cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of nitric oxide in pathological responses of the lung to exposure to environmental/occupational agents

Conflicting evidence exists as to whether nitric oxide expresses damaging/inflammatory or antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties. Data presented in this review indicate that in vitro or in vivo exposure to selected environmental or occupational agents, such as asbestos, silica, ozone or lipopolysaccharide, can result in up-regulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase by alveolar macrophages and pulmonary epithelial cells. In the case of silica exposure, evidence consistently supports a damaging/inflammatory role of nitric oxide and/or peroxynitrite in the pathogenesis of lung disease. Although conflicting data have been reported, the majority of published studies suggest that nitric oxide plays a damaging role in pulmonary injury resulting from exposure to ozone or asbestos. In contrast, most information supports an anti-inflammatory role of nitric oxide following exposure to lipopolysaccharide. Further investigation is required to elucidate fully the mechanisms involved in determining the role of nitric oxide in the initiation and progression of various pulmonary diseases.
Synthesis of carboxymethyl cellulose from waste of cotton ginning industry

The aim of present work was to isolate cellulose from cotton gin waste (CGW) and synthesis of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) from it. Scoured and bleached CGW was used to investigate the effects of temperature, reaction time, acid-base concentration on the physiology of the resultant cellulose polymer. The isolated cellulose from CGW was converted to CMC by etherification using sodium monochloroacetic acid and different sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentrations (5-40 g/100mL) were tested to get high quality product. The optimum condition for carboxymethylation was found to be 20 g/100mL NaOH which provided the highest viscosity and degree of substitution (DS=0.874). Isolated cellulose and CMC were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). FT-IR analysis revealed that the produced cellulose was of very good quality. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis spotlighted crystalline nature of cellulose. SEM images showed rough structure of cellulose while that of the CMC had a smooth surface. This optimized method will be tested at pilot scale in collaboration with local industry.
Stable strontium isotope fractionation in synthetic barite

Abstract The mineral barite (BaSO4) accommodates strontium (Sr) in its crystal structure, providing an archive of Sr-isotopes (87Sr/86Sr and δ88/86Sr) in the highly stable sulfate mineral. We investigated mass dependent stable Sr-isotope fractionation (Δ88/86Sr = δ88/86Srsolid − δ88/86Srsolution) during inorganic precipitation of barite from a barium-rich solution by addition of sulfate under controlled conditions and compared this to equilibrium isotopic fractionation calculated using Density Functional Theory modeling. Sr-substituted barite is predicted to have lower 88Sr/86Sr than any other studied species, and at 25 °C will be about 0.6–0.7‰ lower than the two modeled Sr(H2O)82+-bearing salts that could approximate aqueous Sr2+. This agrees in direction and order of magnitude with experimental results that estimate equilibrium Sr-isotope fractionation in barite to be 0.3‰ lower than aqueous Sr2+ at ∼20 °C. The high ionic strength of some of the precipitating solutions (up to 1 M) and potential differences in the average coordination number of aqueous Sr2+ add to uncertainty in a direct comparison of the calculated equilibrium isotopic fractionation values with the experimental results. Stable Sr-isotope fractionation varied along with the distribution coefficient of Sr [Kd(Sr) = [Sr/Ba]barite/[Sr/Ba]solution], which is a function of both temperature and barite saturation state. However the relationship between mass dependent isotopic fractionation and Kd(Sr) is different for conditions of changing temperature versus barite saturation state. With increasing temperature (from 5 to 40 °C), the barite phase became isotopically lighter (Δ88/86Sr = −0.29‰ to −0.41‰). Conversely, with increasing saturation state (saturation index of barite = 3.0–4.3) the barite phase became isotopically heavier (Δ88/86Sr = −0.25‰ to −0.10‰). These observations suggest chemical kinetic effects control isotopic fractionation rather than equilibrium temperature effects. The relationship with saturation state indicates the potential presence of a diffusive boundary layer. Barite crystal morphology appears to be affected by the diffusion rate of solute (sulfate) to the growing crystal surface relative to the overall growth rate of barite crystals during precipitation.
The Nature of Home/Mysticism and Architecture/The Nature of Being Human

Greta Gaard, Tucson, AZ, The University of Arizona Press, 2007, ix +211 pp., paper, $17.95, ISBN: 978-0-8165-2576-8 Roger Paden, Lanham, MD, Lexington Books, 2007, xiii +209 pp., paper, $26.95, ISB...
Developmentally Responsive Technology-Literacy Use in Education: Are Teachers Helping Students Meet Grade-Level National Technology Standards?

The purpose of this mixed-methodology study was to measure technology usage between student and experienced teachers at different grade levels and to determine if usage was in agreement with the In...
Quadratic variation of functionals of two-parameter Wiener process

The quadratic variation of functionals of the two-parameter Wiener process of the form f(W(s, t)) is investigated, where W(s, t) is the standard two-parameter Wiener process and f is a function on the reals. The existence of the quadratic variation is obtained under the condition that f′ is locally absolutely continuous and fN is locally square integrable.
Ratings of Essentialism for Eight Religious Identities.

