cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The differential impact of motivational climate on adolescents’ psychological and physiological stress responses

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate whether motivational climates have a differential impact on adolescent psychological and physiological stress responses (i.e., salivary cortisol). It is important to investigate this relationship, as psychological stress and stress-responsive hormones have been implicated in a variety of biochemical processes deleterious to mental and physical health. Although youth consistently respond positively to caring, task-involving (C/TI) physical activity settings, ego-involving (EI) climates remain prevalent in youth sport contexts. Design Middle school students ( N = 47) were separated by gender and randomly assigned to either a C/TI or EI 30 min instructional juggling session. Method Salivary cortisol was measured at four times over the 3 h study, including one baseline ( t = 0 min; juggling session start) and three response measures ( t = +30, t = +45, and t = +60 min). Psychological stress and motivational responses were also examined, including anxiety, affect, enjoyment, and effort. Individual items were utilized to substantiate stress perceptions and assess psychological responses. Results Results revealed EI climate procured a significant rise in salivary cortisol and greater humiliation, self-consciousness, shame, negative affect, and anxiety, relative to the C/TI group, while adolescents in the C/TI group responded more favorably (e.g., greater effort and enjoyment). Conclusions These findings suggest the motivational climate can differentially impact adolescents’ stress responses, with EI climates eliciting both physiological and psychological stress responses in youth. In contrast, C/TI climates may buffer performance related stressors that accompany group achievement settings and yield a protective response.
Aggression and sleep: a daylight saving time natural experiment on the effect of mild sleep loss and gain on assaults

The purpose of this study was to test the effect of a mild, short-term sleep loss/gain on assault rates. Using National Incidence Based Reporting System data and city-reported data from Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, we calculated the difference in assault rates on the Monday immediately following daylight saving time (DST) as compared to the Monday a week later using a Poisson quasi-maximum likelihood estimator model. The same analyses were performed to examine effects of the return to standard time in the fall. We employed several falsification checks. There were 2.9% fewer (95% CI: –4.2%, −1.6%, p < 0.0001) assaults immediately following DST, when we lose an hour, as compared to a week later. In contrast, there was a 2.8% rise in assaults immediately following the return to standard time, when an hour is gained, as compared to a week later (95% CI: 1.5%, 4.2%, p < 0.0001). Multiple falsification analyses suggest the spring findings to be robust, while the evidence to support the fall findings is weaker. This study suggests that mild and short-term changes in sleep do significantly affect rates of assault. Specifically, there is support for the theory that mild sleepiness possibly associated with an hour loss of sleep results in reduced assaults. This contradicts the simple inverse relationship currently suggested by most of the correlational literature. This study and the mixed findings presented by experimental studies indicate that measurement variability of both sleep and aggression may result in conflicting findings.
Robust synthetic basis feature descriptor

Feature detection and matching is an important step in many object detection and tracking algorithms. This paper discusses methods to improve upon our previous work on the SYnthetic BAsis feature descriptor (SYBA) algorithm, which describes and compares image features in an efficient and discrete manner. SYBA utilizes synthetic basis images overlaid on a feature region of interest (FRI) to generate binary numbers that uniquely describe the feature contained within the image region. These binary numbers are then used to compare against feature values in subsequent images for matching. However, in a non-ideal environment the accuracy of the feature matching suffers due to variations in image scale, and rotation. This paper introduces a new version of SYBA which processes FRI's such that the descriptions generated with SYBA for feature matching are rotation and scale invariant.
Mothers, prostitutes, and the collapse of the USSR: the representation of women in Svetlana Aleksievich’s Zinky Boys

ABSTRACTIn Zinky Boys, Svetlana Aleksievich’s “documentary novel” about the Soviet-Afghan War, women are represented in three ways: the “Motherland-mother” construct implicit in the memory of World...
Lumbar Deformity (Infection) Surgery Complication

While the incidence of postoperative infection after spine surgery is relatively uncommon, the occurrence of a surgical site infection can significantly impact individual patient outcome. Spinal deformity surgery carries a higher risk of infection compared to other spinal procedures. Posterior approach, increased number of treated levels and length of surgery, use of spinal instrumentation and grafts, and revision surgery likely contribute to greater risk of infection. Clinical presentation (symptoms, physical exam findings, diagnostic studies) and management options are reviewed in a case-based format.
Statistical analysis of the influence of defects on fatigue life using a Gumbel distribution

Abstract Location and scale parameters, λ and δ, of a Gumbel distribution are used to quantify defects in metallic materials. To determine the impact of these parameters on fatigue life performance and variability, fatigue crack growth simulations of 7075-T651 aluminum alloy were performed using a modified strip-yield model to produce S-N data. It was observed that defects representing initial crack lengths following a Gumbel distribution yield a fatigue life that follows a log-normal distribution. It was determined that location and scale parameters impact the fatigue life mean and standard deviation, but have little to no effect on the coefficient of variation.
Discovery and cellular stress pathway analysis of 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives with novel, highly potent broad-spectrum anticancer activity

