternative diagnosis. MR imaging and ultrasound provide direct visualization of the nerve and surrounding abnormalities. For both modalities, the use of high-resolution techniques is important. Bony abnormalities contributing to nerve compression are best assessed by radiographs or CT. For the radiologist, knowledge of the anatomy of the fibro-osseous tunnels, familiarity with the causes of nerve compression, and an understanding of specialized imaging techniques are important for successful diagnosis of nerve compression.
Expression of liver and placental alkaline phosphatases in Chang liver cells

This paper presents evidence that a protein characteristic of differentiated liver cells, liver alkaline phosphatase, is synthesized by the Chang liver cell line. Liver alkaline phosphatase was demonstrated by immumochemical assay, 32P-labeling and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, immunofluorescence microscopy, and the fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The synthesis of the liver enzyme by the Chang liver cells is interpreted to indicate fidelity of the Chang cells to their origin from human liver tissue. Chang liver cells also synthesize a phosphatase which is similar if not indentical to the placental alkaline phosphatase. Since a placental-type alkaline phosphatase has been observed in a number of non-trophoblastic cell lines and also in some neoplasms, it does not seem reliable as an index of the origins of the cell line. Because of the claims that Chang liver cells are actually HeLa cells, HeLa cells were studied in tandem with the Chang cells. The results showed that the HeLa cells do not make the liver type phosphatase. The data are discussed in relation to the question of HeLa cell contamination of the Chang cell line and the validity of criteria normally used to identify cell lines.
Social behavior of a marmoset (Saguinus fuscicollis) group I: Parental care and infant development

Development was observed as three infant sets were born into a semi-naturalistic family group. Data on infant carrying through 12 weeks of age revealed that, at almost every week, the father carried more than the mother, and the males carried more than the females. Spatial data for the first two infant sets showed nearest neighbor distances supporting a two-stage proximity process during development. Behavioral data for 30 weeks were rather variable between the first two infant sets; this suggests that infant behavioral patterns may be more dependent upon the composition of the group than is spatial development or infant carrying. Incidents of “play fathering» and the importance of parental care and infant development in general were discussed.
Architectural support for mode-driven fault tolerance in distributed applications

Many distributed applications exhibit different types of system behaviors, or modes, during the course of their operation. Each such mode may have different functional and non-functional requirements (such as fault tolerance, availability, and security). A static software fault-tolerance solution can not cater to the needs of every mode, and also does not utilize system resources intelligently. A flexible architecture is required to provide dependability that can be tailored for such applications. We propose a novel mode-driven fault-tolerance approach that includes: (i) a generic framework to extend the specification of modes with fault-tolerance requirements, and (ii) a software architecture that uses this description to provide the appropriate fault tolerance for each mode at runtime. We also present a case study using a distributed multi-modal CORBA application to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
Mystical experience as evidence

Pour William Alston, il a ete tout a fait essentiel de montrer que les pratiques mystiques et en particulier les pratiques mystiques chretiennes avaient la possibilite de generer un systeme. L'A. critique l'approche donnee par Alston en affirmant que toute pratique mettant en jeu la perception suppose de mettre l'individu en contact avec une realite extra-mentale. Les pratiques mystiques chretiennes ne semblent pas remplir ces conditions. Elles sont donc singulierement deficientes en ce qui concerne la pratique cognitive
Design and Evaluation of MPI File Domain Partitioning Methods under Extent-Based File Locking Protocol

MPI collective I/O has been an effective method for parallel shared-file access and maintaining the canonical orders of structured data in files. Its implementation commonly uses a two-phase I/O strategy that partitions a file into disjoint file domains, assigns each domain to a unique process, redistributes the I/O data based on their locations in the domains, and has each process perform I/O for the assigned domain. The partitioning quality determines the maximal performance achievable by the underlying file system, as the shared-file I/O has long been impeded by the cost of file system's data consistency control, particularly due to the conflicted locks. This paper proposes a few file domain partitioning methods designed to reduce lock conflicts under the extent-based file locking protocol. Experiments from four I/O benchmarks on the IBM GPFS and Lustre parallel file systems show that the partitioning method producing minimum lock conflicts wins the highest performance. The benefit of removing conflicted locks can be so significant that more than thirty times of write bandwidth differences are observed between the best and worst methods.
Community-Based Asset Building and Community Wealth

