cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transpression, extrusion, partitioning, and lateral escape in the middle crust: Significance of structures, fabrics, and kinematics in the Bronson Hill zone, southern New England, U.S.A.

Abstract Fabrics in the mid-crustal Bronson Hill zone of the southern New England Appalachian orogen record a range of apparent finite strains and conflicting kinematics, but structural relationships indicate coeval development. At the smallest scale of this study, shortening was accommodated in granitic orthogneiss, while transcurrent deformation was partitioned into relatively thin zones of metastratified rocks along the margins. The Monson orthogneiss can be broadly characterized by subvertical to steeply dipping S > L tectonites, subvertical to subhorizontal stretching lineations, closed to isoclinal folds, and dextral/reverse kinematics. The east-bounding Conant Brook shear zone and Greenwich syncline are characterized by steeply dipping mylonitic foliations, a range of lineations, and dextral/reverse kinematic indicators. The west-bounding Mt. Dumplin high strain zone is comprised of steeply dipping mylonites, subhorizontal lineations, and sinistral/normal kinematics. These structures reflect coeval partitioned dextral transpression, vertical extrusion, and north-directed lateral escape of the orthogneiss that was facilitated by bounding conjugate shear zones. Comparison of structural subdomains with transpressional modeling indicates vertical pseudo-monoclinic to inclined triclinic coaxial to simple shear influenced transpression. Compatibility between laterally adjacent subdomains was maintained by meso-/microscale partitioning. Absolute and relative timing constraints show that transpression was sustained from 330 Ma to 300 Ma.
On the set of Pareto efficient allocations in economies with public goods

We examine the set of Pareto-efficient allocations in economies with public goods. We show that even if preferences are continuous and strongly monotonic, it need not coincide with the set of weakly efficient allocations. We then study topological properties of the Pareto set. We show that it is neither connected nor closed in allocation space. Furthermore, if the public goods are local, the image of the Pareto set in utility space need not be closed or connected. We provide two independent sufficient conditions for the closedness of the Pareto set. The results are directly applicable to private goods economies with joint production. Our results should be of interest for general equilibrium and mechanism design theory; where for example, the properties of the efficient set are important for proving the existence of an equilibrium and for the study of the properties of monotone-path social choice correspondences.
Social Support and Coping in Families Facing Prostate Cancer

ABSTRACT To date, little research has been conducted to examine the experiences of Asian and Native Hawaiian families in facing prostate cancer. A survey was conducted with 100 participants (including both survivors and family members) of Native Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and Caucasian ancestry in Honolulu, HI. Results indicated differences in the ways that survivors and their family members cope with the illness. While treatment-related variables played a significant role in coping among survivors, family members’ experiences were more likely to be predicted by the relationship they maintained with the survivor. Implications for improving current practice and the need for future research to establish effective strategies to assist prostate cancer survivors and their family members will be addressed based on the results of this study.
Odd–Even Effects in the Friction of Self-Assembled Monolayers of Phenyl-Terminated Alkanethiols in Contacts of Different Adhesion Strengths

We have studied the frictional properties of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of phenyl-terminated alkanethiols, C6H5(CH2) n SH (n = 13–16) on template-stripped gold. The friction force was measured with atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the magnitude of the adhesion was controlled by immersing the sliding contact in ethanol (giving low adhesion) or dry N2 gas (giving enhanced adhesion relative to ethanol). We observed a linear friction force as a function of load (F = μL) in the systems with low adhesion and a non-linear friction force when the adhesion was higher. The non-linear behavior in the adhesive systems appeared to be area-dependent (F = S c A) and was compared to contact areas calculated using the extended Thin-Coating Contact Mechanics (TCCM) model. In ethanol, the coefficient of friction μ was found to be systematically higher for odd values of n (i.e., for the monolayers in which the terminal phenyl group was oriented closer to the surface normal).
Influence of ozone and nitrogen deposition on bark beetle activity under drought conditions

Abstract Four years of severe drought from 1999 through 2003 led to unprecedented bark beetle activity in ponderosa and Jeffrey pine in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains of southern California. Pines in the San Bernardino Mountains also were heavily impacted by ozone and nitrogenous pollutants originating from urban and agricultural areas in the Los Angeles basin. We studied bark beetle activity and bark beetle associated tree mortality in pines at two drought-impacted sites in the San Bernardino Mountains, one receiving high levels of atmospheric pollutants, and one with more moderate atmospheric input. We also investigated the effects of nitrogen addition treatments of 0, 50 and 150 kg N ha −1 year −1 at each site. Tree mortality and beetle activity were significantly higher at the high pollution site. Differences in beetle activity between sites were significantly associated with ozone injury to pines, while differences in tree mortality between sites were significantly associated with both ozone injury and fertilization level. Tree mortality was 9% higher and beetle activity 50% higher for unfertilized trees at the high pollution site compared to the low pollution site. Tree mortality increased 8% and beetle activity increased 20% under the highest rates of nitrogen additions at the low pollution site. The strong response in beetle activity to nitrogen additions at the low pollution site suggests that atmospheric nitrogen deposition increased tree susceptibility to beetle attack at the high deposition site. While drought conditions throughout the region were a major factor in decreased tree resistance, it appears that both ozone exposure and atmospheric nitrogen deposition further increased pine susceptibility to beetle attack.
Reduction and binding of arsenate and dimethylarsinate by glutathione: a magnetic resonance study

