cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Corrosion Testing of a Simulated Five-Metal Epsilon Particle in Spent Nuclear Fuel

The five-metal epsilon particle represents an important component with respect to the corrosion of spent nuclear fuel as it is the principal host for 99Tc. This radionuclide has a high solubility in oxidizing environments (as TcO4-), a half-life of 213,000 years, and has been proposed as a monitor for the corrosion rate of spent fuel. As such, an understanding of the corrosion processes affecting epsilon particles may have important implications on our ability to accurately assess radionuclide release rates from spent nuclear fuel. Non-radioactive metal powders were mixed in an atomic percent ratio of 40% Mo, 30% Ru, 15% Pd, 10% Re, and 5% Rh (Re used as a surrogate for Tc), a composition that simulates epsilon particles in spent reactor fuel [1,2]. The powders were electric arc-melted in the presence of an Ar-purged atmosphere. Scanning electron microscopy images of the as-cast samples denote a primary sample heterogeneity, with two distinct zones, each composed of a mixture of very fine-grained Mo-, Mo-Ru-Re, and Mo-Ru-Pd rich crystals. Results from vapor hydration tests (200°C) for time periods up to 35 days indicate the formation of Mo- and Reenriched alteration phases. Phase growth was enhanced when air was periodically replenished in the test vessels suggesting that oxide and/or hydroxide alteration phases may play a role in the corrosion process. MCC-1 tests (90°C) were conducted for time periods up to 182 days in leachant solutions that were prepared with either a) deionized water or b) deionized water acidified with nitric acid to a pH of 3.0. Solutions from the deionized water tests progressively decreased in pH with increasing reaction time (5.5 to 4.0), while the pH values remained at a near-constant value of 3.0 in the acidified solutions. Solution results indicate a preferential release of Mo followed by Re. Normalized Re/Mo release ratios varied from 0.20 to 0.86, and increased as a function of reaction time and acidity. Release of the platinum group metals (Pd, Rh, and Ru) was relatively insignificant in comparison to Mo and Re.
Culling for survival

In this issue of Blood , Waning and colleagues investigate the function of the ubiquitin ligase Cul4A, known for its involvement in protein degradation and histone modification. The present study reveals an essential requirement for Cul4A in hematopoiesis. The continuous generation of short-lived
Time-domain numerical simulation of ocean cable structures

Abstract This paper describes the numerical features of WHOI Cable, a computer program for analyzing the statics and dynamics of oceanographic cable structures. The governing equations include the effects of geometric and material nonlinearities, bending stiffness for seamless modeling of slack cables, and a model for the interaction of cable segments with the sea floor. The program uses the generalized-α time integration algorithm, adaptive time stepping, and adaptive spatial gridding to produce accurate, stable solutions for dynamic problems. The nonlinear solver uses adaptive relaxation to improve robustness for both static and dynamic problems. The program solves surface and subsurface single-point mooring problems, multi-leg and branched array systems, and towing and drifting problems. User specified forcing can include waves, currents, wind, and ship speed.
New variability in cerebrovascular anatomy determines severity of hippocampal injury following forebrain ischemia in the Mongolian gerbil.

Abstract Transient bilateral carotid artery occlusion in the Mongolian gerbil is a widely used model of forebrain ischemia due to species-specific absence of communicating arteries between the middle and posterior cerebral arteries. We have found that transient carotid occlusion induces a wide variation in histological injury of the hippocampus, suggesting that Mongolian gerbils currently available in the US have anomalous connections between the vertebral and carotid circulations. We subjected Mongolian gerbils from Harlan Sprague–Dawley and Charles River Laboratories to 5 min of bilateral carotid occlusion under continuous striatal temperature control and assessed hippocampal injury histologically 5 or 14 days later. The severity of occlusion-induced hippocampal injury depended on the presence and size of posterior cerebral communicating arteries. Injury was markedly attenuated in hippocampi having ipsilateral communicating arteries >50 μm in diameter. In contrast, severe ischemic injury occurred when either no posterior communicating artery was present, or when communicating arteries were smaller than 50 μm in diameter. Ischemic injury was independent of any communicating arteries on the contralateral side. Communicating arteries were present in 90% of gerbils from each vendor, ranging from 19 μm to 125 μm in diameter. The high prevalence of posterior communicating arteries and their profound effect on attenuating hippocampal injury indicates that an understanding of the presence and size of posterior communicating cerebral arteries in each animal is now required to interpret the extent of hippocampal injury following bilateral carotid artery occlusion in this species.
Highly selective molybdenum ONO pincer complex initiates the living ring-opening metathesis polymerization of strained alkynes with exceptionally low polydispersity indices.