Chemotherapy and targeted therapies have made important strides in cancer treatment yet they often fail and new therapies are still needed. Here, we employed a phenotypic screen to identify and analyze the mechanism of action of novel small molecules that interfere with critical pathways involved in tumor cell growth, using chemoresistant A375 melanoma cells as a model. Cell culture studies were performed in ATCC-recommended media. Compounds, and compound libraries were obtained from Boston University or purchased commercially. Effects on A375 cell viability, proliferation and morphology were determined by Celigo Image Cytometer and viability staining. Anticancer activity of the lead compound was tested in a xenograft nude mouse model. Signaling and cell death pathways were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting, and/or fluorescence microscopy. After evaluating 4477 compounds, one hit compound CB533 was identified that caused significant reduction of A375 cell growth. CB533 is an unexplored 1,4-naphthoquinone (NQ) derivative which unlike 1,4-NQ, induced rapid cell death without generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). Structure-activity relationship analysis showed that a pyrrolidine in the 1,4-NQ nucleus in lead compound Pyr-1 yielded optimal activity. CB533 and Pyr-1 had growth-suppressing effects on a large variety of chemotherapy-resistant cancer cell lines in the nano to picomolar range. Pyr-1 also significantly reduced growth of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in nude mice. Pyr-1 rapidly induced activation of major stress pathways and autophagy, which was efficiently blocked by ERK, and somewhat by PI3K inhibitors. CB533 and lead Pyr-1 represent novel broad-spectrum, anticancer compounds that are up to 1000-fold more potent than plumbagin, a natural 1,4-NQ with known anticancer activity. Since the growth suppression activities of CB533 and Pyr-1 are unaffected by the chemotherapy resistance of cancer cells, these compounds have promising therapeutic potential. The pyrrolidine in the 3 position of the 1,4-NQ nucleus of Pyr-1 is a critical component of the pharmacophore. Pyr-1-induced cellular stress was mediated by an ERK, and to a lesser extent by an AKT-dependent pathway without involving apoptosis. Our data suggest that Pyr-1 derives its greatly enhanced antitumor activity via mimicking ROS-induced stress signaling without generating ROS, and likely committing cells to autophagy.
Heterogeneous ceramide distributions alter spatially resolved growth of Staphylococcus aureus on human stratum corneum

Contemporary studies have revealed dramatic changes in the diversity of bacterial microbiota between healthy and diseased skin. However, the prevailing use of swabs to extract the microorganisms has meant that only population 'snapshots' are obtained, and all spatially resolved information of bacterial growth is lost. Here we report on the temporospatial growth of Staphylococcus aureus on the surface of the human stratum corneum (SC); the outermost layer of skin. This bacterial species dominates bacterial populations on skin with atopic dermatitis (AD). We first establish that the distribution of ceramides naturally present in the SC is heterogeneous, and correlates with the tissue's structural topography. This distribution subsequently impacts the growth of bacterial biofilms. In the SC retaining healthy ceramide concentrations, biofilms exhibit no spatial preference for growth. By contrast, a depletion of ceramides consistent with reductions known to occur with AD enables S. aureus to use the patterned network of topographical canyons as a conduit for growth. The ability of ceramides to govern bacterial growth is confirmed using a topographical skin canyon analogue coated with the ceramide subcomponent d-sphingosine. Our work appears to explain the causal link between ceramide depletion and increased S. aureus populations that is observed in AD. It may also provide insight into disease transmission as well as improving pre-operative skin cleansing techniques.
Proteolysis and gelation of fish proteins under ohmic heating.

Pacific whiting surimi gels heated slowly in a water bath exhibited poor gel quality, while the ohmically heated gels without holding at 55°C showed more than a twofold increase in shear stress and shear strain over conventionally heated gels. Degradation of myosin and actin was minimized by ohmic heating, resulting in a continuous network structure. Ohmic heating with a rapid heating rate was an effective method for maximizing gel functionality of Pacific whiting surimi without enzyme inhibitors. In linear heating, slow heating rates increased proteolysis in Pacific whiting surimi as shown by degradation of myosin heavy chain and low shear stress and shear strain. Proteolysis of whiting surimi was decreased by the presence of beef plasma protein (BPP) to a greater extent at rapid heating rates (20 and 30°C/min) than at slow heating rates (1 and 5°C/min). Shear stress of Alaska pollock surimi gels with or without BPP increased as heating rate decreased, but shear strain was unaffected. An increase in shear stress was accompanied by an increase of cross-linked myosin heavy chain.
Circadian regulation of kisspeptin in female reproductive functioning.