By observing the chemical shifts of the proton and carbon-13 nuclei of reduced glutathione, the interactions of arsenate, arsenite and dimethylarsinate with this tripeptide have been characterized. These spectral studies show the reduction and complexation of arsenic to be a two-step process. Initially, the oxidation of 2 mol of glutathione reduces arsenate to arsenite. Then, 3 mol of glutathione are consumed in the formation of a glutathione-arsenite complex. Similar experiments with arsenite identified a (glutathione)3-arsenite complex; however, no oxidized glutathione was detected. The arsenite binding site in the glutathione-arsenite complex is the cysteinyl sulfhydryl. The glutathione-arsenite complex is stable over the pH range from 1.5 to 7.0-7.5. At higher pH, dissociation occurs releasing reduced glutathione. For a glutathione to dimethylarsinate ratio of 3, oxidized glutathione is also coupled with a reduction to trivalent dimethylarsinous acid, prior to the formation of a 1:1 glutathione-dimethylarsinite complex. The role of reduced glutathione in the metabolism of arsenic is consistent with the previously described effects of this agent on the organismic toxicity of arsenic.
Hemodynamic alterations in idiopathic myocardiopathy including cineangiography from the left heart chambers.

Abstract Twenty-one patients with a diagnosis of idiopathic cardiomyopathy were studied clinically and hemodynamically. Catheterization of the right and left heart chambers with selective cineangiographic studies from the left ventricle and the aortic root are presented. The patients exhibited different patterns of failure that reflected more than one mode of adaptation of the circulation to left ventricular failure. All 12 patients in whom cineangiograms were performed demonstrated an increased transverse diameter of the left ventricle in end-systole and end-diastole. Three of these patients had normal pressures and flows at rest and on exercise. One of the 3 had never been clinically in failure, suggesting that ventricular dilatation as an isolated abnormality may precede the onset of other hemodynamic and clinical changes. An adequate appraisal of the hemodynamics should encompass ventricular volumes as well as filling pressures and flows.
Pyelolithotomy by the use of a hydrophilous macromolecular binding material ("pyeloform" pyelotomy).

The use of a synthetic macromolecular hydrophilous binding material for the extraction of multiple renal calculi (“pyeloform” pyelotomy) is reported. An account of the results of animal studiesin vitro is given and the possibilities of the method in humans are pointed out.
The effect of injected thiourea on the development of some organs of the chick embryo.

THE thyroid gland of the chick embryo is sensitive to antithyroid compounds, such as thiourea and methyl and propyl thiouracil. The presence of a goitrogen in the egg, whether deposited there from maternal dietary sources (1) or injected directly (2, 3, 4, 5), results in retarded growth, incomplete retraction of the yolk sac, delayed hatching, increased mortality and thyroid hypertrophy. Another effect is atrophy of the adrenal cortex accompanied by hypertrophy of the medulla (6). Yushok (7) found that the liver weighs much less than normal in hypothyroid embryos, whereas the heart and kidneys exhibit relatively smaller decreases in size, and the brain little or none; also, he noted a considerable reduction in the cytochrome-c content of the organs and the entire body. The investigation described below was undertaken to supplement the above results previously obtained by Yushok (7) in this laboratory. It seemed desirable to determine whether or not the weights (wet and dry) of additional organs (such as t...
Abstraction and Explanatory Relevance; or, Why Do the Special Sciences Exist?

Nonreductive physicalists have long used multiple realizability to argue for the explanatory “autonomy” of the special sciences. Recently, in the face of the local reduction and disjunctive property responses to multiple realizability, some defenders of nonreductive physicalism have suggested that autonomy can be grounded merely in human cognitive limitations. In this article, I argue that this is mistaken. By distinguishing between two kinds of abstraction I show that the greater explanatory relevance of some special-science predicates (to certain explananda) is both nonanthropocentric and not solely based on considerations of multiple realizability.
Effect of reproductive hormones and selective estrogen receptor modulators on mood during menopause.

