cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nursery culture of the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians irradians, in suspended mesh nets

Abstract Scallops were suspended subtidally in pyramid-shaped (pearl) nets in Long Island Sound, Milford, Connecticut, USA to assess effects of density and temperature at deployment on growth and survival. Juveniles as small as 4 mm were grown at densities ranging from 250 to 15 000/m 2 . There was an inverse relationship between the size of the scallops and the density that affected growth. Scallops with a mean shell height of 16–17 mm exhibited no reduction in growth when held at densities as high as 7500/m 2 . Similarly, scallops with mean shell heights of 24 to 25 mm exhibited no reduction in growth when held at densities as high as 2500/m 2 . Growth of scallops held at biovolumes as high as 1.1 l/net was not affected substantially. Survival typically exceeded 80%, and was not affected by density. Different size groups of juvenile bay scallops were deployed at ambient temperatures of 5, 11.5 and 14 °C. Survival for all but one group was greater than 80%. Deploying scallops early in the season at temperatures lower than 14 °C appears to have no advantage relative to growth.
Management and control strategies for community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Background: Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is now a common cause of skin and soft tissue infections and has been implicated in some cases of severe pneumonia and necrotising fasciitis in both children and adults. Objective: This review summarises the available evidence on the management and therapeutic options for the treatment of CA-MRSA, including antibiotic options for both mild and severe disease and prevention and decolonisation strategies. Methods: An extensive Medline literature search was performed to identify relevant articles and selected conference abstracts were incorporated. Results/conclusion: The optimal therapy for CA-MRSA infections has not been fully elucidated. Incision and drainage of purulent lesions and good follow-up wound care are important; adjuvant antibiotic therapy should be considered on the basis of location and extent of disease, systemic symptoms and host risk factors for complicated disease. Patients with severe disease (such as ...
Tand in het oog

Tanden en tandartsen hebben vroeger een rol gespeeld bij de ontwikkeling van niet-functionele kunstogen. Pas in onze tijd wordt het idee uitgewerkt van een met een eigen tand gemaakte prothese waarmee sommige blinden weer kunnen zien.
Ligand Steric Contours To Understand the Effects of N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands on the Reversal of Regioselectivity in Ni-Catalyzed Reductive Couplings of Alkynes and Aldehydes

The regioselectivities of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands in Ni-catalyzed alkyne-aldehyde reductive coupling reactions with silane reducing agents are investigated using density functional theory. Reversal of regioselectivity can be achieved by varying the steric bulkiness of the ligand. The steric influences of NHC ligands are highly anisotropic. Regioselectivity is primarily controlled by the steric hindrance at the region of the ligand close to the alkyne. Analysis of 2D contour maps of the NHC ligands indicates that the regioselectivities are directly affected by the shape and orientation of the N-substituents on the ligand.
Generalized case-based reasoning system for portfolio management

Abstract A case-based reasoning system (CBRS) is appropriate for an experince-rich domain, while a rule-based system performs reasonably well in a knowledge-rich application environment. Performance of a CBRS suffers when past experience is not readily available. A generalized case-based reasoning system (GCBRS) is proposed to remedy this weakness by incorporating domain theories represented as generalization rules. With these rules, previous experience (stored as cases) can be generalized so that the possibility of solving a new case is higher than it would be when case-based reasoning is used alone. The architecture and the inference mechanism of a GCBRS are discussed in this article. A portfolio management support system based upon the proposed GCBRS architecture is presented to demonstrate the feasibility of using GCBRS for developing a decision support system in a knowledge-poor and experience-poor domain. This article concludes with a discussion of future research.
Pore to continuum upscaling of permeability in heterogeneous porous media using mortars

Pore-scale modelling has become an accepted method for estimating macroscopic properties (such as permeability) that describe flow and transport in porous media. In many cases extracted macroscopic properties compare favourably to experimental measurements. However, computational and imaging restrictions generally limit the network size to the order of 1.0 mm3 and these models often ignore effects of surrounding flow behaviour. In this work permeability is upscaled in large (~106 pores), heterogeneous pore-scale network models using an efficient domain decomposition method. The large pore network is decomposed into 100 smaller networks (sub-domains) and then coupled with the surrounding models to determine accurate boundary conditions. Finite element mortars are used as a mathematical tool to ensure interfacial pressures and fluxes are matched at the network boundaries. The results compare favourably to the more computationally intensive (and impractical) approach of upscaling the medium as a single model. Additionally, the results are more accurate than straightforward hierarchical upscaling methods.
Academic, Motivational, and Emotional Problems Identified by College Students in Academic Jeopardy:

This study explored the difficulties that probationary students viewed as obstacles to their academic progress. These difficulties were compared to those identified by regularly matriculated studen...
An investigation of the relationship between selected variables and the psychological health of strike participants