The author traces involvement in the wealth inequality movement since 1999 and the frustrations with realistically addressing wealth inequality and racial wealth gaps. This paper outlines the journey from understanding the importance of wealth in African American and other communities, to addressing collective structures for accumulating assets and wealth for low-income people of color. The author explores the role cooperatives play in creating community and collective wealth, and proposes alternatives to the mainstream savings strategies usually proposed.
Myocardial infarction and the open-artery hypothesis

In patients with acute myocardial infarction, the prompt restoration of antegrade flow in the infarct-related coronary artery, whether accomplished pharmacologically1 or mechanically,2 improves left ventricular systolic function and reduces mortality. Initially, these salutary effects of reperfusion therapy were thought to be tightly linked: successful reperfusion salvaged ischemic but still viable myocardium, which led to improved left ventricular function and, in turn, improved survival. Conversely, reperfusion of the infarct-related artery more than 12 hours after the onset of infarction was thought not to achieve these beneficial results. However, several studies suggested that the effects of reperfusion on left ventricular function and . . .
Generalizations of the BCH bound

Cyclic codes generated by polynomials having multiple sets of do — 1 roots in consecutive powers of a nonzero field element are considered and some generalizations of the BCH bound are presented. In particular, it is shown, among other results, that if g(x) GF(q)[x[ is the generator polynomial of a cyclic code Vn of length n such that g(βl+i1c1+i2c2 = 0 for i1 = 0, 1,…, d0 — 2 and i2 = 0,1,…,s, where β GF(qm) is a nonzero element of order n and c1 , c2 are relatively prime to n, then the minimum distance of Vn is at least d0 + s.
An analytical approach for gait study and its applications on wave gaits

In the past, the determination of the gait stability margins of legged locomotion systems depended mainly on numerical computation assisted by graphical methods. Although some of these results were expressed as empirically derived equa tions, analytical derivations were lacking. The only exception was the equation of the longitudinal stability margin for quadruped wave gaits derived by McGhee and Frank (1968). They applied a complicated, nonlinear programming ap proach to the derivation. In this paper, we describe an ana lytical approach that has proved to be more efficient than previous gait study techniques. This analytical approach de fines the foot positions by means of the concept of local phase, which is the fraction of a cycle period by which the current foot position follows the placement of that foot. Based on this concept, basic theorems that simplify the study of periodic gaits are developed. This analytical approach is then applied to derive a general equation for the longitudinal stability ma...
A comprehensive study of short channel effects in organic field-effect transistors

Abstract We present a comprehensive study of short channel effects in organic field-effect transistors by measuring the electrical characteristics of devices with fixed channel width and varying channel length. Our studies are conducted on a hole transport organic semiconductor, E,E-2,5-bis-{4′-bis-(4″-methoxy-phenyl)amino-styryl}-3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene, that is spin-coated from solution to form bottom contact organic field-effect transistors. Drain–source currents from transistors with a channel length of 50 μm show excellent agreement with the square law equations derived for crystalline Si MOSFETs in both the linear and saturation regimes. As the channel length is incrementally reduced to 1 μm, device characteristics such as saturation regime channel conductance, sub-threshold current and threshold voltage, behave in a manner similar to Si MOSFETs of decreasing channel length. Results of these studies indicate the presence of non-destructive current punch-through and in addition, behavior similar to channel-length modulation and threshold-voltage roll-off, neither of which have previously been reported in OFETs.
Large-scale identification of tissue-specific enhancers in vivo

