cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Stabilization of immiscible polymer blends using structure directing metal organic frameworks (MOFs)

Abstract We have developed a novel approach for compatibilizing immiscible polymer blends using metal organic frameworks (MOFs). For the first time we demonstrated that the droplet diameter of the dispersed phase in a 1:1 immiscible polymer blend composed of 6FDA-DAM:DABA [copolymer of 4,4-hexafluoroisopropylidene diphthalic anhydride (6FDA), 2,4,6-trimethyl-1,3-phenylenediamine and 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid (DABA)], and polybenzimidazole (PBI), is dramatically reduced obtaining a uniform microstructure with the incorporation of as low as 5% (w/w) of the zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). This indicates a large improvement in the compatibility of the immiscible polymers with the inclusion of ZIF-8. As the ZIF-8 loading was further increased to 10% (w/w), the droplet diameter further decreased resulting in even higher compatibility. The compatibilizing effect can be attributed to a reduction in the interfacial energy of the immiscible polymers due to the interfacial localization of ZIF-8. This MOF based compatibilization of immiscible polymer blends can open up opportunities for the combination of different properties of polymers in membrane-based separations and in more applications.
Lead sources to California sea otters: industrial inputs circumvent natural lead biodepletion mechanisms.

Lead levels (as Pb/Ca atom ratios) and stable isotopic compositions were measured in teeth of preindustrial and contemporary California sea otters (Enhydra lutris) to determine if postindustrial changes had occurred in the magnitude and source of accumulated lead. Lead/calcium atom ratios (x¯ ± SD) in teeth of some contemporary animals (110 ± 37 × 10−8, n = 3) were significantly elevated compared to levels in other contemporary (13 ± 6.0 × 10−8, n = 4) and preindustrial (7.3 ± 3.9 × 10−8, n = 6) otters. The isotopic ratios (x¯ ± 2σx¯) revealed a change in the sources of accumulated leads, from natural continental-derived leads in the preindustrial animals (207Pb/206Pb = 0.820 ± 0.002) to industrial sources dominated by aerosol leads in the contemporary otters (207Pb/206Pb = 0.836 ± 0.003). The one exception was a contemporary Monterey Bay animal (207Pb/206Pb = 0.853), who contained lead derived from an industrial waste lead deposit in Monterey Harbor. These data establish distinguishable sources of lead assimilated by sea otters, and indicate that elevated exposures to some animals circumvented the natural biodepletion of lead through marine trophic pathways.
Antigenic relationships between lens, epidermis and other bovine tissues.

Abstract A rabbit antiserum was prepared against a lens fraction which constituted 20% of the soluble bovine lens protein. Immunoelectrophoresis demonstrated that the antiserum formed numerous precipitin arcs against lens, none against serum, a single characteristic arc against erythrocyte hemolysate, and at least five against epidermis. The results of an immunoelectrophoretic survey of soluble cross reacting antigenic determinants between lens and other bovine organs are enumerated. Osserman immunoelectrophoretic identity reactions were conducted between epidermal antigens resolved by electrophoresis, and those of various tissues. In addition to at least two obvious identity reactions in several tissues, a tentative one is defined as a change in shape of an epidermal arc. These conclusions are supported by treatment of lens antisera with kidney and liver powders, which indicate that some of the determinants contained in the epidermis cross react with those of the two powders. The advantage of using the identity reaction, in conjunction with absorption studies, to establish the immunologic identity or nonidentity of antigens in two tissues is discussed.
Trap State Dynamics in MoS2 Nanoclusters

The trap-to-trap relaxation and recombination dynamics of photogenerated electron/hole pairs in MoS2 nanoclusters have been studied. Static and time-resolved emission experiments have been performed on 3.0 and 4.5 nm diameter nanoclusters in ternary inverse micelles, acetonitrile, and octane at room temperature and at 20 K. The results indicate that, following synthesis in ternary inverse micelles, the nanoclusters have both shallow and deep traps. The deep traps are retained upon extraction into acetonitrile and passivated upon charge neutralization and reextraction into octane. The emission kinetics show that trap-to-trap relaxation is fast (<40 ps) at room temperature and slows (∼200 ps) at 20 K. A distributed kinetics model is presented that quantitatively describes electron/hole recombination. The trapped electron Bohr radius is found to be 2.0−2.5 nm in all cases. Charge neutralization and reextraction into octane passivates both the deep and the shallow traps on some nanoclusters, resulting in indi...
Rapid evaluation of algal and cyanobacterial activities through specific oxygen production rate measurement