The pseudo-octahedral molybdenum benzylidyne complex [TolC≡Mo(ONO)(OR)]·KOR (R = CCH3(CF3)2) 1, featuring a stabilizing ONO pincer ligand, initiates the controlled living polymerization of strained dibenzocyclooctynes at T > 60 °C to give high molecular weight polymers with exceptionally low polydispersities (PDI ∼ 1.02). Kinetic analyses reveal that the growing polymer chain attached to the propagating catalyst efficiently limits the rate of propagation with respect to the rate of initiation (kp/ki ∼ 10–3). The reversible coordination of KOCCH3(CF3)2 to the propagating catalyst prevents undesired chain-termination and -transfer processes. The ring-opening alkyne metathesis polymerization with 1 has all the characteristics of a living polymerization and enables, for the first time, the controlled synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers via ROAMP.
How to Discard Free Disposability--At No Cost

This paper shows how to prove the existence of competitive equilibrium without assuming either monotonic preferences or free disposability--and without adding any new assumptions.
The Big Tomorrow: Hollywood and the Politics of the American Way

In a revealing book showing the startling connections between national politics and Hollywood movies, Lary May offers a bold, fresh interpretation of American culture from the New Deal through the Cold War. Many still believe that Depression-era films served merely as a distraction from "real problems". However, May shows that many of these movies were part of a cultural dialogue that reinvigorated a democratic spirit, creating an alternative vision of the nation. Audiences desired to find a new life in a mass culture outside established institutions. As a result, upstart movie makers made large profits with productions such as those of the Cherokee humorist Will Rogers, the populist director Frank Capra, the urban comic dramas featuring "The Thin Man", and musicals like "42nd Street". That inclusive vision of America was not simply confined to the screen. It spurred shifts in design from the lavish exotic movie theatre to the more democratic, streamlined style associated with civic renewal. Inside Hollywood, personnel formed unions that supported New Deal reforms. May also argues that during World War II and the Cold War, conservatives and liberals reshaped the vibrant utopian flavour of Hollywood. Drawing on industry documents and Central Intelligence Agency reports, he shows how genres such as the "road stories" of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, and the war and western productions of stars like John Wayne and Ronald Reagan undermined the egalitarianism of the thirties. They validated a new corporate order and a homogenous consumer ethos. In the final chapter, May discusses how liberal artists such as Billy Wilder and stars like Marilyn Monroe and James Dean challenged the new consensus, setting the stage for the counterculture of the sixties and the conservative reaction that followed.
Abstract 2441: mTOR complex 2 modulates glycosylation of CD147 via the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Cell surface proteins transduce extracellular signals into the cell to control metabolism and growth. In turn, their expression is linked to nutrient availability and other growth signals by mechanisms that are poorly understood. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) regulates cell growth and metabolism and is part of two distinct protein complexes, mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTORC2. We found that mTORC2 is involved in the processing and maturation of cell surface receptors such as CD147. CD147 is a highly glycosylated receptor that has been linked to tumor progression via its role in activating matrix metalloproteinases and maturation of lactate transporters. In breast cancer cells, CD147 glycosylation is highly sensitive to glucose starvation and mTOR inhibition. In mTORC2-disrupted cells CD147 is misprocessed and occurs predominantly in a low glycosylated form. CD147 misprocessing can be partly rescued by addition of exogenous UDP-GlcNAc, the end product of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP). However, UDP-GlcNAc cannot restore the abnormal growth and metabolism in mTORC2-disrupted cells due to defects in expression of other key metabolic enzymes in these cells. Our findings define a role for mTORC2 in regulating receptor glycosylation via the HBP and reveal a broader role for mTORC2 in controlling other biosynthetic pathways that become deregulated in cancer. Citation Format: Chang-Chih Wu, Thomas Lynch, Joseph Moloughney, Aixa Navia, Olufunmilola Ibironke, Po-Chien Chou, Nicole M. Vega-Cotto, Sisi Zhang, Joshua Rabinowitz, Guy Werlen, Estela Jacinto. mTOR complex 2 modulates glycosylation of CD147 via the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2441. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2441
Calcium and vascular smooth muscle tone.

Recent technologic advances have improved the monitoring of intracellular ionized calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) in living vascular smooth muscle cells. The changes in cytoplasmic ionized calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]) that occur during a contraction-relaxation cycle of vascular smooth muscle are reviewed, as is recent evidence indicating that vascular smooth muscle tone can be increased by increasing the sensitivity of the contractile apparatus to calcium without a necessary change in [Ca2+]i levels. Data obtained using intracellular calcium indicators suggest that agonists that produce similar force profiles often produce very different profiles in [Ca2+]i. The amount of force produced at a specific level of [Ca2+]i is a variable of intact vascular smooth muscle, i.e., some agonists produce sizable tonic contractions with little elevation of cytoplasmic [Ca2+], whereas other agonists require much larger increases in cytoplasmic [Ca2+] to produce comparable increases in tone. These data also indicate that very small changes in [Ca2+]i can cause large changes in vascular tone. Designing therapeutic agents that would decrease [Ca2+]i or decrease the sensitivity of the contractile apparatus to ionized calcium would directly decrease intrinsic myogenic tone. Although a causative role for abnormal [Ca2+]i in the etiology of hypertension is controversial, it is obvious that a decrease in these levels in the vascular smooth muscle cell could be therapeutically beneficial.
A New Circuit Placement Program for FET Chips

