cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of Small RNA Profiles of Virus and Host Origin in Wheat Cultivars Synergistically Infected by Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus and Triticum Mosaic Virus: Virus Infection Caused a Drastic Shift in the Endogenous Small RNA Profile

Co-infection of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV, a Tritimovirus) and Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV, a Poacevirus) of the family Potyviridae causes synergistic interaction. In this study, the effects of the synergistic interaction between WSMV and TriMV on endogenous and virus-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) were examined in susceptible ('Arapahoe') and temperature-sensitive resistant ('Mace') wheat cultivars at 18°C and 27°C. Single and double infections in wheat caused a shift in the profile of endogenous small RNAs from 24 nt being the most predominant in healthy plants to 21 nt in infected wheat. Massive amounts of 21 and 22 nt vsiRNAs accumulated in singly and doubly infected Arapahoe at both temperatures and in Mace at 27°C but not 18°C. The plus- and minus-sense vsiRNAs were distributed throughout the genomic RNAs in Arapahoe at both temperature regimens and in Mace at 27°C, although some regions served as hot-spots, spawning an excessive number of vsiRNAs. The vsiRNA peaks were conserved among cultivars, suggesting that the Dicer-like enzymes in susceptible and resistant cultivars similarly accessed the genomic RNAs of WSMV or TriMV. Accumulation of large amounts of vsiRNAs in doubly infected plants suggests that the silencing suppressor proteins encoded by TriMV and WSMV do not prevent the formation of vsiRNAs; thus, the synergistic effect observed is independent from RNA-silencing mediated vsiRNA biogenesis. The high-resolution map of endogenous and vsiRNAs from WSMV- and/or TriMV-infected wheat cultivars may form a foundation for understanding the virus-host interactions, the effect of synergistic interactions on host defense, and virus resistance mechanisms in wheat.
Does a Nexus Exist between the Work of Administrators and Student Outcomes in Higher Education?: An Answer from a Systematic Review of Research.

Journal articles within the field of higher education that focus on college and university administrators, have for the most part, examined topics such as leadership, governance, and institutional effectiveness. Recently, internal and external critics have questioned the ability of college and universities to impact educational outcomes, more specifically student outcomes. In this regard, this study sought to examine how the work of administrators in higher education affects student outcomes. From a systematic review of 10 years of research studies on higher education that focus on administrators as a unit of analysis in higher education, the researchers found that the nexus between the work of administrators and student outcomes was nascent.
Catalytic Strategy of Citrate Synthase: Subunit Interactions Revealed as a Consequence of a Single Amino Acid Change in the Oxaloacetate Binding Site

The active site of pig heart citrate synthase contains a histidine residue (H320) which interacts with the carbonyl oxygen of oxaloacetate and is implicated in substrate activation through carbonyl bond polarization, a major catalytic strategy of the enzyme. We report here the effects on the catalytic mechanism of changing this important residue to glycine. H320G shows modest impairment in substrate Michaelis constants [(7-16)-fold] and a large decrease in catalysis (600-fold). For the native enzyme, the chemical intermediate, citryl-CoA, is both hydrolyzed and converted back to reactants, oxaloacetate and acetyl-CoA. In the mutant, citryl-CoA is only hydrolyzed, indicating a major defect in the condensation reaction. As monitored by the carbonyl carbon's chemical shift, the extent of oxaloacetate carbonyl polarization is decreased in all binary and ternary complexes. As indicated by the lack of rapid H320G--oxaloacetate catalysis of the exchange of the methyl protons of acetyl-CoA or the pro-S-methylene proton of propionyl-CoA, the activation of acetyl-CoA is also faulty. Reflecting this defect in acetyl-CoA activation, the carboxyl chemical shift of H320G-bound carboxymethyl-CoA (a transition-state analog of the neutral enol intermediate) fails to decrease on formation of the H3020G-oxaloacetate-carboxymethyl-CoA ternary complex. Progress curves and steady-state data with H320G using citryl-CoA as substrate show unusual properties: substrate inhibition and accelerating progress curves. Either one of two models with subunit cooperativity [Monod, J., Wyman, J., & Changeux, J.-P. (1965) J. Mol. Biol. 12, 88; Koshland, D. E., Jr., Nemethy, G., & Filmer, D. (1966) Biochemistry 5, 365] quantitatively accounts for both the initial velocity data and the individual progress curves. The concentrations of all enzyme forms and complexes are assumed to rapidly reach their equilibrium values compared to the rate of substrate turnover. The native enzyme also behaves according to models for subunit cooperativity with citryl-CoA as substrate. However, the rates of formation/dissociation and reaction of complexes are kinetically significant. Comparisons of the values of kinetic constants between the native and mutants enzymes lead us to conclude that the mutant less readily undergoes a conformation change required for efficient activation of substrates.
The role of crystallinity and reinforcement in the mechanical behavior of polyamide‐6/clay nanocomposites