As a social identity, religion is unique because it contains a spectrum of choice. In some religious communities, individuals are considered members by virtue of having parents of that background, and religion, culture, and ethnicity are closely intertwined. Other faith communities actively invite people of other backgrounds to join, expecting individuals to choose the religion that best fits their personal beliefs. These various methods of identification influence beliefs about the essentialist nature of religious identity. Essentialism is when social groups are considered to have deep, immutable, and inherent defining properties. In this study, college students (N = 55) provided ratings of essentialism for eight religious identities: Atheist, Buddhist, Catholic, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, and Spiritual-but-not-religious. Significant differences in essentialism were found between the target groups. Results and implications for intergroup relations are discussed.
Division point measures resulting from triangle subdivisions

When dividing a 1- or 2-dimensional region according to a specified scheme, division points are continually created as the process continues. A measure results from assigning weights to each of these points. In the 1-dimensional setting, results concerning the distribution of division points are well known, and suggest how to study analogous processes in two dimensions. We explore two different division schemes on a triangular region and three different measures based on each subdivision, finding the limiting measures in each case.
The Impact of Intern Workload on Length of Hospital Stay for Elderly Patients

Several studies suggest that physicians treat older patients differently from younger patients. In previous work we have reported that interns who have a high workload during call tend to discharge their patients more quickly than interns with more moderate workloads. This article further examines the relationship between workload and patient care, to assess whether the effects of workload on care differ for younger and older patients. Results indicated that as intern workload increased, younger patients tended to have longer hospital stays, while older patients tended to have shorter stays. Similar effects were found for total hospital charges, though we found no such effects for mortality or early hospital readmission. These findings suggest that very busy interns may selectively discharge older patients more quickly. Educators may need to focus attention on discharge planning for older patients, to ensure that care is appropriate even when physician workload is high.
The composition and vertical structure of the lower cloud deck on Venus

Excluding the insertion of a probe into the lower Venus atmosphere, the only means of examining the atmospheric properties below the upper cloud layer are by passive or active radio techniques. Particularly, in a radio occultation experiment, the amplitude and Doppler data of a signal which has been refracted by the dense Venus atmosphere provide temperature, pressure, atmospheric density, cloud mass content, and some information about the cloud composition. The Venus orbiting spacecraft Pioneer Venus has provided radio occultation data for more than two years. The present investigation has the primary goal to use the absorption coefficient profiles derived from the radio occultation experiment to determine the mass content and composition of the Venusian lower deck. Attention is given to an experiment description, liquid content calculations, the mass content equation, the subtraction of gaseous absorbers, dielectric constant measurements, the concentration profile, the spherical shell model, and mass content profiles for all orbits.
Inertial Effects on Rotating Flow in a Porous Layer

Inertial effects on flow instabilities in a horizontal reactive porous layer with deformed upper boundary are studied using a linear stability analysis and under the condition that the porous layer, which is also referred to as a dendrite or mushy layer, is rotating about an inclined axis during the solidification of a binary alloy. The linear stability analysis leads to new results about the effects of the inertial force on the existence and the number of the oscillatory modes and on the preference of either leftor right-traveling longitudinal rolls, which can depend on the angle of inclination γ of the rotation axis with respect to the vertical axis. For some 0°<γ<90° and for the rotation rate beyond some particular value, the preferred flow solution in the form of left-traveling rolls can be replaced by the one in the form of right-traveling rolls or vice-versa. The preferred flow pattern, the period of oscillation of the flow solution, the critical Rayleigh number and the shape and structure of the deformed upper boundary of the layer are found to depend on the inertial effect.
Modulation of mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channels and sodium-hydrogen exchange provide additive protection from severe ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Background: Preconditioning and inhibition of sodium-proton exchange attenuate myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury by means of independent mechanisms that might act additively when used together. The hypothesis of this study is that treatment with a sodium-proton exchange inhibitor and a mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel opener produces superior functional recovery and a greater decrease in left ventricular infarct size compared with treatment with either drug alone in a model of severe global ischemia. Methods: Isolated crystalloid-perfused rat hearts (n = 8 hearts per group) were administered vehicle (control, 0.04% dimethyl sulfoxide), diazoxide (100 μmol/L in 0.04% dimethyl sulfoxide), cariporide (10 μmol /L in 0.04% dimethyl sulfoxide), or diazoxide and cariporide before 40 minutes of ischemia at 35.5°C to 36.5°C and 30 minutes of reperfusion. Results: The combination group had superior postischemic systolic function compared with that seen in the cariporide, diazoxide, and control groups (recovery of developed pressure: 91% ± 7% vs 26% ± 5%, 35% ± 6%, and 16% ± 3%, respectively; P <.05). Postischemic diastolic function in the combination group was superior compared with that seen in the other groups (changepre-post diastolic pressure of 67 ± 4 mm Hg with control, 49 ± 11 mm Hg with diazoxide, 59 ± 10 mm Hg with cariporide, and 3 ± 3 mm Hg with diazoxide and cariporide combination; P <.05). The left ventricular infarct area was less in the combination group compared with that in the cariporide, diazoxide, and control groups (6% ± 2% vs 35% ± 7%, 25% ± 3%, and 37% ± 9%, respectively; P <.05). Conclusions: Combining a selective mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium channel opener with a selective reversible inhibitor of sarcolemmal sodium-proton exchange improves recovery of contractile function from severe global ischemia in the isolated buffer-perfused rat heart. The putative mechanism for this benefit is superior protection of mitochondrial function. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2003;125:863-71
Raising Transnational Issues in a Multicultural Curriculum Project