Periods of intense hormonal fluctuations have been associated with heightened prevalence and exacerbation of underlying psychiatric illness, particularly the occurrence of premenstrual dysphoria, puerperal depression and depressive symptoms during perimenopause. It has been speculated that sex steroids such as estrogens, progestogens, testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) exert a significant modulation of brain functioning, possibly through interactions with various neurotransmitter systems. It is therefore intuitive that abrupt alterations of these hormones would interfere with mood and behaviour. On the other hand, accumulating data suggest that hormonal interventions may also promote relief or even remission of depressive symptoms, as already demonstrated in studies with patients experiencing postpartum depression and perimenopausal depressive disorders. The extent to which perimenopause, alone, may increase the risk for depression is unclear. However, existing data strongly suggest that some women are particularly vulnerable to developing significant physical and psychological disturbances when entering perimenopause. This article reviews the effect of sex hormones and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) on mood among peri- and postmenopausal women. There are preliminary, though promising, data on the use of estradiol (particularly trans-dermal estradiol) to alleviate depression during perimenopause, use of a combination of estrogens and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for depression during the postmenopausal period, and the use of testosterone to improve psychological well-being and increase libido among women with induced menopause. Further studies would help to better delineate the usage of hormones as an antidepressant strategy (monotherapy or augmenting treatment) for peri- and postmenopausal women. A brief review of some nonhormonal interventions for the treatment of menopause-related symptoms that may significantly affect a woman’s quality of life is also presented. There are some preliminary data suggesting the efficacy of antidepressants for the treatment of hot flushes; existing data on diet supplements and herbal products have shown more mixed results.
Exercise-Induced Increase of Intraocular Pressure in the Pigmentary Dispersion Syndrome

A 32-year-old man with pigmentary dispersion syndrome had blurred vision and halos after strenuous exercise, associated with a release of pigment into the anterior chamber and increased intraocular pressure (IOP). Additionally, he had typical symptoms after emotional stress or exposure to dim illumination, and had a high IOP without angle closure during a darkroom provocative test. The exercise-induced symptoms and the increase of IOP were prevented by the use of pilocarpine 0.5% drops immediately before exercise.
A kinetic analysis of hepatocyte responses to a glucagon pulse: mechanism and metabolic consequences of differences in response decay times.

Pulsatile administration of glucagon to perifused rat hepatocytes stimulates hepatocyte glucose production (HGP) more effectively than continuous administration. Having established that this effect was due to delayed relaxation of glucagonstimulated HGP (t½ for decay = 3.54 ± 0.60 min) we wished to examine the mechanism of response termination. Delayed dissociation of glucagon from its receptor was excluded by the brisk washout of [125I]glucagon from perifusion columns (t½ = 1.00 ± 0.13) and the rapid decay in glucagon-stimulated cAMP released into the perifusion medium (t½ = 1.14 ± 0.12). The relaxation of the HGP response to a pulse of administered cAMP was comparable to the decay in glucagon-stimulated HGP (t½ = 3.28 ± 0.22). Furthermore, the phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutylmethylxanthine did not alter the decay of the HGP response to glucagon despite increasing the amplitude of the response (t½ = 3.04 ± 0.36). These data place the rate-limititag step for HGP relaxation distal to cAMP generation an...
Reproducibility of left ventricular area and volume measurements using a computer endocardial edge-detection algorithm in normal subjects.

Abstract The variability of serially recorded 2-dimensional echocardiograms in normal subjects was determined. During a 2-week period, 10 normal subjects underwent echocardiography 5 times, in 2 laboratories, with use of different ultrasonographs. The video recordings were analyzed using a computer image analysis system (Quantic 1200) to provide standardized left ventricular short-axis areas and area ejection fraction (EF). Left ventricular volumes and volume EF were calculated. The 95% confidence limits of the percent difference for end-diastolic area and volume between 2 samples in a given subject were ± 16.8 and ± 16.7%, respectively. The limits for end-systolic area and volume were ± 15.8 and ± 17.0%, respectively. The 95% confidence limits for differences of area and volume EF between 2 recordings were ± 12.8 and ± 9.7%, respectively. No correlation was found between clinical grade (image quality) and the variability of area measurements. A good correlation (r = 0.98) was found between area and volume EF for any given subject over the 5 observations. These confidence limits are narrower than those previously recorded.
Prediction of CASP6 structures using automated robetta protocols

The Robetta server and revised automatic protocols were used to predict structures for CASP6 targets. Robetta is a publicly available protein structure prediction server (http://robetta.bakerlab.org/ that uses the Rosetta de novo and homology modeling structure prediction methods. We incorporated some of the lessons learned in the CASP5 experiment into the server prior to participating in CASP6. We additionally tested new ideas that were amenable to full-automation with an eye toward improving the server. We find that the Robetta server shows the greatest promise for the more challenging targets. The most significant finding from CASP5, that automated protocols can be roughly comparable in ability with the better human-intervention predictors, is repeated here in CASP6. Proteins 2005;Suppl 7:157–166. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Guest in Our Living Room: The Television Newscaster Before the Rise of the Dominant Anchor