A new solution to the problem of automated placement of FET circuits has been implemented. This new approach automatically realizes a global solution to the problem yielding circuit location, circuit orientation, all cross column wires and blanks between circuits, thus eliminating many of the most tedious and error prone steps in physical design. The technique is based upon "natural selection" and obtains a solution using a series of sweeps through the columns evolving circuit position and cross column wiring assignments together. Scoring is done to minimize column peaks. This paper describes the novel aspects of the program including the control techniques, models and approach used. The program was developed for IBM's internal use in design.
Detection of a Cephalosporin C Acetyl Esterase in the Carbamate Cephalosporin Antibiotic-Producing Culture, Streptomyces clavuligerus

The possible role of a cephalosporin C acetyl esterase in the formation of the beta-lactam antibiotic A16886A, 7-(5-amino-5-carboxyvaleramido)-3-carbamoyloxy-methyl-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid, by Streptomyces clavuligerus was studied. Addition of dl-valine-(14)C-1 to a fermentation of Cephalosporium acremonium gave cephalosporin C-(14)C-9 (I). The formation of deacetylcephalosporin C-(14)C-9 from I occurred at a greater rate in broths of S. clavuligerus than in the broths of C. acremonium, or in the autoclaved broths of S. clavuligerus. Diisopropylfluorophosphate partially inhibited the deacetylation of I in S. clavuligerus broth. An intracellular cephalosporin C esterase in S. clavuligerus could not be demonstrated. Although A16886A has been chemically synthesized from deacetylcephalosporin C, this reaction could not be demonstrated with S. clavuligerus.
Bounded bitolerance digraphs

Abstract Bounded tolerance graphs were introduced in Golumbic and Monma (Congr. Numer. 35 (1982) 321–331) and Golumbic et al. (Discrete Appl. Math. 9 (1984) 157–170) as a generalization of interval graphs. Several variations of bounded tolerance graphs have been studied, including bounded bitolerance graphs. In this paper, we introduce directed versions of the classes of tolerance graphs. We characterize the class of bounded bitolerance digraphs in terms of interval orders. In addition, we characterize those bounded bitolerance digraphs which arise when linear orders or weak orders are used in place of interval orders.
Hippocampal Lesions Interfere with Long-Trace Taste Aversion Conditioning

This series of experiments investigated the effects of dorsal and ventral hippocampal lesions on taste aversion learning. Although damage to the hippocampus did not affect the acquisition of a taste aversion when the conditioning procedure used a relatively standard interval between taste and illness, both types of lesions produced a deficit in taste aversion when a long interval (3 h) was interposed between taste exposure and induction of illness. In the same subjects, trace fear conditioning was selectively impaired by ventral lesions, whereas water maze performance was selectively impaired by dorsal lesions. The results replicate past dissociations of dorsal and ventral hippocampal function, and also suggest that the hippocampus has a less differentiated role in long-trace taste aversion learning.
Chromosome 6q− in metastatic melanoma involving the large bowel☆

Abstract Chromosome banding analysis was performed on a metastatic melanoma involving the large bowel. The complex karyotype contains a 6q− chromosome, which has been seen in a variety of other neoplasms.
Terminal crosslinking of vaccinia DNA strands by an in vitro system.

An in vitro system has been developed to study the formation of crosslinks in vaccinia DNA. Cytoplasmic extracts from virus-infected cells were used as a source of activity to catalyze the crosslinking of DNA molecules. Replicating vaccinia DNA lacking crosslinks was used as substrate for the reaction. Sedimentation analysis, hydroxylapatite chromatography, labeling of the free ends, and digestion with restriction endonucleases showed that these molecules were not crosslinked. The conditions of the crosslinking reaction were similar to those required for the activities of the DNA polymerase and polynucleotide ligase in vaccinia-infected cells. The product of the reaction was analyzed by sedimentation in alkaline sucrose gradients and by hydroxylapatite chromatography. The results indicated that cytoplasmic extracts from virus-infected cells were able to catalyze the production of DNA molecules sedimenting as the 90 and 106 S species. These molecules upon denaturation “snap back” to a double-stranded conformation as demonstrated by hydroxylapatite chromatography. Removal from the incubation mixture of ATP, Mg2+, or deoxynucleotides, as well as heating the extract at 100°, prevented the development of crosslinked molecules. When vaccinia DNA labeled at the 3′ or 5′ termini was used as substrate for the reaction, it was shown that loss of radioactivity occurred only at the 3′ termini. Furthermore, after the reaction 5′-32P-labeled DNA became resistant to alkaline phosphatase implying that the termini were no longer free. Exonuclease, DNA polymerase, and DNA ligase activities were detected in the cytoplasmic extracts of virus-infected cells, suggesting that they may be involved in the crosslinking reaction. Based on the experimental evidence, a model for the formation of crosslinks is proposed.
The Influence of Target-Substrate Bias on Pulsed Laser Deposited Yba2Cu307-6

We have deposited YBa2Cu307.$ thin films onto SrTi03 substrates at 700°C as a function of target-substrate bias (0 to 300 V) in order to make use of the positive ions in the laser produced plume to assist in the deposition. The films were extensively characterized to determine differences in film properties (composition, structure, and transport). The results suggest that film properties were optimized at or near a target-substrate bias of 100 V, although, the differences in film properties were within the margin of reproducibility.
Phosphorylation of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 1 (GRK1) is regulated by light but independent of phototransduction in rod photoreceptors.