The changing demographics of America’s population increases the need for educators to develop multicultural curricula for the nation’s schools. This article describes the efforts of a group of teachers to learn about the funds of knowledge of Mexican students by doing field research in a state in Mexico with one of the largest migrations to Chicago. The article discusses their successes and the challenges of developing curricula that go beyond the “heroes-and-holidays” approach to ethnic cultures and that consider issues such as transnationalism, illegal immigration, and racism. It contextualizes these issues in the broader context of multicultural education.
Darfur—Ground Zero for Africa's Crises of Identity: A Psychohistoriography of Tribes in Conflict

ABSTRACT Ongoing diplomatic and peacekeeping initiatives by the international community in Darfur over the past decade have failed to stem the violence and resolve social conflict. 1 Based primarily on political analysis, such initiatives do not address the underlying causes of the civil war at the individual, family, and tribal levels. This paper examines the psychological and sociological motivations for the violence within and between the Arab and African tribes of Darfur to include motivation exploration of ethnic defections, failing cultural identity markers, and the effects of cognitive dissonance of the personal and social identities of the Darfur tribes.
Extremal properties of random systems

We find that the probability distribution for the largest intervals p(l) exhibits universal properties for different systems including random walk and random cutting models. In particular, p(l) has an infinite set of singularities at l=1/k with k=2,3,..., which become weaker and weaker as k\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}; additionally, p(l) has an essential singularity at l=0. These properties are also found in many dimensional situations.
Plane strain indentation of a Zr-based metallic glass: Experiments and numerical simulation

The response of a Zr-based metallic glass in instrumented plane strain indentation with a cylindrical indenter tip is studied experimentally. A recently developed constitutive model and simulation capability for metallic glasses is used to numerically calculate indentation load versus depth curves, and the evolution of corresponding shear-band patterns under the indenter. The numerical simulations are shown to compare very favorably with the corresponding experimental results.
Personal chronicling tools for enhancing information archival and collaboration in enterprises

One of the greatest challenges in enterprises today is the lack of dynamic and ongoing information about individuals' activities, interests, and expertise. Availability of such "personal chronicles" can provide rich benefits at both an individual and enterprise level. For example, personal chronicles can help individuals to far more effectively retrieve and review their activities and interactions, while at an enterprise level they can be data-mined to identify groups of common and complementary interests and skills, or to identify implicit work processes that are commonplace in every enterprise. Today's existing tools are very limited in their support for dynamic capture of ongoing activities, in the organization and presentation of captured information, and in supporting rich annotation, search, retrieval, and publication of this information. In this paper, we propose a set of Personal Chronicling Tools (PCT) to support enterprise knowledge workers in digital event archiving and collaboration-oriented publishing. PCT is composed of four primary tools with the following capabilities: (1) event monitoring, (2) interactive annotation, (3) browse/search, and (4) edit/publish. All are designed to exploit existing enterprise infrastructure, storing captured raw data and metadata in secure databases. The first tool is a group of event monitors. These run on user client devices and capture user events such as emails, web pages browsed, instant messaging sessions, and documents edited. Monitors for new event classes are easily added as plug-ins through an XML interface. The second tool, the event annotator, enables context-sensitive user tagging and book marking of interesting moments. The third is an event browser which extends corporate email tools, providing semantic search (by embedding WordNet as a common dictionary) and the ability to follow threads of many kinds. Finally, a publishing tool facilitates the publication of relevant events with a fraction of the effort required to maintain a manual chronicle such as a weblog. This paper presents the overall system architecture, and a prototype implementation.
Exploring Factors Which Lead to Successful Reunification in Domestic Violence Cases: Interviews with Caseworkers