This study examines the relationship between selected variables and the psychological health of strikers. The findings indicate that higher levels of savings, of non-work activity, and of social support, and favourable attitudes toward the union positively affect the psychological health of strikers. However, increases in the expected duration of the strike adversely affect the strikers' psychological health.
Self-aligned polysilicon MEMS-reduced mask count surface micromachining

A self-aligned reduced mask count micromachined polysilicon on nitride (SAMPSON) surface micromachining process is introduced. The self-alignment fabrication concept enables rapid fabrication, improves yields, and reduces parasitic capacitance of MEM devices. For many MEM devices the SAMPSON process results in a one mask savings over more conventional approaches. As a demonstration of the fabrication technique a burst-proof surface micromachined polysilicon resonant pressure sensor is fabricated using the SAMPSON process. This pressure sensor does not require a sealed cavity. It is also insensitive to mechanical property variations of the structural material, rendering its response essentially temperature independent.
A new approach to assess and predict the functional roles of proteins across all known structures.

The three dimensional atomic structures of proteins provide information regarding their function; and codified relationships between structure and function enable the assessment of function from structure. In the current study, a new data mining tool was implemented that checks current gene ontology (GO) annotations and predicts new ones across all the protein structures available in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). The tool overcomes some of the challenges of utilizing large amounts of protein annotation and measurement information to form correspondences between protein structure and function. Protein attributes were extracted from the Structural Biology Knowledgebase and open source biological databases. Based on the presence or absence of a given set of attributes, a given protein’s functional annotations were inferred. The results show that attributes derived from the three dimensional structures of proteins enhanced predictions over that using attributes only derived from primary amino acid sequence. Some predictions reflected known but not completely documented GO annotations. For example, predictions for the GO term for copper ion binding reflected used information a copper ion was known to interact with the protein based on information in a ligand interaction database. Other predictions were novel and require further experimental validation. These include predictions for proteins labeled as unknown function in the PDB. Two examples are a role in the regulation of transcription for the protein AF1396 from Archaeoglobus fulgidus and a role in RNA metabolism for the protein psuG from Thermotoga maritima.
Menstrual Cycle Phase Effects in the Gender Dimorphic Stress Cue Reactivity of Smokers

INTRODUCTION We previously reported that female smokers evidence greater subjective craving and stress/emotional reactivity to personalized stress cues than males. The present study employed the same dataset to assess whether females in the follicular versus luteal phase of the menstrual cycle accounted for the gender differences. METHODS Two objective criteria, onset of menses and luteinizing hormone surge (evaluated via home testing kits), were used to determine whether female smokers were in either the follicular (n = 22) or the luteal (n = 15) phase of their menstrual cycle, respectively. The females and a sample of male smokers (n = 53) were then administered a laboratory-based cue reactivity paradigm that involved assessment of craving, stress, and emotional reactivity in response to counterbalanced presentations of both a personalized stress script and neutral/relaxed script. RESULTS While there were no significant differences between females in the follicular versus luteal phase on any outcome measure, females in the luteal menstrual phase reported greater craving than males whereas females in the follicular phase reported greater stress and arousal than males and perceived the stress cues as more emotionally aversive than males. CONCLUSIONS This preliminary investigation suggests that gender differences in craving versus affective responding to stress cues may, in part, be explained variation by menstrual cycle phase. Study limitations and implications of the findings for future research and treatment are briefly discussed.
Structure of reticulospinal axon growth cones and their cellular environment during regeneration in the lamprey spinal cord.

The large larval sea lamprey is a primitive vertebrate that recovers coordinated swimming following complete spinal transection. An ultrastructural study was performed in order to determine whether morphologic features of regenerating axons and their cellular environment would provide clues to their successful regeneration compared to their mammalian counterparts. Three larval sea lampreys were studied at 3, 4 and 11 weeks following complete spinal transection and compared with an untransected control. Muller and Mauthner cells or their giant reticulospinal axons (GRAs) were impaled and injected with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Alternating thick and thin sections were collected for light and electron microscopy. A total of 9 neurites were examined. At all times, growth cones of GRAs differed from those of cultured mammalian neurons in being packed with neurofilaments and in lacking long filopodia, suggesting possible differences in the mechanisms of axon outgrowth. Morphometric analysis suggested that GRA growth cones contact glial fibers disproportionately compared to the representation of glial surface membranes in the immediate environment of these growth cones. No differences were found between glial cells in regenerating spinal cords and those of untransected control animals with regard to the size of the cell body and nucleus and the packing density of their intermediate filaments. Glial fibers in control animals and glial fibers located far from a transection were oriented transversely. Glial cells adjacent to the transection site sent thickened, longitudinally oriented processes into the blood clot at the transection site. These longitudinal glial processes preceded the regenerating axons. Desmosomes were observed on glia adjacent to the lesion but were scarce in the lesion during the first four weeks post-transection. These findings suggest that longitudinally oriented glial fibers may serve as a bridge along which axons can regenerate across the lesion. The presence of desmosomes might prevent migration of astrocytes near the transection, thus stabilizing the glial bridge.
Influence of unilateral ovariectomy on follicular development in cycling rats