Phosphorylation of rhodopsin by G protein-coupled receptor kinase 1 (GRK1, or rhodopsin kinase) is critical for the deactivation of the phototransduction cascade in vertebrate photoreceptors. Based on our previous studies in vitro, we predicted that Ser21 in GRK1 would be phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) in vivo. Here, we report that dark-adapted, wild-type mice demonstrate significantly elevated levels of phosphorylated GRK1 compared with light-adapted animals. Based on comparatively slow half-times for phosphorylation and dephosphorylation, phosphorylation of GRK1 by PKA is likely to be involved in light and dark adaptation. In mice missing the gene for adenylyl cyclase type 1, levels of phosphorylated GRK1 were low in retinas from both dark- and light-adapted animals. These data are consistent with reports that cAMP levels are high in the dark and low in the light and also indicate that cAMP generated by adenylyl cyclase type 1 is required for phosphorylation of GRK1 on Ser21. Surprisingly, dephosphorylation was induced by light in mice missing the rod transducin α-subunit. This result indicates that phototransduction does not play a direct role in the light-dependent dephosphorylation of GRK1.
Droplet sedimentation: A physical description and qualitative explanation of the phenomenon

Abstract Experiments with very simple geometric configurations and dynamic conditions were conducted to observe the formation of filaments and droplets from buoyant layers containing dense macromolecules. The development of the droplets into small vortex rings, and their motions were followed. The observations are described. These experiments were conducted in an effort to understand and to predict streaming, or tumbling, or droplet sedimentation in centrifuges. A sequence of physical processes composing the phenomenon of droplet sedimentation is proposed and discussed.
Older Adults and Internet Health Information Seeking

The Internet is increasingly being used by consumers as a source of health information. This study examined factors that influence trust of Internet health information and how trust varies as a fun...
The acquisition of regular and irregular past tense forms

The spontaneous speech samples of 15 children were analyzed for appropriate use and inappropriate use and nonuse of the past tense verbal inflection. Using this data base, the following hypotheses were examined: (1) The irregular past tense form is an earlier acquisition than the regular past tense form. (2) The two types of overgeneralization errors (goed vs wented) have acquisitional relevance. (3) Partial regularity blocks overgeneralization errors. (4) The regular rule for the application of -ed is more likely to be overgeneralized to irregular forms such as hit, shut, and put than to other irregular forms. The data provided partial support for the second and third hypotheses, but no support for the first or fourth hypotheses.
Summer Cover Crops Fix Nitrogen, Increase Crop Yield, and Improve Soil–Crop Relationships

Impact of cover crops (CCs) on winter wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.)] and grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) yields is not well understood. We assessed crop yield and its relationships with CC-induced changes in soil properties for a 15-yr CC experiment in wheat-sorghum rotation at 0, 33, 66, and 100 kg ha of N application in south central Kansas. Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) was used as a winter CC from 1995 to 2000, while sunn hemp (SH; Crotalaria juncea L.) and late-maturing soybean (LMS; Glycine max L.) were used as summer CCs in notill from 2002 to 2008. Summer CCs increased crop yields particularly at low rates of N application. At 0 kg N ha, SH increased sorghum yield by 1.18 to 1.54 times, while wheat yield increased by 1.60 times in the first year (2004) after CC establishment relative to non-CC plots. At 66 kg N ha, SH had no effects on sorghum yield, but it increased wheat yield in three of four years. Cover crops increased near-surface soil total N pool by 270 kg ha. Crop yield increased with the CC-induced decrease in soil maximum compactibility (soil’s susceptibility to compaction) and soil temperature, and increase in soil aggregate stability, soil organic C (SOC) and total N concentration, and soil water content, particularly at 0 kg N ha. Principal component analysis (PCA) selected soil compactibility and total N as the best yield predictors. Inclusion of summer legume CCs in no-till fixes N, increases crop yield and improves soil-crop relationships. Abbreviations: CCs, cover crops; LMS, late-maturing soybean; SOC, soil organic carbon; SH, sunn hemp; PCA, principal component analysis; PCs, principal components Understanding CC impacts on soil-crop relationships is essential to the development of sustainable cover cropping systems. Benefits of CCs for providing additional biomass input,
Air Medical Transport Personnel Experiences with and Opinions about Research

Abstract Introduction This study examined air medical transport (AMT) personnel's experiences with and opinions about prehospital and AMT research. Methods A Web-based questionnaire was sent to eight randomly selected AMT programs from each of six Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) regions. Responders were defined by university association (UA) and AMT professional role. Results Forty-eight of 54 (89%) contacted programs and 536 of 1,282 (42%) individuals responded. Non-UA responders (74%) had significantly more work experience in emergency medical services (EMS) (13.5 ± 8.5 vs. 10.8 ± 8.3 years, P = .002) and AMT (8.3 ± 6.3 vs. 6.8 ± 5.7 years, P = .008), whereas UA responders (26%) had more research training (51% vs. 37%, P = .006), experience (79% vs. 59%, P Conclusions Although AMT personnel were strong advocates of and willing to participate in research, few had research knowledge. For AMT personnel, disparity exists between advocating for and producing research.
The lipopolysaccharide-triggered mesangial transcriptome: Evaluating the role of interferon regulatory factor-1.