A popular misconception about television news in this country is that it has always been built around a dominant anchor. This historical study reveals an important era in the mid-1940s at CBS when ...
Pressure modulator infrared radiometer (PMIRR) optical system alignment and performance

The alignment and performance of the optical system for the Pressure Modulator Infrared Radiometer (PMIRR) are described. This limb and nadir scanning instrument will be used for remote sounding of the Martian atmosphere and will be launched on Mars Observer in 1992. The instrument has nine channels distributed over the wavelength range 0.3 to 50 microns and has two pressure modulator cells for water vapor and carbon dioxide.
Constraints on word learning

Abstract Recent studies that propose constraints on word learning are reviewed. Theoretical implications of constraints hypotheses are examined in the light of data from other prior and current studies of children's word learning at different developmental points. It is concluded that there is no evidence for strong internal constraints on the acquisition of words by young children of the kind proposed. process are suggested as more adequate explanations, based on the full research record.
Hydrogen isotherms for LaNi4.6M0.4 alloys where M=group 4A elements

Abstract Hydrogen isotherms have been measured for activated LaNi 4.6 M 0.4 alloys from 300 to 473 or 493 K where M=Si, Ge, Sn. Thermodynamic parameters have been obtained from the isotherms using van’t Hoff plots for hydride formation and decomposition. The Δ H plat values are more exothermic than for the parent compound, LaNi 5 , but the Δ S plat values are similar. As for the LaNi 5− x Sn x alloys, LaNi 4.6 Ge 0.4 and LaNi 4.6 Si 0.4 have a greater resistance towards degradation than the parent compound.
Modeling of global change phenomena with GIS using the global change data base I: Modeling with GIS

Abstract Geographic information systems and related technologies have been used to analyze, interpret, and model scientific phenomena for over a decade. With the introduction of a reviewed, integrated global data base, methods originally developed for regional study in the geosciences and biosciences can be applied to study the global environment and global change. In this article (Part I), we outline this approach to environmental modeling with GIS, and illustrate the approach with several examples in the literature. In a companion article (Part II), we discuss a case history, based on adding functionality to a GIS.
Is There a Difference in Survival Between Right- Versus Left-Sided Colon Cancers?

Background The incidence of right-sided colon cancers has been increasing in recent years. It is unclear whether patient prognosis varies by tumor location. In this study, we have compared the survival of right-and left-sided colon cancers in a longitudinal population-based database.
Mass spectrometric monitoring of solid phase phosphate triester synthesis of DNA fragments

A new and convenient pyrolysis mass spectrometric approach for monitoring solid phase phosphate triester synthesis of oligodeoxyribonucleotides in 5'-3' direction has been developed. The base-typical fragment ions produced by pyrolysis at 280 degrees C of the polymer-bound oligonucleotide triesters in the mass spectrometer permit the analytical monitoring of DNA chain growth, using simple mathematical operations. The base composition can be determined directly from the polymer. In addition, minor nucleosides can easily be detected.
Comparison of pregnancy detection methods in live white‐tailed deer

Assessing ungulate reproduction is important to biologists for managing populations and predicting trends. We compared efficacy of trans-abdominal ultrasound and pregnancy-specific protein B (PSPB) white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) pregnancy estimates, respectively, from January to mid-April 2009–2011 in the south-central Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA. We observed a strong agreement (K = 0.68, SE = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.42–0.94) of PSPB and ultrasound in categorizing pregnant and nonpregnant deer. Five deer were determined to be pregnant by ultrasound but not by PSPB and 6 females were judged to be nonpregnant using either method. Total cost for PSPB testing of 101 deer was US$2,220, whereas ultrasound equipment cost US$14,150. Trans-abdominal ultrasound and PSPB provided accurate detection of pregnancy in live white-tailed deer. We recommend PSPB for studies testing comparatively small numbers (up to several hundred) of deer. However, we recommend ultrasonography if real-time pregnancy determination is needed (e.g., vaginal implant transmitter use), particularly for large numbers (i.e., several hundred to thousands) of deer. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
Detection of a covalent intermediate in the mechanism of action of porcine pancreatic α-amylase by using 13C nuclear magnetic resonance

Abstract The catalytic mechanism of porcine pancreatic α-amylase (1,4-α- d -glucan glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.1) has been examined by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) at subzero temperatures by using [1- 13 C maltotetraose as substrate. Spectral summation and difference techniques revealed a broad resonance peak, whose chemical shift, relative signal intensity and time-course appearance corresponded to a β-car☐yl-acetal ester covalent enzyme-glycosyl intermediate. This evidence supports a double-displacement covalent mechanism for porcine pancreatic α-amylase-catalyzed hydrolysis of glycosidic linkages, based on the presence of catalytic aspartic acid residues within the active site of this enzyme.
Mathematical modeling of stem cell proliferation