Ovarian follicular development was analyzed in intact and unilaterally ovariectomized cyclic rats. Holtzman rats, followed for three successive cycles, were classified as 4- or 5-day animals, with estrus designated as day 1. Intact 4- and 5-day animals were killed on each day of the estrous cycle and one ovary from each animal was saved for histology and examined for normal follicles larger than 352 μ. Cycling rats were unilaterally ovariectomized on day 1 and killed on each of the remaining days of the immediate estrous cycle and day 1 of the next cycle. The follicular population (normal follicles larger than 352 μ) was studied in the remaining ovary. During the estrous cycle of intact rats, there was a gradual increase in the number of follicles with a diameter of 518 to 571 μ and greater; however, the total number of follicles ranging in size from 352 to 571 μ and larger remained relatively constant. At day 5, in the 5-day cycling rat, the ovaries were depleted of follicles measuring from 395 to 570 μ. Following unilateral ovariectomy on day 1, there was a temporary decrease in the number of follicles larger than 448 μ. This agreed with the finding that animals semi-spayed on day 1 and injected with 20 I.U. human chorionic gonadotropin on day 2 (PM) did not ovulate, whereas intact animals ovulated an average of seven eggs after the same treatment. The remaining ovary of animals unilaterally ovariectomized on day 1 showed a significant increase by the next estrus in the number of follicles larger than 448 μ. The method of compensatory ovulation in the rat involved doubling the number of large follicles which ultimately matured during the estrous cycle. This resulted from increased proliferation of smaller follicles in the course of the cycle rather than from decreased follicular atresia.
Usefulness of technetium pyrophosphate scintigraphy in demonstrating cardiac amyloidosis in persons aged 85 years and older

Abstract Necropsy examination detects cardiac amyloidosis in at least 20% of persons 85 years of age or older. 1 The amount detected is rarely extensive enough to produce clinical findings. 2 Technetium-99m pyrophosphate scintigraphy, a diagnostic tool for the identification of acute myocardial infarction, often demonstrates dense biventricular uptake of tracer in patients with cardiac amyloidosis. 3 We postulated that technetium-99m pyrophosphate scanning might also identify “senile” amyloidosis of the myocardium. If that were true, it might also be useful for assessing the prevalence of cardiac amyloid in the very elderly and less valuable for recognizing myocardial infarction in that age group. To ascertain the prevalence of a positive technetium-99m pyrophosphate scan in an elderly population, we undertook the following study.
The Effect of Microstructural and Geometrical Features on Fatigue Performance in Mg AZ31 Friction Stir Spot Welds

The relationship of microstructural and geometrical features to fatigue performance is investigated in friction stir spot welds made using AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets. Lap-shear coupons were spot welded using two sets of welding parameters. Optical microscopy of the initial state of the microstructure of each set of spot welds revealed differences in the hook formation, sheet thickness in the weld zone, and nugget diameter. Both sets of welds were fatigue tested in load control until failure at various load ratios. Optical microscopy of the failed coupons revealed differences in the fracture mode between the two sets of coupons. A linear elastic fracture mechanics model was used to correlate the fatigue life in the two processes. The fatigue model, which is a function of hook size, sheet thickness, and nugget diameter, showed good correlation to the experimental results. The model was also employed to show that the fatigue of the friction stir spot welds was most sensitive to the sheet thickness in the weld zone, followed by hook height, and then nugget diameter.© 2011 ASME
Lattice imaging and optical microanalysis of a Cu-Ni-Cr spinodal alloy

The lattice imaging technique of high-resolution electron microscopy has been applied to study spinodal decomposition in a Cu-Ni-Cr alloy. The reliability of various methods for processing the image data is discussed. The important parameters describing a spinodal microstructure (viz, composition amplitude, wavelength of modulations, and relative volume fractions of the two phases) can all be obtained from the lattice image, even though the maximum change of lattice parameters between the two phases is only ~1 pct. Interesting interfacial microstructural features have also been revealed from microoptical diffractograms of the images during later stages of aging.
A Simple Algorithm for Maximal Poisson-Disk Sampling in High Dimensions