Regulatory sequences that control gene expression in time and space play important roles in evolution, phenotypic variation and human disease, but their systematic identification and functional characterization remains a largely unresolved quest. Distant-acting transcriptional enhancers are particularly challenging to uncover because they are scattered among the vast non- coding portion of the genome. We and others have previously used extreme evolutionary conservation to identify human candidate enhancer sequences. Large-scale transgenic mouse assays revealed that many extremely constrained non-coding sequences are tissue-specific transcriptional enhancers active during embryonic development. However, comparative genomic methods fail to predict the spatiotemporal activity patterns of individual enhancers. To address this limitation, we used chromatin immunoprecipitation with the enhancer-associated protein p300, followed by massively parallel sequencing (ChIP-seq) to identify more than 17,000 in vivo binding sites of p300 in eight different embryonic mouse tissues. Using a transgenic mouse reporter assay, we determined the embryonic in vivo activities of more than 130 of these sequences and show that tissue-specific p300 binding accurately predicts not only the genomic location of tissue-specific enhancers, but also the tissues in which they are active. Our high-confidence predictions of tissue-specific distant-acting enhancers add an important layer of functional annotation to the non-coding portion of the human genome, and we expect them to enable genome-wide studies of the role of enhancers in vertebrate development, human disease and regulatory evolution.
What’s NOT Wrong with Foundationalism

One thing all forms of foundationalism have in common is that they hold that a belief can be justified noninferenrially-i.e., that its justification need not depend on its being inferred from some other justified (or unjustified) belief. In some recent publications, Peter Klein argues that in virtue of having this feature, all forms of foundationalism are infected with an unacceptable arbitrariness that makes it irrational to be a practicing foundationalist. In this paper, I will explain why his objections to foundationalism fail.
Understanding why engineering students take too long to graduate

There is growing pressure on public colleges and universities to decrease the time students take to earn an undergraduate degree. There are many factors that slow students’ progress towards graduation. For example, urban universities may have a significant number of non-traditional students who don’t take a full load of courses required to graduate in four years. Also, some freshman students interested in engineering may not be prepared for college and are required to take remedial math and science courses. Engineering is a highly-structured program, often with a long sequence of courses requiring one or more prerequisites. If some courses aren’t offered each semester, this can delay progress toward graduation for some students. This paper examines graduating students’ academic records and surveys senior-level mechanical engineering students to identify some of the causes for the increased graduation times. Students provided detailed information such as their full- or part-time status, how many semesters left to graduation, whether they attended summer school, the courses they had difficulty passing, and other issues related to the length of time required to complete their degrees. Feedback from students is essential as universities look to improve graduation rates. The results presented are based on the data for the mechanical engineering program at a public institution in Texas. Although each institution is unique, the findings presented in this paper are expected to apply to similar institutions throughout the nation.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Intrinsic considerations for testing floppy disk and rigid disk drives used in computers

Two points, essential for both floppy disk and rigid disk drive testing, are provided. It is thought that the best test for computer components, particularly disk drives, is the actual application itself in the computer; the drive must work in the computer, regardless of the test results. Also, it is necessary to utilize better software to simulate typical operator usage. The major commercial diagnostic programs evaluated to date have severe limitations especially for the development of programs designed.
Structure and Behavior of AWM and MKW Clusters

A grasp of the life-cycles of large-scale structures is critical to understanding the Universe. This can be accomplished through the study of poor clusters-- that is, younger clusters that are likely evolving to another state. The selected clusters are significant in that they are poor but also possess a type-cD galaxy. This brighter central galaxy suggests that these clusters may be dynamically evolved and are potential candidates for fossil groups. In order to more fully understand the structure and behavior of poor galaxy clusters, 13 clusters were selected and analyzed. Using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we present structural descriptions and mass estimates of these 13 galaxy clusters.
Life-span extension in yeast.