The mathematical models prevalently used to represent stem cell proliferation do not have the level of accuracy that might be desired. The hyperbolastic growth models promise a greater degree of precision in representing data of stem cell proliferation. The hyperbolastic growth model H3 is applied to experimental data in both embryonic stem cells and adult mesenchymal stem cells. In the embryonic stem cells the results are compared with other popular models, including the Deasy model, which is used prevalently for stem cell growth. In the case of modelling adult mesenchymal stem cells, H3 is also successfully applied to describe the proliferative index. We demonstrated that H3 can accurately represent the dynamics of stem cell proliferation for both embryonic and adult mesenchymal stem cells. We also recognize the importance of additional factors, such as cytokines, in determining the rate of growth. We propose the question of how to extend H3 to a multivariable model that can include the influence of growth factors.
Low Cost Fiber Optic Velocimeter

A noncontact, fiber-optic-based velocity measurement device which has not received much attention in the literature is what could be called a "Retical Image Velocimeter" or RIV. It provides the potential of velocity measurement accuracy comparable to more costly techniques. The chief advantage of the RIV method is that a coherent light source is not required. Instead, an inexpensive light-emitting diode is used in conjunction with fiber optic light guides and a reticle to produce a real fringe image at the point of measurement. Light scattered from particles or surface irregularities moving through this point is modulated by the reticle pattern. Collection, fiber optic transmission, detection, and frequency analysis of this scattered light at a remote location are used to infer the velocity of flow in a transparent media or the speed of a moving surface.
Polarization and Alignment of Nuclei

Four methods for nuclear polarization and alignment are discussed and compared. In particular, a general theorem regarding the leading term in the expression for nuclear polarization by hfs coupling with external field is obtained. A general method is derived for treating the computation of higher order terms in the expansions of these quantities, as well for use with complicated hamiltonians, and application is made to three cases of interest. It is shown that the higher order terms are very small, in cases of interest, compared to the leading terms.
Wartime electrical research

ALTHOUGH the United States has been formally at war for only a few months, fortunately wartime research in the United States began more than a year and a half ago.
AAP1 regulates import of amino acids into developing Arabidopsis embryos.

The embryo of Arabidopsis seeds is symplasmically isolated from the surrounding seed coat and endosperm, and uptake of nutrients from the seed apoplast is required for embryo growth and storage reserve accumulation. With the aim of understanding the importance of nitrogen (N) uptake into developing embryos, we analysed two mutants of AAP1 (At1g58360), an amino acid transporter that was localized to Arabidopsis embryos. In mature and desiccated aap1 seeds the total N and carbon content was reduced while the total free amino acid levels were strongly increased. Separately analysed embryos and seed coats/endosperm of mature seeds showed that the elevated amounts in amino acids were caused by an accumulation in the seed coat/ endosperm, demonstrating that a decrease in uptake of amino acids by the aap1 embryo affects the N pool in the seed coat/endosperm. Also, the number of protein bodies was increased in the aap1 endosperm, suggesting that the accumulation of free amino acids triggered protein synthesis. Analysis of seed storage compounds revealed that the total fatty acid content was unchanged in aap1 seeds, but storage protein levels were decreased. Expression analysis of genes of seed N transport, metabolism and storage was in agreement with the biochemical data. In addition, seed weight, as well as total silique and seed number, was reduced in the mutants. Together, these results demonstrate that seed protein synthesis and seed weight is dependent on N availability and that AAP1-mediated uptake of amino acids by the embryo is important for storage protein synthesis and seed yield.
Domain decomposition for multiresolution analysis

This paper describes a method for converting an arbitrary mesh with irregular connectivity to a semi-regular multiresolution representation. A shape image encoding geometric and differential properties of the input model is computed. Standard image processing operations lead to an initial decomposition of the model that conforms to its salient features. A triangulation step performed on the resulting partition in image space, followed by resampling and multiresolution analysis in object space, complete the procedure. The conversion technique is automatic, takes into account surface properties for deriving a base domain, and is computationally efficient as the bulk of the processing is carried out in image space. Besides domain decomposition, our image-based approach to handling geometry may be used in the context of related applications, including model simplification, remeshing, and wireframe generation.
Segregation analysis of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy

We have been collecting data, including EEG information, on juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) families for the past several years, and this report will discuss the results of our analyses of this family data.
Whispering gallery mode biosensor quantification of fibronectin adsorption kinetics onto alkylsilane monolayers and interpretation of resultant cellular response