We provide a simple algorithm and data structures for d-dimensional unbiased maximal Poisson-disk sampling. We use an order of magnitude less memory and time than the alternatives. Our results become more favorable as the dimension increases. This allows us to produce bigger samplings. Domains may be non-convex with holes. The generated point cloud is maximal up to round-off error. The serial algorithm is provably bias-free. For an output sampling of size n in fixed dimension d, we use a linear memory budget and empirical θ(n) runtime. No known methods scale well with dimension, due to the “curse of dimensionality.” The serial algorithm is practical in dimensions up to 5, and has been demonstrated in 6d. We have efficient GPU implementations in 2d and 3d. The algorithm proceeds through a finite sequence of uniform grids. The grids guide the dart throwing and track the remaining disk-free area. The top-level grid provides an efficient way to test if a candidate dart is disk-free. Our uniform grids are like quadtrees, except we delay splits and refine all leaves at once. Since the quadtree is flat it can be represented using very little memory: we just need the indices of the active leaves and a global level. Also it is very simple to sample from leaves with uniform probability. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis of 3,3-Dimethylbutanol and 3,3-Dimethylbutanal, Important Intermediates in the Synthesis of Neotame

It has been shown that some N-alkyl derivatives of Aspartame (1) are enhanced sweetening agents [1]. In particular, the 3,3-dimethylbutyl derivative, 2, (Neotame) is about 70 times sweeter than Aspartame. With this in mind a research program directed toward the synthesis of 3,3-dimethylbutanal (3) was begun. The first phase of this research involved the synthesis of 3,3-dimethylbutanol (4) by the acid catalyzed alkylation of isobutene with ethylene to give the sulfate ester [2] which was readily hydrolyzed to the alcohol, 4, in isolated yields in the 70–75 % range. It was found that the most efficient method for the conversion of 4 to the aldehyde, 3, was by a vapor phase dehydrogenation over a copper catalyst. The effect which the reaction variables have on the production of 4 will be discussed. This will include factors such as the ethylene pressure, the acid/isobutene ratio, the use of a hydrocarbon solvent, the reaction temperature and the mode of addition of the isobutene. The discussion of the dehydrogenation procedure will include the nature of the catalyst used and the reaction parameters needed to maximize the formation of 3 and keeping the amount of the over-oxidation carboxylic acid product below 1 %.
Effect of carbon tetrachloride on inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate dependent and independent regulation of rat brain microsomal Ca2+ flux

Abstract Carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ) is a highly toxic industrial solvent with pronounced effects of the liver and brain. CCl 4 is enzymatically cleaved to produce free radicals which attack membrane components, including proteins. Earlier indicated that CCl 4 affects Ca 2+ -regulated events in the brain. Hence, the present study was initiated to determine whether CCl 4 affects inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP 3 ) receptor binding, free-Ca 2+ movements across the microsomal membrane and protein kinase C (PKC) activity in rat brain, since IP 3+ Ca 2+ and PKC are known to be involved in signal transduction. [ 3 H]IP 3 binding, free-Ca 2+ movements and 45 C 2+ uptake were determined using rat brain microsomes and PKV activitity was determined in the cytosolic fraction. CCl 4 in vitro decreased [ 3 H]IP 3 binding to microsomes. IP 3 mediated Ca 2+ release from microsomes was inhibited and also the re-uptake of IP 3 -released Ca 2+ into microsomes was decreased in the presence of CCl 4 . CCl 4 at concentrations μ M independentl;y released Ca 2+ from microsomes. Uptake of total Ca 2+ into microsomes was inhibited by CCl 4 as observed with 45 Ca 2+ -uptake studies. CCl 4 at 1 μM inhibited PKC activity by 50%. Thus, perturbations in the binding of IP 3 to its receptor sites, changes in the Ca 2+ flux across the microsomal membrane and modulation of PKC activity by CCl 4 in vitro suggested that CCl 4 may exert neurotoxicity by altering signaltransduction pathways.
Narrating September 11: Race, Gender, and the Play of Cultural Identities

This article considers the September 11 tragedy as an event that has created a powerful experience-an astonishing and unthinkable "breach" from the expected and routine-that has riveted the American public and provoked personal storytelling. September 11 and its aftermath have provided an occasion for rethinking and reworking cultural identity. We explore how September 11 and subsequent events have been experienced, constructed, and narrated by African American women, primarily from working-class and low-income backgrounds. These stories, and the commentaries and discussions that surround them, provide vehicles for these women to ponder what sort of social contexts they inhabit, within what sort of subject positions they are placed, and how these may be shifting in light of the attacks and America's "War on Terrorism.
Breast cancer risk factors according to joint estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor status.