The lipopolysaccharide-triggered mesangial transcriptome: Evaluating the role of interferon regulatory factor-1. Background Presently, we do not have a clear picture of how the mesangial transcriptome evolves following stimulation. The present study was designed to address this, using an innate trigger to stimulate murine mesangial cells. Methods Three independent mesangial cell lines derived from C57BL/6 mice were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The mesangial cell transcriptomes were defined 1, 6, 24, and 60 hours poststimulation with LPS, using a 17,000 gene oligonucleotide array. Results Interferon regulatory factor-1 ( IRF-1 ), ScyA2/MCP1 , ScyA20/MIP3 α ( ScyB1/Gro1 , and ScyB2/MIP2α/Gro2 were the earliest genes to be hyperexpressed after LPS stimulation. Later-appearing genes included ScyA7/MCP3 , ScyD1/fractalkine , GM-CSF/CSF-2 , PDGF, epiregulin, NfKb , C/EBP , TIMP-1 , MMP11 , MMP13 , PTGS2/COX2 , SpI2-1 , Spp1 , PAI-1 , VCAM-1, C3 , and defensin-β1 , among others. Several of these changes were validated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Rapid IRF-1 hyperexpression was also noted following stimulation of mesangial cells with peptidoglycan, poly I:poly C, interferon-γ?(IFN-γ), and heat-aggregated IgG. However, the blocking of IRF-1 using RNA interference and the use of mesangial cells isolated from IRF-1 –deficient mice could not substantiate an obligatory role for IRF-1 in LPS-induced mesangial cell activation. Likewise, IRF-1 deficiency did not impact the development of anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM)-induced immune nephritis. Conclusion Innate stimuli such as LPS appear to trigger successive waves of mesangial cell gene expression. Although IRF-1 surfaces as an "early-on, early-off" transcription factor following several different triggers, it does not appear to be an essential molecule for mesangial cell activation by innate triggers or for anti-GBM disease.
Outcomes Associated with a Disease Management Program for End-Stage Renal Disease

Disease-state management is gaining in use for the management of chronically ill individuals including those with diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, asthma, and some forms of cancer. Recently, disease management (DM) has been applied to patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), a growing population of patients with high annual costs. CKD is ideally suited to DM since the definition of the condition is unambiguous and current care is highly fragmented. There are currently over 240 000 patients receiving dialysis for end-stage renal disease (ESRD), with projected numbers of nearly 600 000 by 2010, and nearly 9 million individuals with CKD not yet on dialysis. The total cost of care for patients with ESRD alone exceeded $US17 billion in 2000. Over 40% of costs for patients with ESRD result from hospitalizations, many of which can be avoided. In addition, much of the clinical morbidity and cost relates to associated comorbidities rather than ESRD per se, with little management presently provided for these conditions in the dialysis facility setting. DM for CKD uses field-based nurse care managers who can risk-assess patients and provide coordination of care so that the renal issues as well as comorbidities are identified and appropriately managed. Although few results from such efforts have been published, those that have, from RMS Disease Mnagement Inc., show remarkable improvements in a variety of clinical outcomes including mortality and hospitalization. Challenges to expanding DM for CKD include up-front funding to provide the needed DM, the availability of robust information systems to manage and analyze clinical and financial data, and the interest and participation of nephrologists, primary care providers and dialysis facilities, as well as other key providers to ensure that the DM approach is effective. With continuing increases in the number of patients with CKD in managed health plans, DM for this population will be even more important in the future to optimize clinical outcomes while constraining the costs of care.
The Use of the ETS Major Field Test for Assurance of Business Content Learning: Assurance of Waste?.

Exit exams have become the currency of choice for both institutions and accrediting bodies seeking to demonstrate student learning. Most researchers have ignored the opportunity costs of these tests and the fundamental question of whether the exams add value to the assessment process already in place on college campuses (course testing and GPA). A statistical model that uses a student's GPA, SAT score, and demographic characteristics predicts the student's Major Field Test (ETSB) score quite well. Furthermore, the opportunity cost of administering these exams at the institution in question exceeds $25,000 annually. The authors argue that the cost-benefit tradeoff of the ETSB exit exam is unfavorable.
“Nothing” can be better: Study of porosity in the charge trap layer of Flash memory

Discrete charge storage devices based on traps and nanocrystals (NCs) are shown to alleviate the problems of stress induced leakage currents (SILC) that ultimately limits the tunnel oxide scaling. Also, electric field enhancement in the tunnel oxide due to metal NCs1 boosts carrier injection efficiency from the channel thereby lowering program/erase voltages. This study investigates another possibility of generating such field asymmetry in the gate stack through the use of nano-porous dielectrics. The inherent difference in programming and retention mechanisms (F-N against direct tunneling) may be further widened through engineered pores. We investigate the effect of nano pores (NPs) in the charge storage layer through simulation and then present experimental results of porous TiO 2 .
Superior tarsectomy augments super-maximum levator resection in correction of severe blepharoptosis with poor levator function.