This exploratory study investigated factors that Child Protective Service caseworkers believe lead to change for the domestic violence abuser and victim, and ultimately lead to success in terms of reunifying children who have been removed from their parents due to domestic violence. In-depth interviews with six caseworkers examined both successful reunification cases and unsuccessful reunification cases. The interview was structured around three areas of interest: services, the caseworker’s relationship with the parents, and social supports, in order to identify variables that may influence the family’s ability (or inability) to make the necessary changes for reunification with their children. Results revealed that successful reunifications took place within the families who fully engaged in services, admitted the issues within the family home, set clear boundaries with each other, and sought and maintained an appropriate support system. Implications for caseworkers involved with families experiencing domestic violence, as well as directions for future research, are discussed.
Walk a mile in students' shoes: an approach to faculty development on integrating Web-based collaborative learning into instruction

This presentation focuses on teachers' experiences and perceptions of their assuming the student role during an intensive faculty development workshop. The workshop, ITESM Summer Institute, hosted at the University of Texas in Austin in June 2001, was a three-week cross-institutional and cross-discipline professional faculty development workshop on cooperative and collaborative learning attended by faculty members of ITESM (Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education System) from throughout Mexico. This presentation: (1) provides information about the workshop program, activities, and participants; (2) examines and discusses workshop participants' feedback about their learning; (3) discusses implications for future faculty development studies.
The cost effectiveness of field methods for determining volatile organic compounds

Abstract This paper examines the cost and performance characteristics of six different field analytical instruments capable of accurately identifying and quantifying volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at the parts‐per‐billion level. Five‐year life‐cycle costs for the six field instruments including purchase, modification, and operational costs, were compared to the costs of using a stationary commercial analytical laboratory to obtain identical VOC data. The present‐value life‐cycle cost of a single soil or water VOC analysis was calculated for the six field alternatives and for the commercial laboratory at both a fixed annual sample analysis rate and at maximum capacity. The total cost of a single field analysis event was found to be approximately 18% of the total cost of sending that sample to a commercial laboratory. Cost differences between alternatives were correlated to variations in performance capabilities.
Ratios in Proportion: What Should the Shape of the Package Be?:

Abstract Consumers' reactions to rectangles have implications for package and product design. In two lab studies and an analysis of field data, the authors find that the ratio of the sides of a rectangular product or package can influence purchase intentions and preferences and is related to marketplace demand. In more exploratory inquiries, the authors also find that the impact of this ratio on consumers depends on the relative seriousness of the context in which the product is used. Furthermore, ratio can also affect product perceptions, and consumers appear to prefer a range of contiguous ratios for different contexts rather than a particular ratio.
A chemoenzymatic synthesis of an androgen receptor antagonist

A new scalable enzymatic resolution approach to both enantiomers of trans-2-hydroxycyclohexanecarbonitrile (9 and 11) was developed. Treatment of the racemic mixture (4) with succinic anhydride in the presence of Novozym 435 led to selective acylation of one enantiomer to the corresponding hemisuccinate, which was separated from the unreacted enantiomer by a simple basic extraction. This procedure produced the desired enantiomer in high ee, while obviating the need for chromatography or expensive catalysts and ligands. The application of this protocol to the large-scale synthesis of an androgen receptor antagonist (1) is described.
Enabling nurses to lead change: the orientation experiences of nurses to boards.

Abstract Objectives Nurses need to be full partners in shaping health care and health care policy. One way to do this is to be present and active on boards at all levels. The purpose of this study is to examine the orientation experiences of nurses to boards and their preparation to influence health care and health care policy. Methods A Web-based survey about the efficacy of board orientation was sent to members of three local boards made up exclusively of nurses. Results Liabilities and fiduciary duties were least likely to be addressed in board orientation for nurses. Board members requested more training in finance and a more formal/structured orientation process. Conclusions Standardizing orientation elements for nurses serving on boards would best prepare them to serve on interprofessional hospital boards and work in the health policy arena. The orientation experience on local- and state-level nursing boards is fundamental to nurses beginning board service.
Solubility of jarosite at 4-35°C

Abstract The solubility of jarosite (KFe 3 (SO 4 ) 2 (OH) 6 ) was studied in a series of dissolution experiments. The experiments were conducted at 4–35 °C and at pH values between 1.5 and 3.0 using a synthetic jarosite with a composition very close to ideal. The solids were left in the reaction vessel for up to 6 months. Equilibrium was established in the experiments after approximately 3 to 4 months. The log K SP for the jarosite dissolution reaction KFe 3 (SO 4 ) 2 (OH) 6 + 6H + K + + 3Fe 3+ + 2SO 4 2− + 6H 2 O at 25 °C is determined to be −11.0 ± 0.3. From this measured solubility product, the free energy of formation, Δ G f .298 o is calculated to be −3309.8 ± 1.7 kJ mol −1 . Based on the temperature dependence of the solubility product, the enthalpy of reaction at 25 °C, Δ H r .298 o is −45 ± 5 kJ mol −1 , the entropy of reaction, Δ S r .298 o , is −350 ± 40 J mol −1 K −1 , and the heat capacity of the reaction, ΔC p.r , over the temperature range of the experiments is determined to be −2.1 ± 0.2 kJ mol −1 K −1 . The rate of the dissolution reaction can be described by a first-order model.
The Effects of Dexamethasone Administration on EEG Sleep in Depressed Patients