The mechanical behavior of compression-molded polyamide-6 (PA6) reinforced with 2 wt% of organo-nanoclay (montmorillonite intercalated with ω-amino dodecanoic acid) has been studied and compared to that of PA6. The tensile strength and the Young's modulus of the PA6/clay were 15% higher than those of PA6. Differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction showed that the crystalline structures of PA6 and PA6/clay differed considerably. A crystallinity of 25% with a dual structure composed of the γ and α forms was obtained in PA6/clay, while a crystallinity of 31% with the a form as the dominant crystalline structure was obtained in PA6. To understand the role of the crystalline structure of PA6, the molding process was modified to obtain PA6 specimens with different levels of crystallinity and different crystalline forms. Quenching molten PA6 at a cooling rate sufficiently high to prevent crystallization gave a material that was predominantly amorphous (crystallinity of 7%) with traces of the mesomorphic β or γ * form. Annealing this material at 80°C considerably increased crystallinity to 21%, which was also of the mesomorphic β or γ * form. PA6 with a predominant crystalline γ form could not be generated. Comparisons with PA6/clay in terms of crystallinity and mechanical behavior lead to the conclusion that the improvements in rigidity and strength observed when montmorillonite is added to PA6 are related to the reinforcing filler and not to a modification of the crystalline structure.
Effects of imipramine on the sleep-dream cycle: An EEG study in boys

Abstract The effect of imipramine on the sleep cycle in seven boys, aged 9–11, was studied by a single blind technique recording EEG and EOM. It was demonstrated that imipramine influences the sleep-dream cycle in the following manner: (1) the percentage of time spent in REM state sleep was decreased; (2) the percentage of time spent in Stage 2 sleep was increased; (3) a longer latency from the onset of sleep to the first REM epoch was produced. No difference was observed between the amounts of time spent in combined Stages 3–4 sleep or in the over-all length of time spent asleep in the laboratory.
A polymorphic modifier gene alters the hypertrophic response in a murine model of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Abstract Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC), an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutationally altered dominant-acting sarcomere proteins, exhibits significant clinical heterogeneity. To determine whether genetic background could influence the expression of this disease, we studied a murine model for this human condition. Hypertrophic responses to the Arg403Gln missense mutation in a cardiac myosin heavy chain gene were compared in 129SvEv (inbred; designated 129SvEv- α MHC 403/+ ) and Black Swiss (outbred; designated BSw- α MHC 403/+ ) strains. At 30–50 weeks of age all 129SvEv- α MHC 403/+ showed left ventricular hypertrophy, while left ventricular wall thickness was increased in only half of BSw- α MHC 403/+ mice demonstrating that a polymorphic modifier gene can determine the hypertrophic response to this dominant-acting sarcomere protein mutation. Further analysis suggests that SJL/J mice bear a recessive allele of this modifier gene that prevents a hypertrophic response to the Arg403Gln missense mutation. We conclude that genetic modifiers in mice, and presumably in man, can alter the hypertrophic response to sarcomere protein gene missense mutations.
The bend in RNA created by the trans-activation response element bulge of human immunodeficiency virus is straightened by arginine and by Tat-derived peptide.

Abstract The trans-activation response element (TAR) found near the 5' end of the viral RNA of the human immunodeficiency virus contains a 3-nt bulge that is recognized by the virally encoded trans-activator protein (Tat), an important mediator of transcriptional activation. Insertion of the TAR bulge into double-stranded RNA is known to result in reduced electrophoretic mobility, suggestive of a bulge-induced bend. Furthermore, NMR studies indicate that Arg causes a change in the structure of the TAR bulge, possibly reducing the bulge angle. However, neither of these effects has been quantified, nor have they been compared with the effects of the TAR-Tat interaction. Recently, an approach for the quantification of bulge-induced bends has been described in which hydrodynamic measurements, employing the method of transient electric birefringence, have yielded precise estimates for the angles of a series of RNA bulges, with the angles ranging from 7 degrees to 93 degrees. In the current study, transient electric birefringence measurements indicate that the TAR bulge introduces a bend of 50 degrees +/- 5 degrees in the absence of Mg2+. Addition of Arg leads to essentially complete straightening of the helix (to < 10 degrees) with a transition midpoint in the 1 mM range. This transition demonstrates specificity for the TAR bulge: no comparable transition was observed for U3 or A3 (control) bulges with differing flanking sequences. An essentially identical structural transition is observed for the Tat-derived peptide, although the transition midpoint for the latter is near 1 microM. Finally, low concentrations of Mg2+ alone reduce the bend angle by approximately 50%, consistent with the effects of Mg2+ on other pyrimidine bulges. This last observation is important in view of the fact that most previous structural/binding studies were performed in the absence of Mg2+.
Computation of sensitivity derivatives of Navier-Stokes equations using complex variables