Abstract Background: We investigated risk factor patterns for subtypes of breast cancer characterized by joint estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status in a hospital-based case-control study. Methods: ER and PR tumor status were determined immunohisotchemically. Risk factors of interest were entered into a multiple polychotomous logistic regression model simultaneously; odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Using this model, cases in the four tumor subtypes (ER + PR + , ER − PR − , ER + PR − , ER − PR + ) were compared simultaneously to controls. A Wald test for heterogeneity across the four subtypes was conducted, as well as a case–case comparison between the two most biologically disparate subtypes, ER + PR + and ER − PR − . Results: The receptor status distribution was as follows: 33% ER + PR + , 34% ER − PR − , 20% ER + PR − , and 13% ER − PR + . Among 317 cases and 401 controls, we found significant heterogeneity across the four tumor subtypes for older age at first full-term pregnancy ( p =0.04) and post-menopausal status ( p =0.04). For older age at first full-term pregnancy, an elevated risk was found for the ER + PR − subtype (OR=2.5; 95% CI: 1.2–5.1). For post-menopausal status, elevated risks were found for both the ER + PR + (OR=2.4; 95% CI: 1.1–4.9) and ER + PR − (OR=7.2; 95% CI: 2.4–21.7) subtypes. From the case–case comparisons, we found that cases, who had consumed alcohol for more than 1 year were 3.4 times more likely to have ER + PR + tumors than ER − PR − tumors (95% CI: 1.4–8.4). Conclusions: Certain breast cancer risk factors may vary by ER and PR status, and joint ER/PR status should be taken into account in future studies of risk factor estimates.
Power and Representation in Anglo-American Travel Blogs and Travel Books about China

In his article "Power and Representation in Anglo-American Travel Blogs and Travel Books about China" Stefano Calzati presents a comparative analysis between two travel books and two travel blogs written by Anglo-American travellers about China. The assumption is that travel books and travel blogs, being two differently mediated forms of travel writing, share some similarities: they are "autodiegetic narratives" and they bear a (cross)cultural potential. Through a Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis I investigate how Anglo-American travel writers represent themselves and Chinese people as to what extent the definition of travel writing is medially affected; 2) to what extent the cross-cultural potential of travel writing is medially affected; and 3) how differences and similarities in appear in which Anglo American travellers represent themselves and the other. Stefano Calzati, "Power and Representation in Anglo-American Travel Blogs and Travel Books about China" page 2 of 10 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 14.5 (2012): Special issue New Work about the Journey and Its Portrayals. Ed. I-Chun Wang
Glucosinolates, isothiocyanates and human health

Concurrent with the increase in our knowledge of the genetic and environmental factors that lead to glucosinolate accumulation in plants, and the role of these compounds and their derivatives in mediating plant–herbivore interactions, there has been significant advances in our understanding of how glucosinolates and their products may contribute to a reduction in risk of carcinogenesis and heart disease when consumed as part of the diet. In this paper, we review the epidemiological evidence for the health promoting effects of cruciferous vegetables, the processes by which glucosinolates and isothiocyanates are absorbed and metabolised by humans, with particular regard to the role of glutathione S-transferases, and the biological activity of isothiocyanates towards mammalian cells and tissues.
Axonal pathways linked to therapeutic and nontherapeutic outcomes during psychiatric deep brain stimulation.

Objective: The underlying hypothesis of our work is that specific clinical neuropsychiatric benefits can be achieved by selective activation of specific axonal pathways during deep brain stimulation (DBS). As such, the goal of this study was to develop a method for identifying axonal pathways whose activation is most likely necessary for achieving therapeutic benefits during DBS. Experimental design: Our approach combined clinical data, diffusion tensor tractography, and computer models of patient-specific neurostimulation to identify particular axonal pathways activated by DBS and determine their correlations with individual clinical outcome measures. We used this method to evaluate a cohort of seven treatment-resistant depression patients treated with DBS of the ventral anterior internal capsule and ventral striatum (VC/VS). Principal observations: Clinical responders exhibited five axonal pathways that were consistently activated by DBS. All five pathways coursed lateral and medial to the VS or dorsal and lateral to the nucleus accumbens; however, details of their specific trajectories differed. Similarly, one common pathway was identified across nonresponders. Conclusions: Our method and preliminary results provide important background for studies aiming to expand scientific characterization of neural circuitry associated with specific psychiatric outcomes from DBS. Furthermore, identification of pathways linked to therapeutic benefit provides opportunities to improve clinical selection of surgical targets and stimulation settings for DBS devices. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of carbohydrate ingested on outcome in infants with mild gastroenteritis.