Since DST non-suppression and sleep abnormalities have been shown to co-exist in depressive states, it seems important to examine what effects dexamethasone administration might have on the sleep of depressed patients. Therefore, the effects of 1 mg dexamethasone p.o. administered at 11 p.m. to a group of 12 depressed outpatients was examined. In this series of patients, the hypothesis of no significant changes in sleep continuity, sleep architecture or REM sleep features was confirmed aside from an increase in Stage 2 sleep percent and decrease in Stage 1 REM percent in these patients (both variables stayed in the normal range). It can be concluded that acute administration of dexamethasone does not influence the sleep of depressed patients in a major way.
An algorithmic approach using κ/λ ratios to improve the diagnostic accuracy of urine protein electrophoresis and to reduce the volume required for immunoelectrophoresis

The most sensitive routine method for identifying urinary monoclonal immunoglobulin kappa and lambda light chains, called Bence Jones proteins (BJPs), in clinical laboratories is immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE), but this procedure is time-consuming and expensive. As a result, many laboratories screen for paraproteins with urine protein electrophoresis (UPE), which is insensitive when low concentrations of BJP are present and is difficult to interpret with severe proteinuria. The purpose of this study was to determine whether kappa/lambda ratios can be used in conjunction with UPE to improve diagnostic reliability in identifying paraproteins, and decrease the need for IFE on all samples. Urine specimens from 243 patients were examined by UPE and kappa/lambda ratios, and compared with IFE. Due to poor analytical sensitivity, the urinary kappa or lambda concentrations could not be determined in many cases. As a result, many specimens showed kappa/lambda ratios that were indeterminate. Nevertheless, when both urinary kappa and lambda concentrations were undetectable, a BJP could be ruled out. A urinary kappa/lambda ratio between 0.75-3 also ruled out a BJP. The use of kappa/lambda ratios, in conjunction with UPE, resulted in a 52% decrease in the volume of IFE during the course of this study, with 100% sensitivity for detecting BJP.
Temperature Dependence of Alfvén-Wave Amplitudes and Carrier Relaxation Times in Bismuth

Alfv\'en-wave propagation in parallel-plate Bi samples has been studied using a 24-GHz microwave reflection spectrometer. The attenuation of Alfv\'en-wave amplitudes in a magnetic field up to 10 kG was measured at different temperatures ranging from 2.4 to 11 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. From the amplitude of the weakly damped waves, effective relaxation times of charge carriers were measured directly without using any band-structure parameter. The temperature dependence of the effective relaxation times can be fitted to a ${T}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ variation with different slopes for different crystal orientations.
"We Understand Better Because We Have Been Mothers": Teaching, Maternalism, and Gender Equality in Bolivian Education.

This article explores Bolivian schoolteachers’ attitudes and practices surrounding gender in the context of a national educational reform law that mandated gender equity. Teacher interviews and primary school classroom observations indicate teachers’ discourses and practices reflect a sometimes paradoxical blend of advocacy for gender equality and reinforcement of existing traditions of patriarchy. Specifically, long-standing cultural assumptions that essentialise women's maternalism were common within schools and supported by both teachers’ attitudes and classroom practices. While this served to reinscribe gender inequality and women's subordination, teachers’ discourses also drew upon ideals of maternalism as a basis of women's strength and empowerment in opposition to sexism. In this article, we explore the tensions that arise as teachers negotiate their own staunch support for girls’ rights alongside their assumptions about gender differentiation.
GABA, not glycine, mediates inhibition of latent respiratory motor pathways after spinal cord injury

Previous work has shown that latent respiratory motor pathways known as crossed phrenic pathways are inhibited via a spinal inhibitory process; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The present study investigated whether spinal GABA-A and/or glycine receptors are involved in the inhibition of the crossed phrenic pathways after a C2 spinal cord hemisection injury. Under ketamine/xylazine anesthesia, adult, female, Sprague-Dawley rats were hemisected at the C2 spinal cord level. Following 1 week post injury, rats were anesthetized with urethane, vagotomized, paralyzed and ventilated. GABA-A receptor (bicuculline and Gabazine) and glycine receptor (strychnine) antagonists were applied directly to the cervical spinal cord (C3-C7), while bilateral phrenic nerve motor output was recorded. GABA-A receptor antagonists significantly increased peak phrenic amplitude bilaterally and induced crossed phrenic activity in spinal-injured rats. Muscimol, a specific GABA-A receptor agonist, blocked these effects. Glycine receptor antagonists applied directly to the spinal cord had no significant effect on phrenic motor output. These results indicate that phrenic motor neurons are inhibited via a GABA-A mediated receptor mechanism located within the spinal cord to inhibit the expression of crossed phrenic pathways.
Beyond the Technical: Interpreting a Fulfilling Curriculum