Accurate computation of sensitivity derivatives is becoming an important item in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) because of recent emphasis on using nonlinear CFD methods in aerodynamic design, optimization, stability and control related problems. Several techniques are available to compute gradients or sensitivity derivatives of desired flow quantities or cost functions with respect to selected independent (design) variables. Perhaps the most common and oldest method is to use straightforward finite-differences for the evaluation of sensitivity derivatives. Although very simple, this method is prone to errors associated with choice of step sizes and can be cumbersome for geometric variables. The cost per design variable for computing sensitivity derivatives with central differencing is at least equal to the cost of three full analyses, but is usually much larger in practice due to difficulty in choosing step sizes. Another approach gaining popularity is the use of Automatic differentiation software (such as ADIFOR) to process the source code, which in turn can be used to evaluate the sensitivity derivatives of preselected functions with respect to chosen design variables. In principle, this approach is also very straightforward and quite promising. The main drawback is the large memory requirement because memory use increases linearly with the number of design variables. ADIFOR software can also be cumbersome for large CFD codes and has not yet reached a full maturity level for production codes, especially in parallel computing environments. Another viable methodology for computing sensitivity derivatives is based on the adjount approach. This method has received a lot of publicity in recent years due to the pioneering work of Jameson and colleagues, who had focused their attention primarily on inviscid flows. A few applications of this approach to Navier-Stokes equtions have also become available in the last couple of years. The adjoint approach offers great savings and lower memory penalty for a large number of design variables. The major disadvantage of this method is that a different set of adjoint equations must be derived and solved for each different cost function. The overall process of deriving the adjoint equations to achieve compatibility with the finite-difference equations and the corresponding boundary conditions is tedious and time consuming. An alternate approach based on the use of complex variable expansions for computing sensitivity derivatives, was suggested by Lyness and Lyness and Moler. For some unknown reasons, such as the inability of compilers to deal effectively with complex arithmetic, this technique has not been exploited much until Squire and Trapp revived it. Anderson and colleagues have recently made use of complex variables to evaluate sensitivity derivatives with an unstructured grid Navier-Stokes flow solver. This technique is quite straightforward to apply and produces accurate sensitivity derivatives witho
Measurement of Heat Transfer Coefficients in Rotating Liquid/Particulate Systems

A new method, involving the use of liquid crystals as temperature sensors, was developed to measure surface temperatures on moving particles. The method involves coating the monitored particles with aqueous solutions of encapsulated liquid crystals and recording the color changes on the particle surface as a function of temperature. Experimentally measured particle surface and liquid temperatures were used to calculate heat transfer coefficients for water-heated, axially rotating, cylindrical acrylic vessels containing liquid and solid spherical particles. The theoretical analysis associated with calculating the heat transfer coefficients from the experimental data is presented. The method is illustrated by measuring overall (heating medium/container wall/internal liquid) and liquid-particle film heat transfer coefficients for Teflon spheres in deion-ized water and aluminum spheres in 1.5 cSt silicone fluid.
The Hidden Histories and Geographies of Neotraditional Town Planning: The Case of Seaside, Florida

The neotraditional resort development of Seaside, Florida merits special attention from geographers and urban planners because of the normative claims made by its designers and because it has garne...
Alteration of muscarinic binding in specific brain areas following estrogen treatment

Systemic administration of estradiol benzoate (EB) to ovariectomized female rats significantly altered cholinergic muscarinic binding of [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate in discrete brain regions. Specifically, EB increased muscarinic binding in the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) and decreased muscarinic binding in the medial preoptic area (POA). These alterations were dose-dependent and appeared to reflect changes in the number of muscarinic binding sites. Treatment with EB failed to significantly affect binding in several control areas in females or in the MBH and POA of males.
Hybrid wavelength-division and optical time-division multiplexed multiwavelength mode-locked semiconductor laser.

A multiwavelength laser source composed of a single semiconductor optical amplifier and a commercially available off-the-shelf wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) filter is constructed and tested under actively mode-locking operation. Five independent mode-locked wavelength channels are generated simultaneously, with a wavelength spacing of 1.6 nm established by the WDM filter. In addition, to demonstrate the potential of this mixed time–frequency, or hybrid WDM–optical time-division multiplexed, signal, we demonstrate a simple parallel-to-serial wavelength conversion to increase the pulse repetition rate of the mode-locked laser by a number of output wavelengths for applications in high-performance optical sampling applications.
Domestic Vulnerabilities: Reading Families and Bodies into Eighteenth-century Anglo-Atlantic Wet Nurse Advertisements

This analysis of wet nurse advertisements from London and Philadelphia newspapers in the period of 1740–1799 is meant to explore the priorities of Anglo-Atlantic families. The ads indicate that the...
Pharmacokinetic Interactions with Digoxin