Objective To determine if a superior tarsectomy improves the ptosis corrective ability of the super maximum levator resection in cases of severe blepharoptosis with poor levator function (less than 5 mm). Design Retrospective, consecutive case series. Participants Patients who underwent super maximum levator resection with (8 eyelids) or without superior tarsectomy (10 eyelids) at one institution. Methods Chart review of patients who underwent super maximum levator resection with or without superior tarsectomy. Data regarding eyelid position, surgical outcome, and postoperative complications were evaluated. Main Outcome Measures Margin reflex distance-1 (distance [mm] between corneal light reflex and upper eyelid margin), bilateral eyelid symmetry, and postoperative complications. Results A statistically significant improvement in ptosis correction was demonstrated when integrating the superior tarsectomy with the super maximum levator resection ( P = 0.029). In addition, the superior tarsectomy significantly decreased the incidence of undercorrection (margin reflex distance-1 values less than 2.0 mm) compared with the super-maximum levator resection alone (12.5% vs. 70%; P = 0.023). Improved postoperative eyelid symmetry within 1.0 and 1.5 mm was demonstrated in cases treated by the superior tarsectomy. Postoperative complications were similar in both treatments. Conclusions The super maximum levator resection combined with superior tarsectomy can correct severely ptotic eyelids with Berke levator function ranging from 3 to 4.5 mm.
Broadband coplanar waveguide-coplanar strip-fed spiral antenna

A novel broadband coaxial-coplanar waveguide-coplanar strip-fed spiral antenna is presented. The antenna has good radiation patterns and a return loss of better than 10 dB over a wide bandwidth from 0.4 to 3.6 GHz. A DC-3.7 GHz broadband balun was developed for the antenna feed.
Diet and lifestyle variables as risk factors for chronic renal failure in pet cats.

A case-control study examining diet and lifestyle variables to generate hypotheses of potential risk factors for chronic renal failure in pet cats was conducted in five private practices in Texas, USA and at the Texas AM ad libitum with Factor-2 (a composite variable composed of fiber, magnesium, protein, sodium and ash); and fiber alone. Ad libitum feeding and increased ash intake were associated with increased odds of CRF; increased dietary fiber, magnesium, protein and sodium were associated with decreased odds of CRF.
Edmund Burke in America: The Contested Career of the Father of Modern Conservatism. By Drew Maciag. (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2013. Pp. xiv, 285. $29.95.)

In our politically polarized times, the author's arresting purpose in this book is to trace the complicated lineage of American conservatism since the founding through successive incorporations of ...
Distinguishing Product and Practice Regulation in Personalized Medicine

Protecting the public from faulty targeting of medicines, while preserving the crucial distinction between product and practice regulation, may require innovative regulatory approaches and close, ongoing involvement by the medical profession. This article explores four problem areas: validation of clinical claims for tests used in targeting therapies; developing and implementing appropriate restrictions on off-label use; promoting consistent concepts of clinical utility for use in various regulatory, reimbursement, and judicial contexts; and communication of clear information to guide clinicians in appropriate use of targeted therapeutic products. The article suggests an approach for addressing these problems by sharing regulatory activities between the Food and Drug Administration and a newly-created clinical standards board formed within the medical and scientific communities.
Genetics and Cytology of the ms6 Male-Sterile Soybean

Genetic studies of a new male-sterile, female-fertile soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] found in an F 4 breeding line showed that the allele involved was not allelic to any previously identified male sterility loci (ms1, ms2, ms3, ms4, or ms5). On the basis of allelism tests, we assigned the gene symbol ms6 to this mutant
A cost-effectiveness evaluation of laparoscopic disposable versus nondisposable infraumbilical cannulas

Abstract Study Objective . To compare the safety and cost-effectiveness of disposable and nondisposable infraumbilical laparoscopic cannulas. Design . Retrospective review of consecutive laparoscopic procedures performed from July 1, 1988, to June 30, 1994. Setting . A university-affiliated hospital. Patients . The 10,459 consecutive women who underwent laparoscopies. Interventions . A 10-mm disposable cannula was used in 529 laparoscopies and a nondisposable cannula in 9930, based on physician preference. Measurements and Main Results . The only intraabdominal injuries associated with insertion of disposable and nondisposable cannulas were bowel injuries in one and three patients, respectively. The injury rates for the instruments were 19 and 3/10,000 cases, respectively, but were not statistically different (P Conclusion . Disposable cannulas were not cost effective and were associated with a higher but not statistically significant complication rate. Therefore, the more expensive disposable cannulas are not recommended.
Optimizing data aggregation for cluster-based internet services