Abstract Extant respirometry enables rapid determination of sludge decay coefficients and chemical biodegradability in wastewater treatment systems. This study extends its use to phototrophic systems to determine phototrophic decay rate and photosynthetic activity through the measurements of specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR) and specific oxygen production rate (SOPR), respectively. With a sufficient CO 2 supply (4.0 mM of NaHCO 3 ) and pH control (from 7 to 8) at the light intensity of 50 ± 5 μmol m −2 s −1 and the temperature of 23 ± 1 °C, the specific growth rates of cyanobacteria ( Microcystis aeruginosa ) and green algae ( Chlorella vulgaris ) were 0.92 ± 0.11 and 0.79 ± 0.14 d −1 , respectively. The decay coefficients of M. aeruginosa and C. vulgaris were 0.08 ± 0.04 and 0.08 ± 0.03 d −1 , respectively. Compared to batch phototrophic growth studies that often last longer than 10 days, the proposed SOPR measurement enables rapid determination of algal/cyanobacterial growth kinetics within minutes and is capable of determining phototrophic growth under different environmental and stress conditions (e.g., pH, nitrogen sources, chemical and metal exposure). As demonstrated here, ammonium was a preferred nitrogen source for the growth of M. aeruginosa and C. vulgaris because reducing power (energy) is needed to convert nitrate to ammonium before nitrogen uptake by the phototrophs. M. aeruginosa was more susceptible than C. vulgaris to inhibition by heavy metal copper. At the concentration of 10 mg Cu 2+ /L, cupric ions had no effect on algal growth but inhibited cyanobacterial growth by 66.4%.
Peripheral Levels of Estrogen in the PMS-Primed Cycling Hamster

Cycling hamsters injected with selected doses of PMS displayed a dose—response relationship in the number of eggs ovulated. Cycle length was unchanged following a single injection of 5 to 30 IU PMS on day 1 of the cycle, but was prolonged to 5 days on the injection of 60 IU PMS. All doses of PMS increased peripheral E1 and E2 above levels normally found in untreated cycling hamsters. With 30 IU PMS there was about a 4–fold increase in E1 levels and about a ten—fold increase in E2. Estrogen (E1 and E2) levels returned to control values in the 5 and 10 IU PMStreated groups by proestrus (day 4), but remained elevated in the IS and 30 IU treated groups. (Endocrinology 92: 1547, 1973)
Cost Optimization of Net-Zero Energy House

Environmental and resource limitations provide increased motivation for design of net-zero energy or net-zero CO2 buildings. The optimum building design will have the lowest lifecycle cost. This paper describes a method of performing and comparing lifecycle costs for standard, CO2 -neutral and net-zero energy buildings. Costs of source energy are calculated based on the cost of photovoltaic systems, tradable renewable certificates, CO2 credits and conventional energy. Building energy simulation is used to determine building energy use. A case study is conducted on a proposed net-zero energy house. The paper identifies the least-cost net-zero energy house, the least-cost CO2 neutral house, and the overall least-cost house. The methodology can be generalized to different climates and buildings. The method and results may be of interest to builders, developers, city planners, or organizations managing multiple buildings.© 2007 ASME
Huaca Dos Cabezas

Huaca Dos Cabezas is an enormous Moche structure on the north coast of Peru. Although it was heavily eroded by both wind and water after its abandonment ca. 650 C.E., and was extensively damaged by massive looting that took place during the early Colonial Period, archaeological and iconographic evidence make it possible to reconstruct its size, form, exterior ornamentation, and summit access. It is also possible to identify changes that resulted from three successive phases of its construction. The structure has several unusual features, including a pyramid with zigzag corners, double stairways providing access to the pyramid's summit, and a black and white diamond pattern on its exterior surfaces. After the Inca conquered the north coast ca. 1470 C.E., a small shrine was built at Huaca Dos Cabezas. Although the large-scale looting that occurred during the early Colonial Period destroyed and buried the shrine, the looting does not appear to have yielded any significant treasure.
Improved survival after donor pretreatment with anti-lymphoblast globulin (ALG) in perfused kidneys: experimental findings.