Numerous pharmacological agents have been shown to produce clinically significant pharmacokinetic interactions with digoxin. Drugs which reduce digoxin absorption include the antacids aluminium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide and magnesium trisilicate, the antidiarrhoeals kaolin and pectin, the hypocholesterolaemic agent cholestyramine and the chemotoxins cyclophosphamide, vincristine and bleomycin. Certain antibiotics including sulphasalazine, neomycin and aminosalicylic acid reduce digoxin absorption while others, including erythromycin and tetracycline, increase the bioavailability of digoxin in some patients. Capsule preparations of digoxin in solution are less subject to several of the interactions which affect the absorption and bioavailability of digoxin tablets. Various drugs induce alterations in the volume of distribution and clearance of digoxin. Cardiac patients receiving digoxin therapy are particularly prone to interactions with commonly co-administered medications such as the antiarrhythmics quinidine and amiodarone, the calcium channel blockers verapamil and nifedipine, and possibly some vasodilating agents. Studies of digoxin interactions have yielded discrepant results, indicating the need for careful analysis of investigational design before arriving at clinical conclusions.
Reconceptualizing Media Literacy in the Social Studies: A Pragmatist Critique of the NCSS Position Statement on Media Literacy

Abstract The National Council for the Social Studies Position Statement on Media Literacy argues that media literacy can facilitate participatory democracy if students' interest in media is harnessed. The statement conceives of media technology as neutral and under-conceptualizes socializing aspects of media technologies that foster atomized individualism. Narrowly grounded in New Media Literacies, Critical Media Studies, and Medium Theory scholarship, it offers a limited understanding of media as merely conduits for message transmission and concludes that media technology will create a more democratic society if students are encouraged to participate in it. The authors' pragmatist reconceptualization examines media not only as transmission but also as a space where common meanings are constructed. The authors offer a critical review that advances an alternative direction for media literacy in which learning for participatory democracy includes analyzing not only medium, messages, and content but also med...
On the subunit structure of oligomycin sensitive ATPase.

Abstract The subunit structure of oligomycin sensitive ATPase has been determined. In addition to the components of F 1 , and the so-called oligomycin sensitivity conferring protein, there are four other polypeptides of molecular weights 55,000, 29,000, 20,000 and 10,000 which together form the intrinsic membrane portion of the enzymic complex.
Storage‐stable epoxy B‐stage resins

N-Substituted β-aminopropionhydrazides, RNHC2h4CONHNH2, were prepared by the Michael addition of primary amines to acrylic esters. The adducts were converted to the corresponding hydrazides. The aminohydrazides react readily with terminal epoxides at moderate temperatures yeilding B-stage resins of excellent storage stability. When powdered B-stage resins are sprayed on hot metal (150-230°C.), a smooth cross-linked coating is formed in less than 3 min. The coatings have unusually high elasticity, they pass the Olson button test. For best performance the amine used should have the primary amino group attached to either a primary carbon atom or directly to an aromatic nucleus. Aminohydrazides with the following R. Groups have been prepared: methyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl, phenyl, cyclohexyl, benzyl, octyl, dodecyl, and octadecyl.
Supporting parent-child communication in divorced families

Divorce affects a significant number of children and parents worldwide. We interviewed 10 parents and five children to get a qualitative understanding of the challenges faced by these families and the role of technology in maintaining contact. We found that both parents had a strong need to maintain autonomy in raising the child, though the residential parent had more opportunities to be instrumentally involved. Both parents and children sought to manage tensions between the two households-parents by reducing interruption of the other household, children by trying to keep contact with the other parent as private as possible. Our participants used the telephone as the primary means to stay in touch while apart but expressed dissatisfaction with the limits of audio-only communication. It was difficult to keep a phone conversation engaging-both parents and children instead sought ways to maintain contact through shared activities and routines but found little technological support to do so while separated. Situated in these results, we present implications for design that may aid in creating technologies for communication between parents and young children in divorced families.
Chlamydia trachomatis: Female pelvic infection

Chlamydia trachomatis is a bacterium that causes both symptomatic and asymptomatic infection. This infection has been associated with severe infections of the upper genital tract, such as salpingitis, which may be responsible for a significant number of cases of ectopic pregnancy and infertility. An unsettled question is the role of C. trachomatis in pregnant patients. In addition to causing cervicitis, it has been linked to chorioamnionitis, premature rupture of membranes, and premature delivery. However, chlamydial infection is an easily treatable disease. The main focus of prevention is appropriate prescreening of patients at risk.
Comment on "A Centrosome-Independent Role for γ-TuRC Proteins in the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint"

Muller et al . (Reports, 27 October 2006, p. 654) proposed a role for microtubule nucleation in mitotic checkpoint signaling. However, their observations of spindle defects and mitotic delay after depletion of γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC) components are fully consistent with activation of the established pathway of checkpoint signaling in response to incomplete or unstable interactions between kinetochores of mitotic chromosomes and spindle microtubules.
Polarization Potentials for Electron Scattering