Large-scale cluster-based Internet services often host partitioned datasets to provide incremental scalability. The aggregation of results produced from multiple partitions is a fundamental building block for the delivery of these services. This paper presents the design and implementation of a programming primitive -- Data Aggregation Call (DAC) -- to exploit partition parallelism for cluster-based Internet services. A DAC request specifies a local processing operator and a global reduction operator, and it aggregates the local processing results from participating nodes through the global reduction operator. Applications may allow a DAC request to return partial aggregation results as a tradeoff between quality and availability. Our architecture design aims at improving interactive responses with sustained throughput for typical cluster environments where platform heterogeneity and software/hardware failures are common. At the cluster level, our load-adaptive reduction tree construction algorithm balances processing and aggregation load across servers while exploiting partition parallelism. Inside each node, we employ an event-driven thread pool design that prevents slow nodes from adversely affecting system throughput under highly concurrent workload. We further devise a staged timeout scheme that eagerly prunes slow or unresponsive servers from the reduction tree to meet soft deadlines. We have used the DAC primitive to implement several applications: a search engine document retriever, a parallel protein sequence matcher, and an online parallel facial recognizer. Our experimental and simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed optimization techniques for reducing response time, improving throughput, and gracefully handling server unresponsiveness. We also demonstrate the ease-of use of the DAC primitive and the scalability of our architecture design.
Global Migration and the Racial Project in Transition: Institutionalizing Racial Difference Through the Discourse of Multiculturalism in South Korea

Abstract Global migration has transformed what used to be racially homogenous countries like South Korea. To regulate the increasing number of foreign populations, the Korean government started to use the term multiculturalism and has actively produced supportive plans for female marriage migrants and multicultural families from the mid-2000s. Through examining governmental policy documents as well as public discourses around multiculturalism, this article aims to spell out how the discourse of multiculturalism contributes to the racialization process in South Korea. It demonstrates that there has been a discursive shift from migrant workers to the multicultural family as the targeted subjects of the government's multicultural policy. In turn, this discursive transformation signals a broader shift in the immigration policy's framework: from the perspective of labor to that of family. The paper argues that, through this dynamic process, the current state-led multicultural policy brings about institutional ...
Soybean leaf hydraulic conductance does not acclimate to growth at elevated [CO2] or temperature in growth chambers or in the field.

Background and aims Leaf hydraulic properties are strongly linked with transpiration and photosynthesis in many species. However, it is not known if gas exchange and hydraulics will have co-ordinated responses to climate change. The objective of this study was to investigate the responses of leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) in Glycine max (soybean) to growth at elevated [CO2] and increased temperature compared with the responses of leaf gas exchange and leaf water status. Methods Two controlled-environment growth chamber experiments were conducted with soybean to measure Kleaf, stomatal conductance (gs) and photosynthesis (A) during growth at elevated [CO2] and temperature relative to ambient levels. These results were validated with field experiments on soybean grown under free-air elevated [CO2] (FACE) and canopy warming. Key results In chamber studies, Kleaf did not acclimate to growth at elevated [CO2], even though stomatal conductance decreased and photosynthesis increased. Growth at elevated temperature also did not affect Kleaf, although gs and A showed significant but inconsistent decreases. The lack of response of Kleaf to growth at increased [CO2] and temperature in chamber-grown plants was confirmed with field-grown soybean at a FACE facility. Conclusions Leaf hydraulic and leaf gas exchange responses to these two climate change factors were not strongly linked in soybean, although gs responded to [CO2] and increased temperature as previously reported. This differential behaviour could lead to an imbalance between hydraulic supply and transpiration demand under extreme environmental conditions likely to become more common as global climate continues to change.
Pathways to health: a framework for health-focused research and practice

Public health research and practice is faced with three problems: 1) a focus on disease instead of health, 2) consideration of risk factor/disease relationships one at a time, and 3) attention to individuals with limited regard for the communities in which they live. We propose a framework for health-focused research and practice. This framework encompasses individual and community pathways to health while incorporating the dynamics of context and overall population vulnerability and resilience. Individual pathways to health may differ, but commonalities will exist. By understanding these commonalities, communities can work to support health-promoting pathways in addition to removing barriers. The perspective afforded by viewing health as a dynamic process instead of as a collection of risk factors and diseases expands the number of approaches to improving health globally. Using this approach, multidisciplinary research teams working with active community participants have the potential to reshape health and intervention sciences.
Compact electro-explosive fuse optimization for a helical flux compression generator

This paper presents the optimization of a compact electro-explosive fuse designed for the power conditioning system to be driven by a helical flux compression generator (HFCG). An electro-explosive fuse interrupts the current flow from the HFCG through a storage inductor on a 50 to 100 ns timescale inducing a voltage large enough to close a peaking gap, which commutates the energy in the storage inductor into a 20 Ohm load at voltage levels above 200 kV. Experimental data has revealed that electro-explosive fuses with wires in closer proximity to one another have consistently produced lower pulsed voltages than fuses with larger wire spacings. This paper addresses possible factors that might contribute to this drop in performance. An electro-magnetic field solver is used to model the current redistribution in the fuse wires. The experimentally observed performance of compact fuses with varying wire spacings is presented.
Production and Mode of Action of Lactocin 27: Bacteriocin from a Homofermentative Lactobacillus