The perspective by Jasper Rine (“Twists in the tale of the aging yeast,” 18 Nov. 2005, p. [1124][1]) shows a serious lack of knowledge about the history and ideas of the aging field. Rine attempts to reconcile recent contrasting claims about yeast replicative aging and calorie restriction (CR).
Using Elderly Educators to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening

This article reports on the elderly educator method, a practical and economical intervention that was used for increasing the rate of return of fecal occult blood sampling in colorectal screening among 171 socioeconomically disadvantaged older persons. Two methods that used elderly educators had an overall response rate of more than 60%. Logistic regression shows a statistically significant difference between two methods that used elderly educators and two methods that did not.
Photon-Plasmon Interaction in a Nonuniform Electron Gas. I

A Hamiltonian development of the dynamics of the radiation field coupled with an electron gas is presented. The Maxwell equations and the Bloch electron-gas equations are employed in this development. Detailed study is made of first-order coupling between surface plasmons and photons normally incident on a nonuniform, planar-bounded electron gas. Formulas for the integral decrease in reflectivity due to random surface and volume irregularities are derived. Comparison with a theory of Fedders is made.
Histochemical and ultrastructural characteristics of rat brain perivascular mast cells stimulated with compound 48/80 and carbachol.

Abstract Mast cells, known for their involvement in allergic reactions where they secrete numerous chemicals in response to immunoglobulin E and specific antigens, have recently been localized in the central nervous system. The function of these brain mast cells has remained speculative as they have not been the subject of any combined functional or detailed morphological studies. Here it is shown that these cells are primarily perivascular and stain metachromatically with Toluidine Blue, but red with Alcian Blue counterstained with Safranin, indicating that they contain proteoglycans quite similar to those of peritoneal, but not mucosal mast cells. Intracardiac administration of the classic mast cell secretagogue, compound 48/80 , or the acetylcholine analog, carbachol, caused ultrastructural changes in brain mast cells consistent with secretion, but without exocytosis. However, it is known that the same concentration of carbachol has no effect on homogeneic peritoneal mast cells. These results indicate that brain mast cells share histochemical characteristics with serosal mast cells, but differ in their reactivity to secretagogues, and apparently in the mechanism of secretion. Their ability to respond to neurotransmitters and their distinct mechanism of secretion, which may be selective, expands their possible role in brain pathophysiology.
From endoplasmic-reticulum stress to the inflammatory response

The endoplasmic reticulum is responsible for much of a cell's protein synthesis and folding, but it also has an important role in sensing cellular stress. Recently, it has been shown that the endoplasmic reticulum mediates a specific set of intracellular signalling pathways in response to the accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins, and these pathways are collectively known as the unfolded-protein response. New observations suggest that the unfolded-protein response can initiate inflammation, and the coupling of these responses in specialized cells and tissues is now thought to be fundamental in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. The knowledge gained from this emerging field will aid in the development of therapies for modulating cellular stress and inflammation.
Sub-terahertz testing of silicon MOSFET

The difference in the terahertz response of Si MOSFETs with identical above threshold characteristics but different values of the leakage current in the below threshold regime is demonstrated. The results show that the terahertz response test can be used as a complementary testing technique of a Si MOS VLSI under bias.
Femoral head trabecular bone structure in two omomyid primates