Charge polarization effects (due to polarization of the target charge distribution by the incident electron) are important for low and intermediate-energy electron scattering (these energy ranges corresponds to roughly E >~ IP and IP >~ E >~ 10 IP, where E is the impact energy and IP is the target ionization potential). There are two approaches to the inclusion of such polarization effects in electron scattering. In the many-body approach, the scattering wavefunction for the whole system (incident electron plus target) is represented explicitly by basis functions or products of basis functions and numerically determined radial functions. Algebraic variational methods2 and R matrix3 methods are some particularly powerful variants of this approach. In this approach charge polarization effects enter by configuration mixing. Because of this and because polarization effects are of long range, basis sets are required to be large and the scattering wavefunction must be represented over a big region. To avoid the associated computational problems, most electron-molecule scattering calculations using basis functions have been restricted to the single-configuration level, i.e., the static-exchange approximation, in which polarization effects are neglected.4
Corrosion Protection of Steel Using Nonanomalous Ni-Zn-P Coatings

A novel technique for obtaining nonanomalous Ni-Zn-P coatings with high Ni content ~74 wt % as compared to 15-20 wt % in the conventional plating method! has been developed. These coatings show promise as a replacement for Cd in sacrificially protecting steel. Ni-Zn-P coatings were deposited using an electroless method from a solution containing NiSO4 , complexing agent and ammonium chloride. Varying the concentration of ZnSO4 in the bath controls the final amount of Zn in the deposit. The Zn content in the coating was optimized based on the corrosion resistance of the final deposit. Coatings with 16.2 wt % Zn were found to display a potential of 20.652 V vs. SCE that is more electronegative to steel and hence can be used as a sacrificial coating for the protection of steel. Deposition parameters like pH and temperature have been optimized based on composition of the coating and the surface morphology. Corrosion studies in corroding media show that Ni-Zn-P coatings obtained using the electroless method show a higher barrier resistance and better stability as compared to cadmium coatings. © 2003 The Electrochemical Society. @DOI: 10.1149/1.1556015# All rights reserved.
ANALYSIS OF RAILROAD HORN DETECTABILITY

The Acoustics Facility of the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (part of the Research and Special Programs Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation), in support of the Federal Railroad Administration, is conducting safety research to evaluate the effectiveness of various methods of reducing the number of accidents and resulting casualties at highway-railroad grade crossings. As part of this research, the effort reported here evaluates the probability of detecting railroad horn systems used as audible warning for motorists at highway-railroad grade crossings. To evaluate the detection probability, three sets of acoustic data were collected: (a) acoustic characteristics of railroad horns, including sound level and directivity; (b) insertion loss of motor vehicles; and (c) baseline interior noise levels of motor vehicles. These data were used to determine the warning-signal-level-to-interior-noise-level ratio inside the motor vehicle at the minimum distance that would give the motor...
Is the Contingentist/Inevitabilist Debate a Matter of Degrees?

The contingentist/inevitabilist debate contests whether the results of successful science are contingent or inevitable. This article addresses lingering ambiguity in the way contingency is defined in this debate. I argue that contingency in science can be understood as a collection of distinct concepts, distinguished by how they hold science contingent, by what elements of science they hold contingent, and by what those elements are contingent upon. I present a preliminary taxonomy designed to characterize the full-range positions available and illustrate that these constitute a diverse array rather than a spectrum.
The Emerging Role of Lidar Remote Sensing in Coastal Research and Resource Management

Abstract Knowledge of coastal elevation is an essential requirement for resource management and scientific research. Recognizing the vast potential of lidar remote sensing in coastal studies, this Special Issue includes a collection of articles intended to represent the state-of-the-art for lidar investigations of nearshore submerged and emergent ecosystems, coastal morphodynamics, and hazards due to sea-level rise and severe storms. Some current applications for lidar remote sensing described in this Special Issue include bluegreen wavelength lidar used for submarine coastal benthic environments such as coral reef ecosystems, airborne lidar used for shoreline mapping and coastal change detection, and temporal waveform-resolving lidar used for vegetation mapping.
Some Repercussions of the Act of Union on the Church of Ireland, 1801–1820

William Pitt's decision to seek the abolition of the independent Irish parliament and the union of the established churches in Ireland and England ended a quarter century experiment in Irish legislative independence. During this brief period the penal system had been substantially modified, and the traditional Protestant ascendancy partially dismantled by liberal Protestants themselves. The Church of Ireland, however, had not shared in the enthusiasm of this Irish “renaissance”; parliamentary spokesmen had demanded abolition of the tithe, enforcement of clerical residence, endowment of the Roman Catholic clergy and elimination of abuses in ecclesiastical patronage. Anticlericalism had increased, tithe resistance had infected even Protestant tenants, and pamphlets condemning the Church of Ireland as the unholy wonder of Christendom were penned by Protestants themselves. The alarm of Irish churchmen only too aware of the fundamental weaknesses of the established church, the clamor of British peers with large Irish landholdings and the outbreak of rebellion in 1797, finally convinced British statesmen that the crisis could be relieved only by the abolition of the Irish legislature.
Breast-feeding, aeroallergen sensitization, and environmental exposures during infancy are determinants of childhood allergic rhinitis