Abstract The authors observe that the nature of knowledge is multidimensional, and that current efforts to shape curriculum are guided by patterns of cognitive interests. Building from an example related to teacher education, they argue that higher education experiences represent a clash between freedom and conformance that relates to these curricular interpretations. They discuss the impact of these ideas on teacher education curricula and posit a curriculum model that emphasizes depth and connectedness at all levels, calling for a reconceptualization of curriculum to bring about a more fulfilling learning process.
Deoxyribonucleotide sequence divergence betweenStaphylococcus cohnii subspecies populations living on primate skin

Staphylococcus cohnii strains isolated from various primates could be separated into three distinct groups or subspecies on the basis of phenotypic characterization and DNA-DNA hybridization techniques. These included a human-specificS. cohnii subspecies (denoted here as subsp. 1), a widely distributed primateS. cohnii subspecies (subsp. 2), and a Ceboidea (New World monkey)-specificS. cohnii subspecies (subsp. 3). Divergence of the latter subspecies from the other two is great enough to place it in a near (separate)-species status.S. cohnii represents the third example of aStaphylococcus species where DNA divergence has been demonstrated between human and nonhuman primate-adapted populations. The data presented in this report continue to support the hypothesis that at least certain staphylococci have evolved together with their hosts by conjugate evolution.
Effect of glucocorticoid levels in vivo on growth hormone biosynthesis

Abstract The rate of growth hormone (GH) biosynthesis in pituitary cells prepared from rats with different histories of glucocorticoid exposure was analyzed by a dual-labeling acrylamide-gel technique. Glucocorticoid deficiency, produced by adrenalectomy, reduces GH synthesis by approximately 50%. GH synthesis in adrenalectomized rats treated with either natural or synthetic glucocorticoids, is restored to normal or above normal levels. Acute exposure (1 h) of cells to corticosterone in vitro does not produce a significant increase in GH synthesis. Adrenalectomized rats treated with steroid for one day show a small but detectable increase in GH synthesis, while treatment for 3–6 days results in progressively larger stimulatory effects. All of these results are similar to previous findings regarding glucocorticoid stimulation of GH synthesis in vitro.
Some counterintuitive dependencies of tropical cyclone frequency on parameters in a GCM

AbstractHigh-resolution global climate models (GCMs) have been increasingly utilized for simulations of the global number and distribution of tropical cyclones (TCs), and how they might change with changing climate. In contrast, there is a lack of published studies on the sensitivity of TC genesis to parameterized processes in these GCMs. The uncertainties in these formulations might be an important source of uncertainty in the future projections of TC statistics.This study investigates the sensitivity of the global number of TCs in present-day simulations using the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory High Resolution Atmospheric Model (GFDL HIRAM) to alterations in physical parameterizations. Two parameters are identified to be important in TC genesis frequency in this model: the horizontal cumulus mixing rate, which controls the entrainment into convective cores within the convection parameterization, and the strength of the damping of the divergent component of the horizontal flow. The simulated globa...
Analytical modelling and numerical simulation of the nonlinear deformation of hybrid fibre–metal laminates

GLARE laminates are an advanced hybrid material system consisting of alternating layers of thin aluminium sheets and unidirectional or biaxial reinforced high strength glass fibre/epoxy composite layers. The unique combination of ductile aluminium layers with high strength composite layers results in a unique fibre–metal laminate (FML) having light weight, outstanding fatigue resistance, excellent impact resistance, flame resistance and corrosion properties. This paper investigates the nonlinear tensile response and fracture behaviour of GLARE 4 and GLARE 5 laminates under in-plane loading. Both an analytical constitutive model based on a modified classical lamination theory, which incorporates the elasto-plastic behaviour of the aluminium alloy, and a numerical simulation based on finite element modelling are used to predict the stress–strain response and deformation behaviour of GLARE laminates. Good agreement is obtained between the model predictions and experimental results. The validated model can be used to optimize the microstructure including the metal type and thickness, the fibre type, orientation and volume fraction and the properties of the FMLs.
Effect of Water Content on Mechanical Properties of Na2O‐SiO2 Glasses

Na2O-SiO2 glasses with high water contents (up to =72 wt%) were prepared under high-pressure hydrothermal conditions. Hardness, crack initiation, and glass-transition temperature were investigated. The hardness and the glass-transition temperature decreased and the crack initiation threshold increased with increasing water content, which suggests that dissolved water promotes deformation by plastic flow.
Sound myogram: time and frequency domain analysis

The sound myogram (SMG) detected at the biceps surface by a contact sensor and the EMG were studied during 4-s isometric contractions from 10% to 100% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) and exhausting isometric contractions at 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% MVC. The amplitude of SMG was estimated by the integration of the signal. Frequency-domain analysis was performed by MESE (maximum-entropy spectrum estimation) and FFT (fast Fourier transform) methods. The cross-spectrum was also calculated. The SMG amplitude, the spectrum morphology, the spectral parameters, and the cross-spectrum characteristics reflect the effort intensity and the developing fatigue. The results suggest that the MUs activation pattern can be retrieved by means of this noninvasive tool. >
Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Immediate-Early Protein ICP27 Is Required for Efficient Incorporation of ICP0 and ICP4 into Virions