Female reproductive functioning requires the precise temporal ­organization of numerous neuroendocrine events by a master circadian brain clock located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Across species, including humans, disruptions to circadian timing result in pronounced deficits in ovulation and fecundity. The present chapter provides an overview of the circadian control of female reproduction, underscoring the significance of kisspeptin as a key locus of integration for circadian and steroidal signaling necessary for the initiation of ovulation.
Surgical Approaches to Treatment of Gastroparesis: Gastric Electrical Stimulation, Pyloroplasty, Total Gastrectomy and Enteral Feeding Tubes

Gastric electrical stimulation (GES) is neurostimulation; its mechanism of action is affecting central control of nausea and vomiting and enhancing vagal function. GES is a powerful antiemetic available for patients with refractory symptoms of nausea and vomiting from gastroparesis of idiopathic and diabetic causes. GES is not indicated as a way of reducing abdominal pain in gastroparetic patients. The need for introducing a jejunal feeding tube means intensive medical therapies are failing, and is an indication for the implantation of the GES system, which should always be accompanied by a pyloroplasty to guarantee accelerated gastric emptying.
Teaching NeuroImages: Spinal cord herniation after cervical corpectomy.

A 48-year-old man presented with worsening generalized pain. He had a history of complex cervical deformity and C2-T4 anterior and posterior instrumented fusions. On neurologic examination, cranial nerves, sensation, and strength were intact. Imaging demonstrated herniation of the spinal cord into the corpectomy defect and myelomalacia of the herniated cord (figure). Components of the patient's pain were attributed to myelomalacia. Spinal cord herniation (SCH), when iatrogenic, mostly occurs in the setting of posterior instrumentation and associated pseudomeningocele formation. SCH may also develop as a complication of anterior cervical decompression and underlying dural defect is the most likely mechanism.1,2
Optimized methodology for product recovery following emulsion PCR: applications for amplification of aptamer libraries and other complex templates

Bias and background issues make efficient amplification of complex template mixes such as aptamer and genomic DNA libraries via conventional PCR methods difficult; emulsion PCR is being increasingly used in such scenarios to circumvent these problems. However, before products generated via emulsion PCR can be used in downstream workflows, they need to be recovered from the water-in-oil emulsion. Often, emulsions are broken following amplification using volatile organic solvents, and product is subsequently isolated via precipitation. Unfortunately, the use of such solvents requires the implementation of special environmental controls, and the yield and purity of DNA isolated by precipitation can be highly variable. Here, we describe the optimization of a simple protocol which can be used to recover products following emulsion PCR using a 2-butanol extraction and subsequent DNA isolation via a commercially available clean-up kit. This protocol avoids the use of volatile solvents and precipitation steps, and we demonstrate that it can be used to reliably recover DNA from water-in-oil emulsions with efficiencies as high as 90%. Furthermore, we illustrate the practical applicability of this protocol by demonstrating how it can be implemented to recover a complex random aptamer library following amplification via emulsion PCR.
The Duration of Antibiotics Prophylaxis at the Time of Catheter Removal after Radical Prostatectomy: Clinically Integrated, Cluster, Randomized Trial.

Purpose:Prophylactic antibiotics are routinely given at the time of catheter removal post-radical prostatectomy (RP). The low rate of infectious complications entails that large sample sizes are re...
Book Review: Beyond Text in Legal Education

This book review covers one of the volumes that were a result of the Beyond Text in Legal Education workshops and conference held in Edinburgh in 2008 and 2009. The review describes how the book invites legal educators to tap into skills and abilities that go beyond text to train attorneys.
The utilization of public policy analysis: A conceptual framework☆☆☆

Abstract This paper synthesizes and critiques much of the extant literature on the utilization of public policy research findings by decision makers. In addition, a framework for understanding knowledge utilization is presented and discussed. This framework suggests that knowledge utilization is affected in large part by three major sets of variables: Contextual, technical, and bureaucratic. A number of research hypotheses are postulated to examine the relationship between these variables and the utilization of public policy analysis.
Using Explicit C-R-A Instruction to Teach Fraction Word Problem Solving to Low-Performing Asian English Learners

This article investigates the effects of fraction word problem-solving instruction involving explicit teaching of the concrete–representational–abstract sequence with culturally relevant teaching examples for 3 low-performing Asian immigrant English learners who spoke a language other than English at home. We used a multiple probe design across participants. We established a functional relation in the teaching of 1 type of fraction word problem between the intervention and participants’ ability to successfully solve word problems. We then replicated the functional relation in the teaching of a 2nd type of fraction word problem. All participants reached grade-level mastery on both types of word problems, maintained skills after the intervention ended, and were able to solve near transfer problems. We discuss the findings and their implications for research and classroom practice.
Salmonella rarely detected in Mississippi coastal waters and sediment