Background Infant predictors of early childhood allergic rhinitis (AR) are poorly understood. Objective We sought to identify environmental exposures and host factors during infancy that predict AR at age 3 years. Methods High-risk children from greater Cincinnati were followed annually from ages 1 to 3 years. AR was defined as sneezing, runny, or blocked nose in the prior 12 months and a positive skin prick test (SPT) response to 1 or more aeroallergens. Environmental and standardized medical questionnaires determined exposures and clinical outcomes. Primary activity area dust samples were analyzed for house dust endotoxin (HDE) and (1-3)-β-D-glucan. Fine particulate matter sampled at 27 monitoring stations was used to estimate personal elemental carbon attributable to traffic exposure by using a land-use regression model. Results Of 361 children in this analysis, 116 had AR, and 245 were nonatopic and nonsymptomatic. Prolonged breast-feeding in African American children (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.8; 95% CI, 0.6-0.9) and multiple children in the home during infancy was protective against AR (aOR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.8). Food SPT response positivity and tree SPT response positivity in infancy increased the risk of AR at age 3 years (aOR of 4.4 [95% CI, 2.1-9.2] and aOR of 6.8 [95% CI, 2.5-18.7], respectively). HDE exposure was associated with AR; the effect was dependent on exposure level. Elemental carbon attributable to traffic and environmental tobacco smoke exposure showed no effect on AR. Conclusion Prolonged breast-feeding in African American subjects and multiple children in the home during infancy reduced the risk of AR at age 3 years. SPT response positivity to food and tree allergens enhanced risk. The HDE effect on AR was related to exposure.
The Bafa Bafa Simulation: Faculty Experiences and Student Reactions

The Bafa Bafa simulation (Shirts, 1977) offers educators a means of increasing students' cross-cultural awareness while simulating a foreign experience. This article describes seven instructors' experiences using the simulation and students' positive reactions to the experience. Recommendations are made regarding the best methods for implementing the simulation.
State and Local Law Enforcement Agency Efforts to Prevent Sales to Obviously Intoxicated Patrons

Alcohol sales to intoxicated patrons are illegal and may lead to public health issues such as traffic crashes and violence. Over the past several decades, considerable effort has been made to reduce alcohol sales to underage persons but less attention has been given to the issue of sales to obviously intoxicated patrons. Studies have found a high likelihood of sales to obviously intoxicated patrons (i.e., overservice), but little is known about efforts by enforcement agencies to reduce these sales. We conducted a survey of statewide alcohol enforcement agencies and local law enforcement agencies across the US to assess their strategies for enforcing laws prohibiting alcohol sales to intoxicated patrons at licensed alcohol establishments. We randomly sampled 1,631 local agencies (1,082 participated), and surveyed all 49 statewide agencies that conduct alcohol enforcement. Sales to obviously intoxicated patrons were reported to be somewhat or very common in their jurisdiction by 55 % of local agencies and 90 % of state agencies. Twenty percent of local and 60 % of state agencies reported conducting enforcement efforts to reduce sales to obviously intoxicated patrons in the past year. Among these agencies, fewer than half used specific enforcement strategies on at least a monthly basis to prevent overservice of alcohol. Among local agencies, enforcement efforts were more common among agencies that had a full-time officer specifically assigned to carry out alcohol enforcement efforts. Enforcement of laws prohibiting alcohol sales to obviously intoxicated patrons is an underutilized strategy to reduce alcohol-related problems, especially among local law enforcement agencies.
Spin Injection Efficiency at the Source/Channel Interface of Spin Transistors

Almost all spintronic transistors (e.g., spin field-effect transistors, spin bipolar transistors, and spin-enhanced MOSFETs) require high efficiency of spin injection from a ferromagnetic contact into a semiconductor channel for proper operation. In this paper, we calculate the efficiency of spin injection from a realistic nonideal ferromagnetic contact into the semiconductor quantum wire channel of a spintronic transistor, taking into account the presence of an axial magnetic field (caused by either the ferromagnetic contact or external agents) and spin orbit interaction. In our calculations, the temperature is assumed to be low enough that phonon scattering is weak and transport is phase-coherent, although not ballistic because of elastic scattering caused by impurities and defects. We consider a single impurity in the channel and show that the conductance depends strongly on the exact location of this impurity because of quantum mechanical interference effects. This is a nuisance since it exacerbates device variability. The ldquosignrdquo of the impurity potential, i.e., whether it is attractive or repulsive, also influences the channel conductance. Surprisingly, at absolute zero temperature, the spin injection efficiency can reach 100% at certain gate biases, even though the ferromagnetic injector is nonideal. However, this efficiency drops rapidly with increasing temperature.
Self-Imposed Blindness: The Scientific Method in Education