Children with mild acute gastroenteritis have not been observed for specific evidence of lactose intolerance yet are frequently fed a nonlactose formula. To determine whether such intervention is justified, 85 infants with mild acute gastroenteritis were followed prospectively. Infants were blindly and randomly assigned to 20 calorie/oz formula containing one of four carbohydrates: lactose, sucrose, polycose, or combined sucrose-polycose. Daily diaries were kept by parents, and patients were reexamined on days 2, 7, and 14 of the study. Evidence for rotavirus was detected in 23 infants, and five had bacterial pathogens. Symptoms resolved in most patients within 7 days, but five infants were subsequently hospitalized. Stool frequency, weight gain, and need for hospitalization did not differe significantly among the groups. Recovery from mild acute gastroenteritis occurred within 2 weeks irrespective of carbohydrate ingested.
Empiricistic Dualism: The Paradoxical Basis/Nemesis of Modern Physical Education

The philosophical groundwork of modern (naturalistic) physical education is based on the doctrines of dualism and empiricism—together, empiricistic dualism. Dualism has taught that the intellectual and physical aspects of our experience are qualitatively distinct substances. Empiricism has argued that all knowledge has its origin in, and takes the fundamental form of sensory experience, of experience rooted in bodily sensations. On first inspection, both dualism and empiricism give the impression of promoting a respectful regard for the body and its main expressions, including physical education. They tend to get physical education widely advocated and widely practiced. They do not, however, succeed in promoting a fully humanistic regard for physical education, and they thus prove ultimately unfavorable to its practice. Dualism stands in the way of a balanced interpretation of humanity's intellectual and physical parts; empiricism fails to account for the balanced contributions of reason and sense to huma...
Higher Molecular Weight Polyethylene Glycol Increases Cell Proliferation While Improving Barrier Function in an In Vitro Colon Cancer Model

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been previously shown to protect against enteric pathogens and prevent colon cancer invasion. To determine if PEG could indeed protect against previously observed pro-invasive effects of commensal E. coli and EPEC, Caco-2 cells grown in an in vitro model of colon cancer were infected with strains of human commensal E. coli or EPEC and treated with 10% PEG 3350, PEG 8000, and PEG 20,000, respectively. At 24 hours after infection, MMP-1 and MMP-13 activities, cell cluster thickness, depth of invasion, and proliferation were determined using standard molecular biology techniques and advanced imaging. We found that higher molecular weight PEG, especially PEG 8000 and 20,000, regardless of bacterial infection, increased proliferation and depth of invasion although a decrease in cellular density and MMP-1 activity was also noted. Maximum proliferation and depth of invasion of Caco-2 cells was observed in scaffolds treated with a combination of commensal E. coli strain, HS4 and PEG 8000. In conclusion, we found that PEG 8000 increased cell proliferation and led to the preservation of cell density in cells treated with commensal bacteria. This is important, because the preservation of a proliferative response in colon cancer results in a more chemo-responsive tumor.
Prophets on the Bus? The Transformation of Women Religious’s Self-Understanding since the Second Vatican Council

Although the documents of the Second Vatican Council never refer to religious life as prophetic, it has become more and more common since the Council for both official church statements and women religious themselves to do so. This essay examines this evolution in papal and curial documents, and among women religious in the United States and elsewhere, notably in Latin America, where the term seems first to have come into prominence. The implications of this development are considered, potential difficulties addressed, and helpful recent modifications noted.
A search for protein structural changes accompanying the contractile interaction.

Abstract It appears that small movements (detected hitherto only by fluorescence resonance energy transfer measurements and crosslinking studies) in a region of the myosin S-1 particle may mediate chemomechanical energy transduction in the contractile system. Here we find under conditions of high precision at 10 degrees C and 20 degrees C that ATP binding to S-1 causes small (0.4%) changes in CD signal, delta epsilon 222, as do temperature changes in the regime below 16 degrees C. ATP binding perturbs tryptophan residues that we now think are in the mobile region, and we find here that temperature affects tryptophan fluorescence in much the same way that it affects the CD signal, so we believe that the CD signal reports transduction-related movements in S-1. If S-1 is exposed to the range 16-30 degrees C, CD signal falls with temperature; ATP counteracts this fall. Analysis of vacuum-UV CD spectra yields 42% alpha-helix, 9% antiparallel beta-sheet, 7% parallel beta-sheet, 14% beta-turns, and 29% other structures.
Outstanding Debt and the Household Portfolio

This article examines the effect of household debt on investment decisions. We alter a simple portfolio choice model to allow households to retire outstanding debt and realize a risk-free rate of return equal to the interest rate on that debt. Using the Survey of Consumer Finances, we find that households with mortgage debt are 10% less likely to own stocks and 37% less likely to own bonds compared to similar households with no mortgage debt. We calculate the costs of nonoptimal investment in the presence of various forms of household debt. We find that 26% of households should forgo equity market participation on account of the high interest rates they pay on their debt. The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for Financial Studies. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org., Oxford University Press.
Role of angular electron pair correlation in stabilizing C 2−60