Aims: Standards for the rapid detection of individual pathogens from environmental samples have not been developed, but in their absence, the use of molecular-based detection methods coupled with traditional microbiology techniques allows for rapid and accurate pathogen detection from environmental waters and sediment. The aim of this research was to combine the use of enrichment with PCR for detection of Salmonella in Mississippi coastal waters and sediment and observe if that presence correlated with levels of enterococci and climatological variables. Methods and Results: Salmonella were primarily found in samples that underwent nutrient enrichment and were present more frequently in freshwater than marine waters. Salmonella were detected infrequently in marine and freshwater sediments. There was a significant positive correlation between the presence of detectable Salmonella and the average enterococcal count. An inverse relationship, however, was observed between the frequency of detection and the levels of salinity, turbidity and sunlight exposure. Conclusions: Results from this study indicated the presence of Salmonella in Mississippi coastal waters, and sediments are very low with significant differences between freshwater and marine environments. Significance and Impact of the Study: Using pathogenic and novel nonpathogenic molecular markers, Salmonella do not appear to be a significant pathogenic genus along the Mississippi Coast.
Integrative Innovation: The Scientist's Challenge

Eye disease is a devastating illness with multiple complications and a steady march to blindness. Normally even with aggressive interventions, eye disease tends to progress. Given the increasing number of patients with eye disease, and according to the mission of VISION 2020 (The Right to Sight), it is imperative to find solutions to prevent the loss of vision and its complications. VISION 2020 program is the global initiative for the elimination of avoidable blindness, a joint program of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). According to the WHO, it has been estimated that the number of blind people will rise to 76 million by 2020. Close to 75% of this blindness is avoidable. Meeting these crucial goals can be only accomplished through research. Early detection and interventions to slow down the progression of eye disease are urgently and critically needed.
Detection of murine cytomegalovirus DNA in circulating leukocytes harvested during acute infection of mice.

The authors used virus assay and in situ hybridization with a cloned fragment of the murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) genome to study MCMV infection of circulating leukocytes harvested from 3-week-old BALB/c, C57BL/6, and C3H mice infected with MCMV intraperitoneally. Infectious virus or MCMV DNA was detected in leukocytes on days 1 through 21 of infection in BALB/c mice and on days 3 through 7 in C57BL/6 mice. On days 5 and 7, MCMV DNA or infectious virus was detected in the leukocytes of 17 (94%) of 18 BALB/c mice and 10 (59%) of 17 C57BL/6 mice. In both strains infection peaked on days 5 and 7, when as many as 0.01 to 0.1% of the circulating leukocytes contained MCMV DNA. In C3H mice, however, infectious virus was rarely recovered from leukocyte fractions and MCMV DNA was detected in the circulating leukocytes of only one animal. Circulating leukocytes may have an important role in the dissemination of CMV infections in susceptible hosts.
Polyostotic fibrous dysplasia.

Summary A case of polyostotic fibrous dysplasia in a 5-year-old girl is reported. The diagnosis was made by the characteristic triad of predominantly unilateral bone lesions, precocious “puberty,” and unilateral skin pigmentation, and was substantiated by radiographic and pathologic examination of the bone lesions. The early onset of menses (second day of life) is somewhat unusual as is the contralateral distribution of skin pigmentation. The differential diagnosis is discussed briefly.
Effect of Graded Levels of Insulin on Lactation in the Rat.

SummaryThe daily subcutaneous injection of 3 units of protamine zinc insulin into Sprague-Dawley-Rolfsmeyer lactating rats from day 7 to 19 stimulated highly significant increases in milk yield in comparison with the control group. On day 14 milk yield was increased 38%, on day 16, 25%, on day 18, 26%, and on day 20, 79%. The increase in mean litter weight in comparison with the controls was not significant. The mammary glands as measured by DNA were not significantly increased on day 20 by insulin.
Adolescent Attitudes Toward Influenza Vaccination and Vaccine Uptake in a School-Based Influenza Vaccination Intervention: A Mediation Analysis