Lactobacillus helveticus strain LP27 produced a bacteriocin, lactocin 27, in dialyzable and nondialyzable forms. No evidence was obtained to indicate that lactocin 27 was under the control of extrachromosomal plasmids. Lactocin 27 had a bacteriostatic effect on the indicator, Lactobacillus helveticus strain LS18. It inhibited primarily protein synthesis without affecting deoxyribonucleic acid and ribonucleic acid synthesis or adenosine 5′-triphosphate levels. Treatment of susceptible cells with the lactocin did not cause leakage of ultraviolet-absorbing material, but caused the efflux of potassium ions and the influx of sodium ions. It adsorbed non-specifically to various bacterial species irrespective of their susceptibility to lactocin 27. However, the presence of specific receptors has not been ruled out. Images
Measurement of handwashing behaviour in Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys and Demographic and Health Surveys, 1985–2008

With this paper, we aim to describe handwashing worldwide, as measured in Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in low- and middle-income countries between 1985 and 2008, and to explain the strengths, weaknesses and evolution of this data collection to inform future survey development. We searched reports of DHS and MICS conducted before 2009 and analysed data on handwashing measurements. We examined data according to geographic region, as well as demographic characteristics such as wealth quintile, education of the household head, and rural/urban location. Before 2009, eight MICS and 40 DHS included handwashing-related measurements, using a variety of self-reports and rapid observations. Internal triangulation of findings from surveys that collected multiple types of measurement shows that self-reports to closed questions overestimate behaviour. Observation-based data suggest low handwashing rates in many low- and middle-income countries with high prevalence o...
Lipophorin-facilitated hydrocarbon uptake by oocytes in the German cockroach Blattella germanica (L.).

SUMMARY Large amounts of hydrocarbons accumulate during vitellogenesis in the developing basal oocytes of the German cockroach Blattella germanica (L.), and all ovarian hydrocarbons are deposited into an egg case (ootheca) during oviposition. Hydrocarbons are not synthesized by the ovaries, but are delivered by hemolymph lipoproteins and accumulate within the basal oocytes. A native B. germanica hydrocarbon, [ 3 H]3,11-dimethylnonacosane, injected into adult females of various ages, was taken up by the ovaries in relation to oocyte growth. Ovarian uptake of the hydrocarbon was low in day 0–1 females, increased dramatically between days 3 and 6 and declined sharply through oviposition on day 8–9; ovarian uptake of the hydrocarbon was low during a 21-day pregnancy that followed. [1- 14 C]Propionate, which becomes incorporated into methyl-branched hydrocarbons, was injected into 5-day-old vitellogenic females to monitor the de novo biosynthesis of hydrocarbons and the time course of hydrocarbon deposition in the ovary. Propionate was rapidly incorporated into hydrocarbons within 4 h. Hydrocarbon uptake by the ovaries, however, was three times higher 24 h after injection than 4 h after injection, showing that hydrocarbons are slowly and continuously deposited in oocytes. This result was confirmed with topical application of [ 3 H]3,11-dimethylnonacosane: ovarian uptake was three times higher after 24 h than after 4 h. In vitro incubations of sternites, which synthesize hydrocarbons, with [ 14 C]propionate and ovaries, showed that both hemolymph and purified high-density lipophorin facilitated ovarian uptake of newly synthesized hydrocarbons; maximum uptake occurred with 10 % hemolymph or 1 mg ml –1 high-density lipophorin. These results were confirmed with sternites treated with [ 3 H]3,11-dimethylnonacosane and co-incubated with ovaries. This is the first report to show that copious amounts of maternal hydrocarbons are provisioned in oocytes and to demonstrate the existence of a hydrocarbon transport pathway involving hemolymph high-density lipophorin.
A Literature Review of Health Risks in the Bear Community, a Gay Subculture.

Gay men’s subcultural identifications may help explain why certain groups of gay men are more at risk than other groups. One such subculture is the Bear community, a group that espouses that large-...
Efficient Inventorying and Distribution of Blood Product During Disasters

Poor supply management of blood products poses a critical challenge for healthcare supply chains in support of humanitarian operations. A mismatch between blood product supply and blood product demand can have catastrophic consequences that can lead to loss of life, especially when humanitarian efforts are deployed as a result of a disaster. This study is motivated by the Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) (http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news-stories/special-report/syria-two-years-failure-international-aid) report. The MSF report describes the complexity, enormity, and critical importance of meeting the medical care and blood product needs for civilians under intense bombing in Syria. This chapter adapts a perishable inventory–routing problem with a single blood collection center and multiple hospitals with uncertain demand. To solve the problem, we use a newsvendor model in conjunction with a generalized traveling salesman (TSP) model combination to determine optimum quantities of blood and to determine the best possible route to meet the blood demand. We develop a two-stage linear programming representation of the underlying stochastic program. Such a representation is easy to scale up to real –world scenarios of providing humanitarian aid through healthcare supply chains. It also allows us to consider additional complexities such as truncated and correlated demands which can lead to some interesting insights in managing blood products inventory.