Early in infection, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) immediate-early (IE) proteins ICP0 and ICP4 localize to the nucleus, where they stimulate viral transcription. Later in infection, ICP0 and to a lesser extent ICP4 accumulate in the cytoplasm, but their biological role there is unknown. Previously, it was shown that the cytoplasmic localization of ICP0/4 requires the multifunctional IE protein ICP27, which is itself an activator of viral gene expression. Here, we identify a viral ICP27 mutant, d3-4, which is unable to efficiently localize ICP0 and ICP4 to the cytoplasm but which otherwise resembles wild-type HSV-1 in its growth and viral gene expression phenotypes. These results genetically separate the function of ICP27 that affects ICP0/4 localization from its other functions, which affect viral growth and gene expression. As both ICP0 and ICP4 are known to be minor virion components, we used d3-4 to test the hypothesis that the cytoplasmic localization of these proteins is required for their incorporation into viral particles. Consistent with this conjecture, d3-4 virions were found to lack ICP0 in their tegument and to have greatly reduced levels of ICP4. Thus, the cytoplasmic localization of ICP0 and ICP4 appears to be a prerequisite for the assembly of these important transcriptional regulatory proteins into viral particles. Furthermore, our results show that ICP27 plays a previously unrecognized role in determining the composition of HSV-1 virions.
Real world illumination and the perception of surface reflectance properties

Under typical viewing conditions, we find it easy to distinguish between different materials, such as metal, plastic, and paper. Recognizing materials from their surface reflectance properties (such as lightness and gloss) is a nontrivial accomplishment because of confounding effects of illumination. However, if subjects have tacit knowledge of the statistics of illumination encountered in the real world, then it is possible to reject unlikely image interpretations, and thus to estimate surface reflectance even when the precise illumination is unknown. A surface reflectance matching task was used to measure the accuracy of human surface reflectance estimation. The results of the matching task demonstrate that subjects can match surface reflectance properties reliably and accurately in the absence of context, as long as the illumination is realistic. Matching performance declines when the illumination statistics are not representative of the real world. Together these findings suggest that subjects do use stored assumptions about the statistics of real-world illumination to estimate surface reflectance. Systematic manipulations of pixel and wavelet properties of illuminations reveal that the visual system's assumptions about illumination are of intermediate complexity (e.g., presence of edges and bright light sources), rather than of high complexity (e.g., presence of recognizable objects in the environment).
Nonlinear Stress-Strain Relationship of Soil Reinforced with Flexible Geofibers

A nonlinear stress-strain relationship of soil reinforced with flexible geofibers under static loading is derived based on a nonlinear elastic stress-strain relationship of soil and a linear elastic stress-strain relationship of geofibers in the paper. This investigation includes the following aspects: First, the homogenization technique is introduced to find the volume average stress tensor and volume average strain tensor and further an elastic incremental stress-strain relation is introduced to describe deviatoric shear stress-axial strain relationship of equivalent homogeneous geofiber-reinforced soil. Second, the relation of geofiber numbers, content, mechanical behavior, distribution, and geometrical features to shear modulus of geofiber-reinforced soil is expressed and assessed by employing an elastic energy method. Third, the deviatoric shear stress and axial strain curves of geofiber-reinforced soil are calibrated by laboratory testing data of geofiber reinforced soil samples. Finally, the theoretical computational curves of geofiber reinforced soil are compared with the curves calibrated by testing data of geofiber reinforced soil. The model prediction has a good agreement with experimental results.
Raman spectra of D and L amino acid copolymers. Poly‐DL‐alanine, poly‐DL‐leucine, and poly‐DL‐lysine

The Raman spectrum of poly-DL-alanine (PDLA) in the solid state is interpreted in terms of the disordered chain conformation, in analogy with the spectrum of mechanically deformed poly-L-alanine. The polymer is largely disordered with only a small α-helical content in the solid state. When PDLA is dissolved in water, the spectra suggest that short α-helical segments are formed upon dissolution. These helical regions might be stabilized by hydrophobic bonds between side-chain methyl groups. Addition of methanol to the aqueous PDLA solutions results in a Raman spectrum resembling that of solid PDLA. This result suggests that the methanol disrupts the helical regions by breaking the hydrophobic bonds. The Raman spectra of poly-DL-leucine (PDLL) and poly-L-leucine (PLL) are compared and only slight differences are observed in the amide I and III regions, indicating that PDLL does not have an appreciable disordered chain content. Significant differences are observed in the skeletal regions. The 931-cm−1 lines in the PLL and PDLL spectra are assigned to residues in α-helical segments of the preferred screw sense, i.e., L-residues in right-handed segments and D-residues in left-handed segments (in PDLL). On the other hand, the 890-cm−1 line in the spectrum of PDLL is assigned to residues not in the preferred helical sence, i.e., L-residues in left-handed segments and D-residues in right-handed ones. The Raman spectra of poly-DL-lysine and poly-L-lysine in salt-free water at pH 7.0 are compared. The Raman spectra of the two polymers are very similar. However, this does not negate the hypothesis of local order in poly-L-lysine because the distribution of the residues in poly-DL-lysine probably tends towards blocks, and the individual blocks may take up the 31 helix.
The Effect of Alcohol on the Neuropsychological Functioning of Recently Abstinent Cocaine-dependent Subjects