BACKGROUND: School-based vaccination programs may provide an effective strategy to immunize adolescents against influenza. This study examined whether adolescent attitudes toward influenza vaccination mediated the relationship between receipt of a school-based influenza vaccination intervention and vaccine uptake. METHODS: Participants were recruited from 2 counties participating in a school-based influenza vaccination intervention trial in rural Georgia (N = 337). Data were collected from surveys distributed to adolescents at pre- and post-intervention time points and from documents indicating vaccine uptake. Guided by the Health Belief Model and the Integrated Behavioral Model, surveys assessed demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial variables. A mediation analysis was used to test whether changes in psychosocial variables from baseline to follow-up mediated the relationship between study condition and influenza vaccine uptake. RESULTS: Controlling for background variables, step 1 of the mediation analysis revealed a significant relationship between study condition and vaccine uptake (odds ratio = 1.77, p = .038). Step 2 of the mediation analysis revealed a significant relationship between study condition and changes in psychosocial variables from baseline to follow-up. Steps 3 and 4 of the mediation analysis revealed that there was full mediation of the relationship between study condition and receipt of an influenza vaccination by intention to receive an influenza vaccination. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that the success of our school-based influenza vaccination intervention in increasing vaccine uptake was mediated by adolescents' intention to receive an influenza vaccination. Future influenza vaccination efforts geared toward rural adolescents may benefit from addressing adolescent attitudes toward influenza vaccination, particularly increasing intention to receive a vaccine.
2-D islanding of dodecane on an Au(111) surface: an investigation using he beam reflectivity and Monte Carlo modeling.

Dodecane is deposited at submonolayer coverages onto an Au(111) surface forming two-dimensional (2-D) islands. The islands sublimate to a 2-D gas at higher substrate temperatures. We observe island formation and subsequent 2-D sublimation between substrate temperatures of 40 and 350 K, using low-energy helium reflectivity. A computer model of the submonolayer islanding process using Monte Carlo simulations shows significant agreement with experimental data and yields an intermolecular potential of 0.10 ± 0.03 eV (about half that of the bulk substance) and a significantly higher corrugation potential of 0.3 ± 0.1 eV.
Dynamic fracture of graphite/epoxy composites stiffened by buffer strips: An experimental study

Abstract Fracture responses of unidirectional graphite/epoxy composite coupons enhanced by buffer strips are investigated under impact loading conditions using digital image correlation technique and high-speed photography. Composite coupons made of phenylethynyl terminated imide oligomer (PETI-5) as matrix and IM7 graphite fiber as reinforcement are studied. Buffer strips are made of the same material but with a different stacking sequence to attain quasi-isotropy. Edge-notched coupons are subjected to impact loading along the axis of symmetry. The effectiveness of methods used for attaching the buffer strip, namely, co-curing at elevated temperatures and adhesive bonding at room temperature, are also examined. The optically measured stress intensity factor histories reveal that both methods provide nearly identical fracture responses. However, the crack initiates much later in coupons stiffened using adhesive bonding method than its co-cured counterpart and thus shows higher stress intensity factor at initiation. The residual stresses are shown to be responsible for the difference in the fracture responses.
Core Functions of Nursing Home Social Services Departments in the United States

Abstract Objective To report social services departmental involvement in 52 functions. Design Cross-sectional data collected from a nationally representative sample of 1071 nursing home social services directors who were asked to report the extent to which their department was involved in 52 functions (activities). The functions were organized under the framework of the NASW Clinical Indicators for Social Work and Psychosocial Services in Nursing Homes. Setting Nursing home. Participants Social services directors. Intervention Not applicable. Measurement Self-administered survey. Results Eighty percent of respondents indicated their department is “usually or always” involved in a core set of 24 functions (out of 52). For each of the 52 functions, at least 40% of departments are at least sometimes involved. Conclusion Findings reveal both a core set of functions in which departments are “usually or always” involved, as well as many in which some, but not all, departments are involved. This variability of departmental involvement suggests that staff should clearly communicate the functions of their department so that residents, families, fellow staff, and the community know what can be expected. Future research should investigate how to maximize social services to achieve and maintain the highest possible quality of life for residents, address family concerns, and contribute to team effectiveness.
Job Satisfaction and Employee Attitude Prior to and after Implementation of Cook/Chill Food Production System

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: To examine the effect of changing food production system on school foodservice employees' job satisfaction and attitudes towards the new system To improve the quality of food and reduce labor and food costs, a school foodservice operation in the state of Kansas decided to convert from a centralized conventional food production system with a satellite delivery to 12 elementary schools to a cook-chill system preparing meals for 12 elementary, 2 middle, and 2 high schools. Before implementing the new system the operation conducted a feasibility study and trained key employees who would be primarily responsible for preparing cook-chill products. Employees participated in site visits of other cook-chill systems and formal training sessions offered by the cook-chill equipment manufacturer. A pre-test and post-test study design was used to examine job satisfaction of school foodservice employees and employees' attitudes towards the new system prior to implementing cook-chill (pre-test) and after 4 months of implementation (post-test). Job Satisfaction Index (JDI) and an attitude survey were administered to measure job satisfaction and employees' attitude, respectively JDI described job satisfaction in five job-related components: working environment, supervision, co-workers, pay, and promotion. T-tests were conducted to determine significant differences. No significant difference was found between the pre-test and the post-test in all five areas of JDI. However, school foodservice employees showed the lowest satisfaction scores in the pay and promotion components compared to the other. Significant difference was found in the attitude measures between two periods. Mean scores of positive attributes of the cook-chill system significantly decreased in the post-test. Findings from the attitude survey and employees' comments indicated strong resistance and discomfort with the new system among employees. Although there is always resistance to any form of change in any organization, good communication system, continuous training, and good management are essential to the successful change during the early stage of implementation. School foodservice directors must consider human factors and management implications involved in and affected by the change process.
A Laboratory Test of the Mirror Image Hypothesis1