The quantitative research methods we use in education are derivatives of the scientific methods used to study physical phenomena. The scientific method is related to the philosophic principles of logical positivism. Taking these principles one can surmise the underlying assumptions behind our research in education and thus see its limitations more clearly. By comparing two articles which study the placement of students in special education along the lines of these assumptions, one can see how quantitative research as applied to education may have distorted our view of what really goes on in the education of high risk students. The author recommends that the field turn its attention toward establishing a body of knowledge derived from qualitative, not exclusively quantitative, research.
The role of the endoscopist in a multidisciplinary obesity center.

GI endoscopists now have an integral role in the multidisciplinary treatment of obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery, particularly in the prevention and treatment of postoperative complications. Although it is controversial, routine preoperative upper endoscopy should be considered in all bariatric patients, especially those undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. Endoscopists need to work in close coordination with their bariatric surgery colleagues in all phases of care in order to maximize the yield and safety of endoscopy in this patient population. The purpose of this article is to review the role of the endoscopist in a multidisciplinary obesity center as it pertains to the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management of bariatric surgery patients. As the performance of bariatric surgery continues to rise in response to the obesity epidemic, GI endoscopists are becoming increasingly involved in the preoperative and postoperative care of patients who had bariatric surgery. The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) Standards of Practice Committee recently published its guidelines on the role of endoscopy in this patient population. 1 The purpose of this article is to complement those guidelines and to highlight the role of the endoscopist in a multidisciplinary obesity center as it pertains to the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management of patients for bariatric surgery. THE ROLE OF PREOPERATIVE ENDOSCOPY
Publishing Original Content in an Institutional Repository

Abstract Institutional repositories (IRs) have been developed and promoted primarily as a means to re-publish scholarly content previously published elsewhere—usually in journals, festschriften, or collections of articles. This essay discusses the use of IRs as the originating publisher of materials not previously published elsewhere and assesses their potential use as a viable “first resort” for scholarly publication and an already existing alternative to traditional commercial or university presses.
Inhibition of Cell Wall-Associated Peroxidase Isozymes with British Anti-Lewisite

Conditions were established for the use of British Anti-Lewisite (BAL) to inhibit preferentially the extracellular isoperoxidases in pea stems. After a 2 h incubation period with 9-09 x 10~4 M BAL, approximately half of the activity of cell wall-associated peroxidase was lost, while little inhibition of cytoplasmic enzyme was observed. Four isozymes from cell wall material were identified on starch gel electrophoresis and stained with eugenol. Activity was tested with eugenol, ferulic and caffeic acids, and several redox dyes to probe the possible involvement of these isozymes in lignin biosynthesis. All isozymes had similar A"m values with eugenol and caffeic acid as compared to benzidine, a standard redox dye.
Towards Optimal Sensor Placement for Hot Server Detection in Data Centers

Recent studies have shown that a significant portion of the total energy consumption of many data centers is caused by the inefficient operation of their cooling systems. Without effective thermal monitoring with accurate location information, the cooling systems often use unnecessarily low temperature set points to over cool the entire room, resulting in excessive energy consumption. Sensor network technology has recently been adopted for data-center thermal monitoring because of its non-intrusive nature for the already complex data center facilities and robustness to instantaneous CPU or disk activities. However, existing solutions place sensors in a simplistic way without considering the thermal dynamics in data centers, resulting in unnecessarily degraded hot server detection probability. In this paper, we first formulate the problem of sensor placement for hot server detection in a data center as a constrained optimization problem. We then propose a novel placement scheme based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to take various factors, such as cooling systems and server layout, as inputs to analyze the thermal conditions of the data center. Based on the CFD analysis in various server overheating scenarios, we apply data fusion and advanced optimization techniques to find a near-optimal sensor placement solution, such that the probability of detecting hot servers is significantly improved. Our empirical results in a real server room demonstrate the detection performance of our placement solution. Extensive simulation results also show that the proposed solution outperforms a commonly used placement solution in terms of detection probability.
Statistical analysis of the impact of routing in MANETs based on real-time measurements

Performance degradation due to routing overhead is a serious impediment to fulfilling quality of service (QoS) in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). Therefore, analyzing the impact of routing overhead in a real-time environment becomes critical to developing efficient routing protocols and provisioning network performance. We develop a statistical-analytic approach to studying the impact of the routing overhead on delay and throughput in a real-time MANET testbed. The approach helps us in deriving statistical models of delay and throughput which, in turn, enables us to analyze the behavior of routing protocols beyond the scenarios configured in the testbed. In addition, we conduct a simple analysis of measuring network bandwidth consumed by routing overhead in various environments. Although optimized link state routing (OLSR) and ad-hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV) routing protocols are investigated as case studies in this paper, our approach and findings are applicable to other routing protocols as well.
A relational model for environmental and water resources data