A pseudo-potential that was successfully employed in an earlier study by the Compton group is used to describe the binding of a single electron to a C60 molecule to form C60 . Then, the interaction of a second electron with the C60 anion is treated in two manners. First, as performed in the earlier Compton study, a mean-field (i.e., Hartree-Fock) approach is used to estimate the C60 -to-C60 energy difference for the singlet state of the dianion and, much as in the earlier study, this dianion is predicted to be unstable by 0.4 eV. Second, for this same singlet state, a configuration interaction wave function is employed that allows for the angular correlation of the two excess electrons, allowing them to avoid one another by moving on opposite sides of the C60 skeleton. The energy of the dianion is lowered by 0.3 eV when angular correlation is included, suggesting that the singlet dianion is unstable with respect to electron loss by only 0.1 eV. A Coulomb barrier (1 eV high) and angular momentum barriers then combine to trap electrons of singlet C60 from detaching, thus producing the very long observed lifetimes. In addition, the energy of the lowest triplet state of C60 is also discussed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem 106: 507-513, 2006
Accountability Steps for Highly Reluctant Speech: Tiered-Services Consultation in a Head Start Classroom.

This consultation description reports parent and teacher problem solving for a preschool child with no typical speech directed to teachers or peers, and, by parent report, normal speech at home. This child's initial pattern of speech was similar to selective mutism, a low-incidence disorder often first detected during the preschool years, but the parent and teachers were concerned about making a referral for diagnosis and treatment due to the child's age. Also the agency had accepted tiered services where Tier 1 included classroom interventions, including those that were teacher developed. The intervention was based on building practice opportunities and positive attention to establish typical patterns of classroom language. A single case accountability design with peer norms was used for progress monitoring. Results were positive for social interactions, multiword use, and opportunities to respond. Child approaches peer and child approaches teacher showed more variability but patterns were similar to typ...
Impact of El Chichon and Pinatubo on ozonesonde profiles in north extratropics

The impact of El Chichon and Pinatubo volcanic eruptions on ozonesonde-derived ozone values in 8-16, 16-24 and 24-32 km layers is estimated for north polar and temperate zones, and the north temperate regions of North America, Europe and Asia, by minimizing the influence of solar cycle and trend, and adjusting for the quasi-biennial variation in ozone by use of the superposed epoch method. Based on this procedure, in north temperate 8-16 and 16-24 km layers the impact of El Chichon is a significant 10% ozone decrease 3-4 seasons after eruption, the impact of Pinatubo a significant 15% ozone decrease 7 seasons after eruption. In the 24-32 km layer the respective ozone decreases are 2% and 5 %, the latter significant. In the north polar zone the ozone decreases following Pinatubo are a significant 20% and 10% in 8-16 and 16-24 km layers, but there are marginally significant ozone increases of 5% in the 24-32 km layer following both eruptions.
Monitoring Performance Across Sense Modes: An Individual Differences Approach

A number of previous investigations have reported relatively low correlations between performance measures across different sense modalities. It has been suggested that such low intertask correlations may have resulted from a failure to control for task difficulty. Attempts to control for task difficulty on a group basis have been unsuccessful as evidenced by the varied and often contradictory findings. The present investigation attempted to equate task difficulty across sense modes on an individual basis. The critical dimension for the detection task used in this investigation was stimulus duration. For each subject, stimulus durations were obtained for both visual and auditory presentation which resulted in similar detection rates and were then used as signals in a later monitoring task. All subjects performed the monitoring task under three conditions: (1) visual presentation only, (2) auditory presentation only, and (3) simultaneous auditory-visual presentation. Measures included correct detections, f...
Labor Supply, Labor Demand, and Men's Underemployment in Rural and Urban Labor Markets1

This paper examines how the structure of the labor market differentially affects white men's underemployment in urban and rural areas. The effects of labor supply and demand, including special measures of public employment and two previously neglected aspects of competition—global industrial competition and sexual labor market competition—on unemployment, low-wage employment, and low-hours employment are examined. A higher proportion of females in the labor force in rural labor market areas provides benefits to men in the form of lower unemployment, but also costs them, through an increased prevalence of low-wage employment, while the opposite effects are evident for areas with concentrations in periphery service industries. The findings suggest that industrial restructuring in the form of increased foreign competition and an increased loss of core transformative jobs are especially threatening to rural men's employment adequacy.
A numerical study of the stability of thermohaline convection in a rectangular box containing a porous medium