Chinese and American nationals participated in an experimental internation simulation as a test of Bronfenbrenner's mirror image hypothesis. Perceptions of own and opposing nations were measured for (1) a rebel movement, and (2) a large power fighting a rebel movement in a foreign nation. The effects of information availability (relevance), and of increasing threat from a third power were also investigated. It was found that evaluative mirror image perceptions of the opposing nation as “bad” and one's own as “good” were easily established. Mirror image perceptions of “they are the aggressors” were found for Chinese, but not for Americans. Information relevance had only limited effects. Threat from a third power produced, in general, decreased mirror image perceptions for subjects representing the large power, but did not affect subjects representing the rebel movement.
Modeling liquid water transport in gas diffusion layers by topologically equivalent pore network

Abstract A topologically equivalent pore network (TEPN) model is developed for the first time to extract pore networks directly from gas diffusion layer (GDL) microstructures and thus account for all structural features of a GDL material. A generic framework of TEPN modeling is presented to design GDL structures that enable improved water management. With TEPNs used as input to a two-phase flow simulator, constitutive relations and steady-state liquid saturation profiles for carbon paper and carbon cloth are obtained and reported in this work. The results indicate a strong influence of the GDL morphology on water transport characteristics, which helps unravel the structure–performance relationship for GDLs.
New cascade analysis techniques for determining spontaneous atomic transition probabilities

Abstract Several new analysis techniques which account for the effects of cascades in the measurement of atomic transition probabilities have been developed at the University of Toledo, and will be described here. These techniques involve the incorporation of information from the direct measurement of the decay curves of cascading transitions into the analysis of the decay curve of the main level of interest. The traditional curve fitting techniques, as well as the new analysis techniques, are investigated by the use of computer simulated data containing various numbers of known exponentials. A diagrammatic mnemonic which trivially generates the theoretical decay curves for cascade schemes of arbitrary complexity will be described. The traditional curve fitting techniques are extended to include constraints imposed by the coefficients in the theoretical decay curve, which can be measured in terms of relative intensities of the cascading transitions. The population differential equation is converted to an integral equation involving only experimentally measurable quantities and the desired transition probability. Integrals over some arbitrary time interval of the decay curves can be photometrically measured, and given a common normalization through a wavelength relative efficiency calibration of the detection system. Integrated decay curves of all transitions, either directly into or out of the level of interest, can be summed in a manner which determines its transition probability. By varying the choice of time interval it can be verified that all contributing transitions have been correctly included. A variation of this technique allows the construction of the decay curve of an unmeasured cascade, provided the transition probability of the level into which it cascades is known. This variation can be used to investigate radiationless transitions and transitions outside the range of available detectors. Further, if there is additional a priori information concerning the shape of the unseen cascade decay curve, both its litetime and that level into which it cascades can be determined.
Tensile and Torsional Fatigue of Fiber-Reinforced Composites at Cryogenic Temperatures

A study of the fundamental fatigue behavior of G-10 grade, glass fiber-reinforced composite laminate in a liquid nitrogen environment is presented. Both uniaxial tensile and pure torsional fatigue failure of the fiber composite are investigated. Cryogenic fatigue degradation of the composite in terms of stiffness reduction, energy dissipation, and cyclic fracture is examined in detail. Influences of loading mode, fiber orientation, surface condition, and geometric variables are studied also. Fatigue damage mechanisms at cryogenic temperatures under various loading conditions are discussed. 29 refs.
Lysimetric evaluation of SEBAL using high resolution airborne imagery from BEAREX08

In this study, Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) was evaluated for its ability to derive aerodynamic components and surface energy fluxes from very high resolution airborne remote sensing data acquired during the Bushland Evapotranspiration and Agricultural Remote Sensing Experiment 2008 (BEAREX08) in Texas, USA. Issues related to hot and cold pixel selection and the underlying assumptions of difference between air and surface temperature (dT) being linearly related to the surface temperature were also addressed. Estimated instantaneous evapotranspiration (ET) and other components of the surface energy balance were compared with measured data from four large precision weighing lysimeter fields, two each managed under irrigation and dryland conditions. Instantaneous ET was estimated with overall mean bias error and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.13 and 0.15 mm h � 1 (23.8 and 28.2%) respectively, where relatively large RMSE was contributed by dryland field. Sensitivity analysis of the hot and cold pixel selection indicated that up to 20% of the variability in ET estimates could be attributed to differences in the surface energy balance and roughness properties of the anchor pixels. Adoption of an excess resistance to heat transfer parameter model into SEBAL significantly improved the instantaneous ET estimates.
Silicon photonics: An exercise in self control