Although donor pretreatment has been utilized both experimentally and clinically, its role in conjunction with subsequent hypothermic pulsatile perfusion of renal allografts prior to transplantation has not been clearly defined. This study tests two modes of donor pretreatment and their compatibility with perfusion. Donor dogs were either (1) untreated, (2) pretreated with cyclophosphamide (CY) and methylprednisolone (MP), or (3) pretreated with equine anti-canine antilymphoblast globulin (ALG). Survival and rejection of perfused and nonperfused kidney allografts were compared in an unrelated mongrel dog population using CY and MP or ALG donor pretreatment. Results indicate that the beneficial effects of donor pretreatment with CY and MP are abrogated when kidneys are perfused for 24 hr prior to transplantation (CY + MP, nonperfused, survival = 17.23 ± 4.75, CY + MP, perfused 24 hr, survival = 12.83 ± 3.94 days). Dogs receiving kidneys from donors pretreated with ALG in conjunction with 24-hr pulsatile perfusion, however, demonstrated prolonged renal allograft survival (24.20 ± 10.46 days) (nonpretreated controls, survival = 12.60 ± 3.79 days) (P < 0.001), and the onset of rejection was also significantly delayed (ALG + 24-hr perfusion, graft rejection = 17.87 ± 7.72 days) (non-pretreated controls, graft rejection = 7.87 ± 2.59 days) (P < 0.001). Donor pretreatment of renal allografts with ALG, therefore, appears to be an attractive modality for reduction of graft immunogenicity when perfusion is also utilized prior to transplant.
Effect of double-stranded RNAs from Sindbis virus-infected cells on rabbit reticulocyte and chick embryo cell-free protein synthesis.

Abstract 1. Cell-free polypeptide synthesis in rabbit reticulocyte lysates was inhibited by extracts of Sindbis virus-infected cells and double-stranded RNAs which accumulate in Sindbis-infected cells. 2. All species of double-stranded RNA isolated from Sindbis-infected cells were found to have the same inhibitory ability, and caused significant inhibition at concentrations as low as 1 · 10−10–1 · 10−11 g/ml. 3. Cell-free polypeptide synthesis in chick embryo lysates was insensitive to Sindbis-infected cell extracts, double-stranded RNA isolated from Sindbis-infected cells, and a synthetic double-stranded polymer, poly(rI)-poly(rC), at all concentrations tested. The chick embryo cell-free extracts appeared to initiate polypeptide synthesis in vitro, since incorporation of 3H-labeled amino acids into acid-precipitable polypeptides by these extracts was inhibited by aurintricarboxylic acid (8 · 10−5 M) and pactamycin (5 · 10−7 and 10−6 M). 4. Poly(U)-directed reticulocyte and chick embryo lysates at high Mg2+ concentrations were insensitive to inhibition by double-stranded RNA at all concentrations tested.
Linking Theory and Practice: The Use of Ethnographic Methodology by Prospective Teachers.

During the last decade increasing numbers of professors and graduate students of education have engaged in ethnographic research. At best, undergraduate students in teacher education programs have been assigned to read a selection of the results of this research. This paper argues that undergraduates themselves should be given an opportunity to conduct ethnographic research as part of their teacher training experience. The rationale for this suggestion, as well as several potential benefits associated with it, are discussed. The authors also provide specific etail of their own still‐evolving adoption of this strategy.
Optimal fishery policy with artificial enhancement through stocking: California's white sturgeon as an example

Abstract Although optimal fishery policy has been derived from different kinds of economic and biological models, the interaction of fishing policy with artificial stocking policy has not been explicitly considered. We here determine optimal size limits, fishing effort, and stocking rate for three cases of interest: (1) recruitment-limited population, pre-recruitment stocking; (2) adult biomass-limited population, post-recruitment stocking; and (3) adult biomass-limited and recruitment-limited population, post-recruitment stocking. Results show that lower size limits should be set at the size at which the current market value exceeds the total future value of an individual, both to the fishery and to reproduction. Imposition of upper size limits is rarely optimal. Stocking is advisable when the hatchery cost times the relative contribution of stocking to recruitment is less than the contribution to the value of the catch. Optimal policy ranges from infinite effort at a specific size limit with maximum stocking when the cost of stocking is zero, to lower values of size limit and effort as stocking costs increase, the amount of stocking decreases, and more natural reproduction is optimal. Thus, as hatchery costs decline (or value of captured fish increases), optimal stocking/fishery policy varies from an unstocked fishery to a “put and take” fishery. The results are applied to the sturgeon fishery in the San Francisco Bay Estuary as an example. They imply that a reduced lower size limit and greater fishing mortality together with stocking would be optimal, but that current levels are conservative. The stocking decision depends critically on the values of parameters that are currently poorly known, such as: hatchery costs, survival to the fishery and the mechanisms controlling the sturgeon population.
Global ICRF wave propagation in edge plasma and Faraday shield regions