A Whispering Gallery Mode (WGM) biosensor was constructed to measure the adsorption of protein onto alkysilane self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) at solution concentrations unattainable with other techniques. The high sensitivity was provided by a WGM resonance excited in a silica microsphere that was functionalized with alkylsilane SAMs and integrated in a microfluidic flow cell under laminar flow conditions. It was found that FN adsorbed at biologically relevant surface densities, however, the adsorption kinetics and concentration dependent saturation values varied significantly from work published utilizing alkanethiol SAMs. Mathematical models were applied to the experimental results to interpret the observed kinetics of FN adsorption. Embryonic hippocampal neurons and skeletal myoblasts were cultured on the modified surfaces, a live--dead assay was used to determine the viability of the FN surfaces for cell culture, and major differences were noted in the biological response to the different SAMs. The high sensitivity and simplicity of the WGM biosensor, combined with its ability to quantify the adsorption of any dilute protein in a label-free assay, establishes the importance of this technology for the study of surface accretion and its effect on cellular function, which can affect biomaterials for both in vivo and in vitro applications.
United States Policy Development in Gifted Education: A Patchwork Quilt

This chapter provides an overview of the policy picture of gifted education in the United States. Although a critical issue, policy in gifted education remains a patchwork quilt of legislative and administrative rules and regulations, mostly at the state level. Although a federal definition exists with an accompanying modest funding package, the No Child Left Behind Act, focused on raising achievement for low-performing students, has driven out gifted education as a priority for federal attention. All 50 states cite some form of legislation for gifted and talented learners, but there is a variance of policies that causes national reform in gifted education to be less cohesive, comprehensive, and inclusive than it needs to be. Because of the lack of a federal mandate, specific policies and funding mechanisms are typically left to the advocacy efforts of interested stakeholders in individual states.
Mass transfer in a packed, pulsed column

Equations in terms of a pulse Reynolds number and dimensionless pulse velocity are presented for mass transfer coefficients in pulsed flow in a packed bed. Mass transfer from the wall and from the particles is considered. The development, applicable up to a particle Reynolds number of 40, is based upon a previous study of pulsed laminar flow in an empty tube. The experimental measurements consisted of rates of dissolution of β-naphthol from the wall and from the particles within the bed. From these data time-average mass transfer coefficients kp were computed. The improvement in kp increased with frequency and decreased with average flow rate, although the increase was always less than in an empty tube at equivalent conditions. Steady flow measurements indicated that the coefficient for mass transfer from the tube wall was influenced by the degree of settling of the bed. This effect could be related to the change in porosity accompanying the settling process. A new empirical correlation is proposed to account for the effect of porosity changes.
In vivo optical imaging of human vaginal gel thickness distributions with a probe-based, dual-modality instrument.

We used a probe-based dual-modality optical imaging instrument to measure in vivo coating thickness distributions of a gel distributed along the vaginal lumen, in a clinical study. The gel was a surrogate for one deli- vering an anti-HIV topical microbicide. Imaging data from Fourier-domain multiplexed low-coherence interferom- etry (mLCI) and fluorimetric measurements were compared to assess the feasibility and accuracy of mLCI in measuring in vivo gel coating thickness distributions. In each study session, 3.5 mL of Replens gel was inserted to the vaginal fornix while the participant was supine. The participant either: 1. remained supine (10 or 60 min); or 2. sat up (1 min), stood up (1 min), sat down (1 min) and returned to the supine position; net elapsed time was 10 or 60 min after which the gel distribution was imaged. Local coating thickness distributions were qualitatively and quantitatively similar. Here mLCI did not accurately measure thicker gel coatings (>0.8 mm), a limitation not seen with fluorimetry. However, mLCI is capable of measuring in vivo microbicide gel distributions with resolution on the order of 10 μm, without the need for exogenous contrast agents, and can accurately capture relevant summary coating measures in good agreement with fluorimetry. ©2012 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). (DOI:10.1117/ 1.JBO.17.11.116014)
Inhibitor κB Kinase Another Node in the Cell Signaling Network Regulating Smooth Muscle Contraction

At a recent Grand Rounds presentation, the topic of discussion was introduced as regarding “…the most important muscle of the body that nobody knows about.” Although it is clear to clinicians and physiologists that smooth muscle controls the dimensions of nearly all hollow organs of the body, and that alterations in this control system participate in diverse and debilitating disorders such as hypertension, vasospasm, vasodilatory shock, asthma, overactive bladder, and irritable bowel syndrome, the muscle type that has garnered the majority of the limelight for generations has cross-striations. Article, see p 562 No single reason can explain smooth muscle’s limited exposition in general textbooks to account for its apparent second-class status behind striated muscle. However, a goal of science is to clarify by reduction, whereas complexity only recently has been embraced, leading to newer disciplines, such as systems biology. Studies during the past 40 years certainly indicate that smooth muscles display astounding complexity and diversity in biomechanical behavior and in regulation of contractile protein activation. Regarding the latter, the study by Ying et al1 in this issue of Circulation Research has added one more kinase to a growing number of regulatory proteins known to play a role in causing smooth muscle contraction. More than 100 years ago, Ringer2 showed that calcium was required for heart contraction. Calcium and the thin filament protein troponin are the central players in the regulation of striated muscle contraction, permitting active myosin from continuing through its actomyosin cross-bridge …
Effects of hypoxemia, hypercarbia, acidosis, and reduced pulmonary blood flow on the surfactant of fetal lamb lung.