Controlling light with light using devices small enough to fit on a chip is tricky, but it is crucial for any integrated all-optical logic scheme. Scientists have now produced modulators that control light at breakneck speeds, bringing the vision of all-optical chips closer to reality.
Calpain II expression is increased by changes in mechanical loading of muscle in vivo

In the present investigation, we have tested the hypothesis that calpain expression or activity in skeletal muscle is influenced by changes in mechanical loading in vivo. Muscle unloading for 10 days produced no change in the concentrations of calpain I, or II, and no change in calpain activation, as assessed by measurements of the proportion of calpain I or II isoforms that exhibited autoproteolytic modifications. However, muscle reloading for 2 days produced a 90% increase in calpain II concentration per unit wet weight of muscle relative to ambulatory controls. Although no change in the activation index for calpain I or II was identified for reloaded muscle, this index is an expression of the proportion of the total mass of each calpain isoform that is autoproteolyzed. Thus, there is also approximately a 90% increase in autolyzed calpain II in muscle experiencing increased loading than in controls. Northern analysis shows that the concentration of mRNA for calpain II is increased in reloaded muscle, but no change in calpain II mRNA concentration in unloaded muscle. In situ reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to confirm that nearly all calpain II mRNA in reloaded muscle is located in muscle fibers, with very little detectable calpain II mRNA in non-muscle cells present in the tissue. Together, these findings show that increased muscle loading causes a selective increase in the expression of calpain II isoform, thereby indicating that its regulation is independent from other calpain isoforms. J. Cell. Biochem. 64:55–66. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Microexplosive combustion behavior of blended soybean oil and butanol droplets

Abstract Experiments were conducted to examine the combustion characteristics of refined, bleached and deodorized soybean oil and butanol blends. Single droplets were suspended on microfibers in a combustion chamber at atmospheric pressure and ignited with a hot wire. Ignition characteristics and burning behaviors including burning to completion, burning with microexplosion and incomplete combustion were analyzed for initial concentrations ranging from 25–75% butanol. Droplet size and temperature measurements were analyzed throughout the droplet lifetimes. Relative concentrations prior and during combustion were estimated. Temperature measurements at ignition and during combustion were analyzed. The addition of butanol significantly lowered the ignition temperature. All mixtures studied ignited similarly to pure butanol droplets. The results were consistent with closed-cup flashpoint temperatures of butanol-soybean oil blends. A three-staged burn including a microexplosion was observed for all mixed droplets. Burning characteristics suggest a diffusion limited gasification mechanism, which has been previously linked to bi-component droplets with high volatility differentials. Microexplosions occur as a result of the more volatile component trapped within the droplet superheating at flame shrinkage. As butanol decreased to near equi-volume concentrations the microexplosions occurred earlier in the combustion process leading to higher concentrations of butanol trapped within the droplet at flame shrinkage. Therefore, equi-volume mixtures exhibited microexplosions with the greatest intensity. Blends of near equal concentrations by volume proved to exhibit the most favorable combustion characteristics. Bu40 exhibited the most violent microexplosions of all mixtures studied.
Efficient single photon detection from 0.5 to 5 Micron wavelength

We developed superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) based on 30-nm-wide nanowires, which showed 2.6 % detection efficiency at 5 μm wavelength.
Mixing across the Arctic Ocean: Microstructure observations during the Beringia 2005 Expedition

[1] Turbulent-scale temperature and conductivity were measured during the pan-arctic Beringia 2005 Expedition. The rates of dissipation of thermal variance and diapycnal diffusivities are calculated along a section from Alaska to the North Pole, across deep flat basins (Canada and Makarov Basins) and steep ridges (Alpha-Mendeleev and Lomonosov Ridges). The mixing rates are observed to be small relative to lower latitudes but also remarkably non-uniform. Relatively elevated turbulence is found over deep topography, confirming the dominant role of bottom-generated internal waves. Measured patterns of mixing in the Arctic are also associated with other mechanisms, such as double-diffusive structures and deep overflows. A better knowledge of the distribution of mixing is essential to understand the dynamics of the changing Arctic environment.
Kidney transplantation for older patients with renal disease