Abstract The finite element method is used to study double diffusive convection in a rectangular box containing a porous medium. The porous medium is described by means of the Darcy-Brinkman model. The problem solved is the Benard problem in the box. It is found that the stability of the flow is dependent on a combination of thermal Rayleigh number, buoyancy ratio, and Lewis number. This combination for the onset of cellular motion can be written as Ra (1+ N.Le )=4π π 2 . This criterion holds for all combinations of Ra, N, and Le whether the thermal and solutal gradients are aiding or opposing each other. Numerical results are presented in the form of flow, temperature, and concentration fields and average Nusselt and Sherwood numbers.
Absence of Hyperresponsiveness to Methacholine in a Worker with Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate (MDI)-lnduced Asthma

A 29-year-old man had a persuasive history of respiratory illness following exposures to methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). He was evaluated by measuring bronchial reactivity to methacholine, both before and after controlled laboratory exposures to MDI. Despite evidence of progressive declines in FEV1 with increasing (but subirritant) doses of MDI on three consecutive days, there was no bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine, before or after MDI challenge. We conclude that the absence of nonspecific bronchial hyperresponsiveness does not exclude the possibility of isocyanate asthma. In the face of a compelling history, a negative result of methacholine challenge should not deter observation or laboratory testing for specific respiratory allergy to these chemicals.
A formal approach to the analysis of priorities of imprecise conflicting requirements

Priority analysis is one of the most important issues in the trade-off analysis of imprecise conflicting requirements whose elasticity is captured using fuzzy logic. Requirement analysts need to know not only the relative ordering of requirements based on their importance but also how much one requirement is more important than another requirement in order to achieve an effective trade-off. This paper presents a formal approach for reasoning about relative priority by analysing a customer's trade-off preference among imprecise conflicting requirements. A possibilistic reasoning framework for inferring relative priority from case analysis under uncertainty is also developed.
The spliceosome, a potential Achilles heel of MYC-driven tumors

Alterations in RNA splicing are frequent in human tumors. Two recent studies of lymphoma and breast cancer have identified components of the spliceosome — the core splicing machinery — that are essential for malignant transformation driven by the transcription factor MYC. These findings provide a direct link between MYC and RNA splicing deregulation, and raise the exciting possibility of targeting spliceosome components in MYC-driven tumors.
Calcium release from skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum: site of action of dantrolene sodium

The muscle relaxant dantrolene sodium acts directly and specifically on skeletal muscle, unlike other pharmacological agents which affect the central nervous system or act at the nueromuscular junction. Dantrolene sodium markedly suppresses the release of calcium previously sequestered by skeletal, but not cardiac, muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum. No effect in the total amount of calcium accumulated was found. In situ, the drug may reduce the amount of calcium necessary for muscle contraction.
It's a global economy out there: usability Innovation for global marketplaces

We describe a workshop for usability researchers to share information about international and intercultural research methods.
Data envelopment analysis in the presence of measurement error: case study from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators® (NDNQI®)

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is the most commonly used approach for evaluating healthcare efficiency (Hollingsworth, 2008), but a long-standing concern is that DEA assumes that data are measured without error. This is quite unlikely, and DEA and other efficiency analysis techniques may yield biased efficiency estimates if it is not realized (Gajewski, Lee, Bott, Piamjariyakul and Taunton, 2009; Ruggiero, 2004). We propose to address measurement error systematically using a Bayesian method (Bayesian DEA). We will apply Bayesian DEA to data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators® (NDNQI®) to estimate nursing units' efficiency. Several external reliability studies inform the posterior distribution of the measurement error on the DEA variables. We will discuss the case of generalizing the approach to situations where an external reliability study is not feasible.
Discrete-time systems on manifolds

It is desirable that the numerically computed trajectories for a continuous-time system should satisfy any known conservation laws for that system and stay on required constraint hypersurfaces. Time-discretizations with such properties are obtained by extending the midpoint method and the telescoping-sum method of Greenspan. >
Regional differences in intelligence and economic activity: A brief note

Abstract Because intelligence predicts economic success at the individual level, the present study explored at the aggregate level whether the average IQ of residents of the American states was associated with the positive economic performance of the states (the growth in the gross state product per capita) and with negative economic behavior (foreclosure rates and credit card debt). States whose residents had higher estimated intelligence, based on standardized tests given to students in the states, had better economic performance, with higher per capita income, stronger growth in gross state product per capita, lower unemployment rates, lower foreclosure rates during the recent economic crisis, and lower credit card debt. The implication of these results is that improving intellectual functioning might improve state (and national) economic performance.
Contributions of Current Research to Algal Systematics

It is fitting, and a compliment to phycologists, that this symposium is not entitled “Man and Algae”—those organisms which today represent the most venerable of all chlorophyll-bearing life on earth. Algae are certainly here to stay and of course we are less sure about Man, so it is appropriate that emphasis be placed on algae and that we think of what these plants mean to Man, this marauding upstart on the biological scene.