[1] Environmental observations are fundamental to hydrology and water resources, and the way these data are organized and manipulated either enables or inhibits the analyses that can be performed. The Observations Data Model presented here provides a new and consistent format for the storage and retrieval of point environmental observations in a relational database designed to facilitate integrated analysis of large data sets collected by multiple investigators. Within this data model, observations are stored with sufficient ancillary information (metadata) about the observations to allow them to be unambiguously interpreted and to provide traceable heritage from raw measurements to useable information. The design is based upon a relational database model that exposes each single observation as a record, taking advantage of the capability in relational database systems for querying based upon data values and enabling cross-dimension data retrieval and analysis. This paper presents the design principles and features of the Observations Data Model and illustrates how it can be used to enhance the organization, publication, and analysis of point observations data while retaining a simple relational format. The contribution of the data model to water resources is that it represents a new, systematic way to organize and share data that overcomes many of the syntactic and semantic differences between heterogeneous data sets, thereby facilitating an integrated understanding of water resources based on more extensive and fully specified information.
Management of infected femoral nonunions with a single-staged protocol utilizing internal fixation

Abstract Purpose There are no reported series that specifically deal with repair of infected nonunions of the femur with revision internal fixation. We sought to determine whether a standardised treatment protocol we have used for 13 patients since 1992 results in a high union rate, resolution of infection, and a good functional outcome. Methods The study cohort included seven male and six female patients who presented to the senior author with an infected nonunion of the shaft of the femur. Eleven patients with a minimum of 2-year follow-up and between the ages of 19 and 75 years (mean 53.2 years) were included and evaluated. All patients underwent a single-staged protocol that includes an antibiotic “holiday”, then treating the infected nonunion with surgical debridement and hardware removal, local and systemic antibiotics, revision open reduction and internal fixation, and use of supplemental bone grafting. Great emphasis at the time of surgery is placed upon aggressive debridement, correction of any deformity, and obtaining stable internal fixation. We sought to report our success rate of nonunion repair, number of re-interventions, complication rate, final knee range of motion, and the ability to eradicate the infection using this treatment regimen. Results At most recent follow-up (mean 5.6, range 2–12 years), all patients had united and resolved their infections. Ten of the patients healed their nonunions with the fixation placed at the time of initial revision by us. Five patients required re-interventions to ultimately attain fracture union. Four patients had additional bone grafting procedures at the time of antibiotic bead removal. One of these four patients, who was later diagnosed with a nickel allergy, required three subsequent revision open reduction and internal fixations with bone grafting for hardware failure and persistent nonunion. A final patient underwent nail dynamisation with achievement of osseous union. Only one patient had less than 90° of knee flexion, although he previously had an extensor mechanism disruption and had only 15° of flexion noted at the time of initial surgery performed by us. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that our standard protocol for treatment of infected nonunion of the shaft of the femur is reliable at obtaining fracture union with a good functional result, while resolving infection despite the reliance upon internal fixation.
How Does Social Capital Grow? A Seven-Year Study of Villages in India

Social capital has been shown to be important for strengthening democracy and promoting development, but relatively little is known about how social capital grows, especially over the short to medium term. To help identify the nature and sources of growth in social capital, I constructed a panel data set for 61 villages in India, including repeat interviews (in 1997 and 2004) with more than 1,700 respondents. Considerable changes in social capital have occurred over this seven-year period. Factors such as faith in government institutions, relative modernization, relative need, and social stratification do not help explain these changes. Organizations promoted by outsiders have also not helped. Social capital is socially generated through the internal efforts of community groups. Villagers' self-initiated organizations and local leadership have helped grow social capital, along with locally formulated rules and lower economic inequality in the initial period.
Effect of Cigarette Smoking and Breathing Carbon Monoxide on Cardiovascular Hemodynamics in Anginal Patients

Smoking high-nicotine cigarettes caused a significant increase in systolic and diastolic arterial pressure, heart rate, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and coronary sinus, arterial, and venous CO levels, no significant change in left ventricular dp/dt, aortic systolic ejection period, and cardiac index, and a significant decrease in stroke index and coronary sinus, arterial, and venous PO2 levels in eight anginal patients with documented coronary disease. One week later, these patients inhaled 150 ppm of carbon monoxide until their increase in coronary sinus CO was similar to that produced after smoking their third cigarette. Inhaling carbon monoxide caused a significant increase in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and coronary sinus, arterial, and venous CO levels, no significant change in systolic and diastolic arterial pressure, heart rate, and systolic ejection period, and a significant decrease in left ventricular dp/dt, stroke index, cardiac index, and coronary sinus, arterial, and v...