The study of the three-dimensional structure of trabecular bone and its relationship to locomotor behavioral differences across different primate taxa provides a potentially useful analytic tool for reconstructing the behavior of extinct taxa. The purpose of the current study is to quantify the three-dimensional architecture of trabecular bone in the femoral head of Omomys carteri and Shoshonius cooperi and to compare this structure to that of several extant strepsirrhine taxa. Bone volume fraction (BV/TV) and fabric anisotropy were quantified in three dimensions using serial high-resolution X-ray computed tomography scan data collected from one femoral head from each fossil taxon. Three cubic volumes of interest (VOI) were identified within the femoral head. The BV/TV was quantified by assessing the percentage of bone voxels within each VOI and the structural anisotropy was quantified using the star volume distribution method. The Omomys femur used here has a high BV/TV with the galagine-like pattern of decreasing BV/TV from the superior to the inferior half of the femoral head. The fabric structure, however, is more lorisine-like in being relatively isotropic throughout the femoral head. The trabecular structure in Omomys is unique in its mix of features and appears to be most similar overall to the lorisines, suggesting that Omomys engaged in a quadrupedal mode of locomotion. By contrast the Shoshonius specimen possesses a relatively uniform BV/TV across the head but displays the distinctly galagine-like pattern of increasing anisotropy moving inferiorly in the femoral head. Taken as a whole, the trabecular structure in Shoshonius appears to be most like that of the galagines and is consistent with that of either an occasional leaper-quadruped or a specialized leaper. Despite the overall similarities in the external postcranial anatomy of Omomys and Shoshonius, the results of this study indicate potentially important differences in the magnitude and orientation of the external loads at the hip joint, suggesting that these animals engaged in divergent locomotor behaviors.
Beneficial effects of a neutral protease inhibitor in traumatic shock.

Eglin C is a polypeptide inhibitor of the neutral proteases elastase and cathepsin G. We have investigated its action in traumatic shock in rats. Eglin C (2 mg/kg) given following trauma prolonged survival time from 2.3 ± 0.5 h to 3.6 ± 0.4 h (p<0.05) in traumatized rats. Although eglin C treatment had no significant effect on the increase in plasma cathepsin D activity, eglin C administration significantly blunted plasma myocardial depressant factor (MDF) accumulation, 54 ± 3 vs 79 ± 8 U/ml (p<0.02). Our findings indicate a potential role for neutral proteases in toxic factor formation.
Minimizing maximum flows in linear graphs

We define a linear graph to be a connected acyclic graph each of whose nodes is of degree one or two. We consider a flow problem in linear graphs in which a commodity flows from source nodes to sink nodes. Each source node has a specified value denoting an amount of a commodity to be disposed of and each sink node has a specified capacity denoting the maximum amount of the commodity it can absorb; edges are capable of carrying an arbitrary quantity of the commodity. A solution is a set of flows which transports the commodity from all source nodes to sink nodes without overfilling any sink. A solution is defined to be optimal if it is minimax, that is, the largest flow along any edge is as small as possible. We describe 0(n2) and 0(n) algorithms for finding optimal solutions.
Photodissociation of molecular bromine in solid H2 and D2: spectroscopy of the atomic bromine spin-orbit transition.

We report 355 nm photodissociation studies of molecular bromine (Br2) trapped in solid parahydrogen (pH2) and orthodeuterium (oD2). The product Br atoms are observed via the spin−orbit transition (2P1/2←2P3/2) of atomic bromine. The quantum yield (Φ) for Br atom photoproduction is measured to be 0.29(3) in pH2 and 0.24(2) in oD2, demonstrating that both quantum solids have minimal cage effects for Br2 photodissociation. The effective Br spin−orbit splitting increases when the Br atom is solvated in solid pH2 (+1.1%) and oD2 (+1.5%); these increases are interpreted as evidence that the solvation energy of the Br ground fine structure state (2P3/2) is significantly greater than the excited state (2P1/2). Molecular bromine induced H2 infrared absorptions are detected in the Q1(0) and S1(0) regions near 4150 and 4486 cm−1, respectively, which allow the relative Br2 concentration to be monitored as a function of 355 nm photolysis.
Scheduling a Project Under Multiple Resource Constraints: A Zero-One Programming Approach

Abstract An implicit enumeration (zero-one programming) algorithm is described for solving the multiple-constrained resource, project scheduling problem. The algorithm developed takes special advantage of the structure of the zero-one formulation, resulting in a significant decrease in the amount of computation time required to solve a given multi-resource problem. A description of the computer program for implementing the procedures developed is provided, as are detailed computation results. Because the multiple-constrained resource, project scheduling problem subsumes the job-shop scheduling and other related sequencing problems, extensions of our approach to the machine sequencing problem (along with limited computation results) are also reported.
AHP as a means for improving public participation: a pre–post experiment with university students