Neuropsychological deficits in the areas of learning, memory, attention, and abstraction abilities have been associated with cocaine dependence, especially during the period of early abstinence. Although cocaine users tend to be multidrug users, few studies have focused on the combined effect of alcohol and cocaine on neuropsychological functioning. Consistent with prior research, results from the current study indicated that cocaine-dependent subjects showed a significantly greater degree of neuropsychological impairment as compared to controls. In addition, cocaine-dependent subjects with a history of alcohol disorder showed less memory impairment but similar impairments in attention and overall neuropsychological functioning as cocaine subjects with no such history. The vasodilatation produced by alcohol may attenuate some of the vasoconstriction and neurotoxic effects of cocaine, accounting for the fewer deficits in this group.
Rebels and Nomads: Have White Southerners Found Refuge in the Republican Party?

During the last 30 years, the Republicans have become an interesting assortment of economic, international, and social conservatism, with each leg of the triad having more prominence at distinct times. Examining key votes throughout this period, we assess how the most recent converts to the party, those from Southern states, align with Republicans from other regions on each of these three dimensions. We also estimate the relative importance of each of the three dimensions annually during this period. Finally, we examine whether the unstable equilibrium that haunted the Congressional Democrats through the first half of the Cold War era has merely found a new resting place in the Republican Party. In order to analyze these issues, we analyze House roll call votes from 1975 - 2000 to determine how closely Southern and non- Southern Republicans are aligned. Next, we examine various issue dimensions, determining how party cohesion is affected when different sets of issues take on greater legislative importance. Our findings confirm that issue dimensions affect party cohesion and that regional differences are an important distinction when analyzing House Republicans in a modern context.
Naturally occurring variation in tadpole morphology and performance linked to predator regime

Divergent natural selection drives a considerable amount of the phenotypic and genetic variation observed in natural populations. For example, variation in the predator community can generate conflicting selection on behavioral, life-history, morphological, and performance traits. Differences in predator regime can subsequently increase phenotypic and genetic variations in the population and result in the evolution of reproductive barriers (ecological speciation) or phenotypic plasticity. We evaluated morphology and swimming performance in field collected Bronze Frog larvae (Lithobates clamitans) in ponds dominated by predatory fish and those dominated by invertebrate predators. Based on previous experimental findings, we hypothesized that tadpoles from fish-dominated ponds would have small bodies, long tails, and large tail muscles and that these features would facilitate fast-start speed. We also expected to see increased tail fin depth (i.e., the tail-lure morphology) in tadpoles from invertebrate-dominated ponds. Our results support our expectations with respect to morphology in affecting swimming performance of tadpoles in fish-dominated ponds. Furthermore, it is likely that divergent natural selection is playing a role in the diversification on morphology and locomotor performance in this system.
Characterization of a Family of Arabidopsis Genes Related to Xyloglucan Fucosyltransferase1

To understand primary cell wall assembly in Arabidopsis, we have focused on identifying and characterizing enzymes involved in xyloglucan biosynthesis. Nine genes (AtFUT2-10) were identified that share between 47% and 62% amino acid similarity with the xyloglucan-specific fucosyltransferase AtFUT1. Reverse transcriptase-PCR analysis indicates that all these genes are expressed. Bioinformatic analysis predicts that these family members are fucosyltransferases, and we first hypothesized that some may also be involved in xyloglucan biosynthesis. AtFUT3, AtFUT4, and AtFUT5 were expressed in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv BY2) suspension culture cells, and the resulting proteins did not transfer fucose (Fuc) from GDP-Fuc to tamarind xyloglucan. AtFUT3, AtFUT4, and AtFUT5 were overexpressed in Arabidopsis plants. Leaves of plants overexpressing AtFUT4 or AtFUT5 contained more Fuc than wild-type plants. Stems of plants overexpressing AtFUT4 or AtFUT5 contained more xylose, less arabinose, and less galactose than wild-type plants. We suggest that the AtFUT family is likely to include fucosyltransferases important for the synthesis of wall carbohydrates. A targeted analysis of isolated cell wall matrix components from plants altered in expression of these proteins will help determine their specificity and biological function.