The influence of acute prenatal stress on fetal lung surfactant was studied in 20 lambs near full term with intact placental circulation. The observations are summarized. No significant alterations of surfactant were noted.
The Relationship Between Schizophrenia and Frontotemporal Dementia

Schizophrenia is a relatively common disorder diagnosed by the presentation of psychotic symptoms in the absence of identifiable neurologic or other organic cause. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a relatively rare progressive neurodegenerative disorder that can present with a multitude of cognitive and behavioral symptoms including psychosis. At times, this phenotypic overlap can mean that schizophrenia and FTD are 2 possibilities in the differential diagnosis of a psychotic presentation. In this article, we systematically review the literature on the relationship between schizophrenia and FTD including case reports that highlight the potential for diagnostic confusion, clinical studies examining the relationship between the disorders, and the molecular evidence of shared pathophysiologic mechanisms. Although a relationship between the disorders is not definitively supported by the current literature, we identify the characteristics of a psychotic presentation that should alert the clinician to the possibility of FTD and describe the areas where further research is needed to clarify the pathophysiologic relationship.
The next software revolution

We are on the threshold of another revolution in software technology. Previous revolutions have made it dramatically easier for people to write, distribute, use and reuse software. This revolution will provide software agents with the ability to do things for themselves. More specifically, it will provide the means for making software agents autonomous (so that burdensome managerial superstructures become unnecessary) and collaborative (so agents can work together in large groups on big and difficult tasks).
Racial disparities in prostate cancer incidence rates by census division in the United States, 1999–2008

BACKGROUND Black men have a higher incidence of prostate cancer than white men in the U.S., but little is known whether incidence or racial differences vary geographically. Understanding these differences may assist future studies on causes of prostate cancer. To address such, we leverage the unique resource of the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) combined with Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER). METHODS Prostate cancer counts and population denominators by race (black, white), age, calendar year, and U.S. census division, for the period 1999–2008, were extracted from NPCR and SEER. We calculated age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) and estimated annual percent changes (EAPC) by race and census division. We assessed black-to-white incidence rate ratios (BWIRR) by census division and by calendar period. RESULTS This analysis included 1,713,471 prostate cancer cases and 1,217 million person-years. Black ASRs ranged from 176 per 100,000 person-years in Mountain division to 259 in Middle Atlantic. BWIRRs ranged from 1.20 in Western divisions to 1.72 in Southeastern divisions. EAPCs indicated that prostate cancer incidence is not decreasing in East South Central, unlike all other divisions. White EAPCs displayed similar variations by census division, resulting in modest temporal changes in BWIRRs. CONCLUSIONS Within the U.S., there exists significant geographic variability in prostate cancer incidence rates. Although there are large geographic differences in BWIRRs, temporal trends are fairly stable. This may indicate that primary factors affecting prostate cancer incidence rates vary geographically but affect both black and white men to a similar degree. Prostate 75: 758–763, 2015. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Does current crowding induce vacancy concentration singularity in electromigration

Mathematical model of electromigration in terms of vacancy concentration is studied analytically and numerically in this paper with the combined effect of vacancy gradient (Fickian term) and electric flow. A 2-D, L-shaped, homogeneous material model with perfect blocking boundary condition (J = 0) is chosen as the problem of interest. Dandu and Fan have shown that current density singularity exists at the tip of the wedges when the angle θ° <;90° [13]. This study investigates the effect of current density singularity at the tip of the wedges towards the vacancy concentration at the same location. The results of the study, both analytically and numerically, show that the location of maximum vacancy concentration occurs at cathode side, but not at the location of current density singularity.
Beyond political economy: actor networks and the globalization of agriculture

This article provides a critical assessment of the traditional political economy approaches in analysis of agricultural globalization. The use of the actor network perspective is suggested to enhance our understanding of the globalization process. To illustrate the applicability of actor network theory to political economy studies, the globalization of the Canadian rapeseed (Brassica rapa and B. napus) industry is analyzed. It is shown that the globalization of the rapeseed industry proceeded through three simultaneously occurring developments: modification of relationships among people and plants; extension of rapeseed production networks; and redistribution of power, wealth and status among the actors engaged in global rapeseed production networks. Implications of the actor network approach for political economy studies are discussed.
Matilija Sandstone; a transition from deep-water turbidite to shallow-marine deposition in the Eocene of California