Kidney transplantation is a highly specialized form of medical care and is currently considered the optimal treatment for individuals who develop kidney failure. When successful (and kidney transplant success rates are dramatically better than even 10 years ago), it seems a true miracle of modern medicine. Both quality and length of life are significantly improved compared with dialysis therapy. Kidney transplantation is also less expensive than dialysis. Despite this, however, kidney transplantation can be seen as a microcosm of healthcare in general in which resources are limited. In kidney transplantation, the limits are not merely financial but there are also limits imposed by the shortage of donor kidneys. The success of medicine in increasing life expectancy raises issues of limited resources. These issues are especially important to older patients and may become more generalized in the future of medicine.
Skills for successful international assignments to, from and within Asia and the Pacific: implications for preparation, support and training

First makes the case that effective preparation, support, and training for international assignments to, from or within Asia and the Pacific need to be based on sound models of the skills required to meet the challenges of those assignments for the assignees themselves, their families accompanying them, those managing them, and the hosts with whom they are working. Then presents the characteristic ecologies encountered on these international assignments; identifies coping with ecoshock, developing strategies to effectively complete essential tasks in a new ecology, and maintaining motivation as the three key challenges faced in those ecologies; and describes the skills useful in dealing effectively with these challenges. Finally, presents the implications for intervention programmes to assist assignees in acquiring these skills and an illustrative training programme outline.
Factors affecting sales at farmers' markets: An Iowa study

The 180 farmers' markets operating in a range of urban to rural communities in Iowa provide a useful setting to evaluate factors affecting sales at these markets. Higher average sales at markets tended to be associated with urban and higher income areas. Only 30% of vendors reported sales greater than $5,000, mostly in the produce category.
Modeling spontaneous and evoked glutamate release of NMDA receptors

Introduction Spontaneous synaptic fusion is a feature in all synapses. These random release events have been extremely instrumental in the analysis of unitary properties of neurotransmission. Here, we detail some modeling studies for the kinetic scheme of NMDA receptors in a synapse that was published in [1]. In a synapse, spontaneous and actionpotential-driven neurotransmitter release is assumed to activate the same set of postsynaptic receptors. However, new experiments using MK-801, a well characterized usedependent blocker of NMDA receptors shows NMDAreceptor-mediated spontaneous miniature EPSCs (NMDA-mEPSCs) and NMDA-receptor-mediated evoked EPSCs (NMDA-eEPSCs) responded with very different characters [1]. Modeling glutamate diffusion and NMDA receptor activation revealed that postsynaptic densities larger than ≈0.2 μm2 can accommodate two populations of NMDA receptors with primarily nonoverlapping responsiveness. Collectively, these results support the premise that spontaneous and evoked neurotransmissions activate distinct sets of NMDA receptors and signal independently to the postsynaptic side.
Thermalization of starlight by elongated grains - Could the microwave background have been produced by stars

The possibility of the microwave background being produced by stars after the big bang is considered. The critical problem for this hypothesis is the source of the long-wavelength opacity for observed wavelengths greater than 10 cm. It is shown that free-free opacity cannot thermalize the background. Spherical dust grains also fail, but needle-shaped conducting grains can provide sufficient opacity to produce the observed spectrum with a metal abundance Z approximately equal to 10 to the -7th.
Designing the PenPal: blending hardware and software in a user-interface for children

As part of the 1994 Apple Interface Design Competition, we designed and prototyped the PenPal, a portable communications device for children aged four to six. The PenPal enables children to learn by creating images and sending them across the Internet to a real audience of friends, classmates, and teachers. A built-in camera and microphone allow children to take pictures and add sounds or voice annotations. The pictures can be modified by plugging different tools into the PenPal, and sent through the Internet using the PenPal Dock. The limited symbolic reasoning and planning abilities, short attention span, and pre-literacy of children in this age range were taken into account in the PenPal design. The central design philosophy and main contribution of the project was to create a single interface based on continuity of action between hardware and software elements. The physical interface flows smoothly into the software interface, with a fuzzy boundary between the two. We discuss the design process and usability tests that went into designing the PenPal, and the insights we gained from the project.
Finite-lattice-spacing corrections to masses and g factors on a lattice

We suggest an alternative method for extracting masses and g factors from lattice calculations. Our method takes account of more of the infrared and ultraviolet lattice effects. It leads to more reasonable results in simulations of QED on a lattice.
What Will Be the Influences of Media on Literacy in the Next Millennium

Les differents auteurs discutent de l'evolution future de l'alphabetisation, en tenant compte de l'arrivee des nouveaux medias et d'un usage de plus en plus intensif de ces medias. L'informatique, en particulier, bouleverse les pratiques, et la nature de son influence sur les pratiques pedagogiques, le rendement et l'assimilation par les eleves de l'ecriture et de la lecture suscite les interrogations des pedagogues.