Abstract Students enrolled in a course in natural resources management and economics at the University of Arizona tested the application of the multi-criteria decision method, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), to a national forest planning situation. The students first used an intuitive method and then the AHP method to express their preferences for eight possible wilderness sites that were characterized and thus differentiated by 19 criteria. The sites were located in the Coronado National Forest in southeastern Arizona, USA. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was calculated to test for correlation between the rankings generated by the intuitive decision method and the AHP method. The Spearman's tests indicated for 16 of the 20 students a lack of correlation between individual rankings by the two methods thus suggesting that the AHP can influence preference rankings. Questionnaire responses by the students indicated that the AHP requires closer scrutiny and a more comprehensive consideration of all criteria than does an intuitive preference ranking approach. This study demonstrates that the AHP offers potential for actual application as a public participation tool.
Investigations into the locus of language-switching costs in older adult bilinguals*

Language switching was studied with older adult (age 65 years and older) and young adult (18-24 years) bilinguals in a blocked-language or mixed-language condition. Results revealed small differences in reaction time (RT) between older adults and college-age participants in the blocked condition. However, older adults showed much slower RTs in the mixed condition which involves sustained switching relative to young adults. In Experiment 2, the same design was used except that participants were asked to translate an auditory word. In this condition, older adults showed a slowing effect but to a much lesser degree. Furthermore, comparisons within the mixed condition (transient switching) revealed that switching costs varied across languages and age groups. The results from the picture-naming task are consistent with models that predict deficiencies in task-set shifting in older adults especially when a stimulus activates multiple responses. Furthermore, the results indicate interesting differences in sustained and transient switching depending on the task.
Male Hindi filmgoers' gaze: An ethnographic interpretation:

This ethnographic study of male filmgoers in India supports Mulvey's contention that cinema bolsters male power by prompting men to make women objects of a controlling gaze. But it also shows that Indian male filmgoers both objectify and identify with on-screen male images. This identification prompts men to see themselves as framed by a controlling gaze. Thus, a clear-cut distinction between looking men and watched women is not a uni versal feature of male dominance.
Properties of Acanthamoeba myosin I heavy chain kinase bound to phospholipid vesicles.

The actin-activated Mg(2+)-ATPase and in vitro motility activities of the three Acanthamoeba myosin I isozymes depend upon phosphorylation of their single heavy chains by myosin I heavy chain kinase. Previously, the kinase had been shown to be activated by autophosphorylation, which is enhanced by acidic phospholipids, or simply by binding to purified plasma membranes in the absence of significant autophosphorylation. In this paper, we show that the rate of phosphorylation of myosin I by unphosphorylated kinase is approximately 20-fold faster when both the myosin I and the kinase are bound to acidic phospholipid vesicles than when both are soluble. This activation is not due to an increase in the local concentrations of vesicle-bound kinase and myosin I. Thus, acidic phospholipids, like membranes, can activate myosin I heavy chain kinase in the absence of significant autophosphorylation, i.e. membrane proteins are not required. Kinetic studies show that both binding of kinase to phospholipid vesicles and autophosphorylation of kinase in the absence of phospholipid increase the Vmax relative to soluble, unphosphorylated kinase with either an increase in the apparent Km (when myosin I is the substrate) or no significant change in Km (when a synthetic peptide is the substrate). Kinetic data showed that autophosphorylation of phospholipid-bound kinase is both intermolecular and intervesicular, and that phosphorylation of phospholipid-bound myosin I by phospholipid-bound kinase is also intervesicular even when the kinase and myosin are bound to the same vesicles. The relevance of these results to the activation of myosin I heavy chain kinase and phosphorylation of myosin I isozymes in situ are discussed.