ABSTRACT The Matilija Sandstone (middle-upper Eocene), exposed in the Santa Ynez Mountains, California, records a major regressive event in the Eocene Santa Ynez Basin in which turbidites were deposited in the basin and subsequently covered by shallow-marine complexes. The Matilija Sandstone is underlain by the Juncal Formation and overlain by the Cozy Dell Shale. The Juncal Formation--a distal turbidite sequence--grades upward into a proximal turbidite sequence in the lower part of the Matilija Sandstone. This proximal turbidite sequence is overlain by a shallow-marine complex which is divisible into coastal and restricted-coastal lithofacies. Recognition and interpretation of these facies is based on fossil occurrences, petrography, biogenic and sedimentary features. Deposition of the Matilija Sandstone documents shoaling from outer neritic and/or bathyal depths in the Juncal Formation and basal part of the Matilija Sandstone to neritic and littoral depths in the upper part of the Matilija. It closed in a rapid transgression which culminated in the deposition of the Cozy Dell Shale (neritic to bathyal depths). The vertical sequence of sedimentary features, facies, and aerial distribution of the Matilija Sandstone suggest that it was deposited as a progradational deltaic complex. Progradation resulted in deposition by traction currents on the shelf, high-concentration sediment gravity flows initiated by slumping and sliding of material on the slope to upper basin, and deposition by lower concentration sediment gravity flows in the basin. As the delta prograded and filled the basin, it covered the deeper-water sediments derived from it.
A Double-Scan Statistic for Clusters of Two Types of Events

We develop a scan-type statistic to measure the unusualness of the clustering of two types of events over time. The statistic allows for a lagged effect between the two types of events. We derive the expected number of nonoverlapping clumps of clusters under retrospective and prospective chance models of no association. Results are derived and approaches are given to handle both uniform and more general distributions of events over time. We investigate the power of the statistic against an alternative where the observed data is a mixture of linked and unassociated clusters. The statistic is applied to data on homicide/suicide clusters over a 7-year period for several counties and several sex/race combinations.
AMERICAS: New Video and Print Resources for Teaching About Latin America and the Caribbean

Comparative studies scholars have long been frustrated by an inability to communicate adequately the full range of insights about the regions they study. AMERICAS was developed to fill the need for a balanced, up-to-date examination of the complexity, the commitment, the individual and collective action, and the sights and sounds of the people of Latin America and the Caribbean. The intention behind the series and accompanying books is to provide background and expert analysis of the inherent tensions, challenges, opportunities, and innovations of a region in transition. AMERICAS also takes advantage of the immediacy of television to offer a visually striking series that will give students new images, knowledge, and a fresh perspective on the region. Now that the Cold War is over, the United States and Latin America have initiated a new, more positive relationship for the 1990s. Throughout the United States, states and municipalities are looking to Latin America with renewed interest and hope, considering its potential as a key trading partner. Who are the people that make up the 33 sovereign states of Latin America and the Caribbean? How can we help students understand the issues that emerge from this region when it is considered as a whole? AMERICAS, a 10-part television series and telecourse, is designed as a comprehensive survey of Latin America and the Caribbean. Combining prime-time production values with a new interpretation of the contemporary politics, culture, history, economics, religion, and social structure of the region, AMERICAS has been developed by some of the United States's leading Latin Americanists in collaboration with award-winning public television producers. The series and telecourse will be of special interest to political scientists who teach comparative politics and/or Latin American politics, Latin America's international relations, and development. It includes ten television programs which contain original footage from television crews working throughout the Americas. Four of the video programs have direct relevance to politics courses, examining critical concepts such as development and national identity, regime transformation, traditional and new challenges to sovereignty, and the national and international dimensions of revolution.
Comparison of Presurgical and Immediate Postsurgical Ibuprofen on Postoperative Periodontal Pain

Previous studies have indicated that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs administered prior to oral surgery procedures are effective in reducing postoperative pain. The purpose of the present study was to compare the efficacy of medicating with ibuprofen immediately presurgically to medicating immediately postsurgically on postoperative pain associated with periodontal surgery. Sixty patients who were to undergo periodontal surgery were randomly divided into 3 groups: the I-pretreatment group received 600 mg ibuprofen immediately presurgically and placebo immediately after the surgery; the I-post-treatment group received placebo before surgery and 600 mg ibuprofen postsurgically; the placebo group received placebo at both time periods. Responses from an 8-hour pain diary completed by each subject were quantified and statistically evaluated non-parametrically. Results indicated that dosing with ibuprofen either immediately before or immediately after periodontal surgery significantly delays onset of pain as compared to placebo, with dosing after surgery demonstrating a significantly greater delay of onset of pain as compared to dosing presurgically. In addition, unlike the presurgical dosing, dosing postsurgically significantly decreases mean pain intensity for a combined 8-hour period following periodontal surgery as compared to placebo.