The global wave propagation code ORION is extended to include a non-zero component of the wave electric field parallel to . With the inclusion of E||, it is possible to calculate the detailed structure of wave fields in the low density plasma immediately surrounding the antenna and Faraday shield structure. Artificial absorbers on the plasma side of the antenna simulate a boundary condition for outgoing waves. Surface charge induced on the Faraday shield elements causes enhanced parallel electric fields in the gaps between the shield elements. Numerical surveys show the parametric dependence of E|| on the average rotational transform, edge density and wave number.
Electron Microscopic Localization of Virions in Developing Teeth of Young Hamsters Infected With Minute Virus of Mice

Virus particles were detected within the nuclei and cytoplasm of odontogenic cells in the developing teeth of young hamsters infected with a small DNA virus (MVM). Disturbances of normal cytodifferentiation and organogenesis occurred as a result of viral multiplication. Virions were also observed in dense lysosome-like bodies of activated monocytes within the periodontal ligament and adjacent connective tissues. Fibrolytic and osteolytic lesions in the periodontal ligament and adjacent alveolar bone were associated with the inflammatory cell infiltrate.
Salicylate-induced changes in cat auditory nerve activity

The purpose of this study was to measure, in the cat, spontaneous auditory nerve (AN) activity before and after injection with sodium salicylate. Ten cats were anesthetized, and the AN and round window (RW) were surgically exposed. Electrodes were applied to allow recording from three channels, including bipolar electrodes and monopolar electrodes located directly on the auditory nerve, in addition to an RW electrode. Spectral averaging of the spontaneous activity was performed before and during salicylate treatment. An increase in spectral activity near 200 Hz was noted in all cats by 3 hours after salicylate injection. This activity was present in bipolar, monopolar, and RW records, and was temporarily diminished or eliminated by injection of lidocaine. No such spectral changes were found in saline-injected control animals. These results show promise of developing a noninvasive, objective, quantitative measure of tinnitus for studies in animals and in man.
The Court Versus Consent Decrees? Schools, Horne v. Flores and Judicial Strategies of Institutional Reform Litigation

Is the U.S. Supreme Court inviting litigants to take aim at unraveling injunctions in institutional reform litigation—especially consent decrees in the schools? In Horne v. Flores (2009), the court remanded a 17-year-old school reform case to a federal judge with orders to look beyond consent decrees on financing, reducing class sizes, and moving from bilingual education to structured English immersion—to look anew at whether the schools in Nogales, Arizona, provide equal opportunity. Those concerned with schools worry that the court has signaled the end of institutional reform litigation in the schools. However, we closely analyze these dense opinions and data tables to posit the court’s preference for a catalytic judicial strategy that may work best with institutional reform litigation. We place this analysis within a larger context of empirical studies of institutional reform litigation judicial strategies, including judicial roles of deferrer, director, broker, and catalyst. We also argue that these p...
A systematic framework for the development and analysis of signed digraphs for chemical processes. 2. Control loops and flowsheet analysis

The objectives of this part of the two part paper are (i) development of signed digraph (SDG) models for control loops and (ii) discussion of a framework for application of graph-based approaches at a flowsheet level. Further, two case studies are used to explain the methods developed in part 11 (Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2003, 42, in press) and this paper. The first case study (continuous stirred tank reactor case study) explains the basic concepts of the generate and test method for SDG analysis, generation of redundant equations using algebraic manipulation, and analysis of systems with a single control loop. Case study 2 (flash vaporizer case study) deals with different methods of generating redundant equations and the analysis of systems with multiple interacting control loops.
Bilateral acute pyogenic conjunctivitis with iritis induced by unilateral topical application of bacterial peptidoglycan muramyl dipeptide in adult rabbits.

The factors responsible for the conjunctivitis and iritis associated with acute ocular infection and post enteric inflammatory disease are not fully known. The pro-inflammatory activity of unilateral topical application of muramyl dipeptide (MDP; the smallest bio-active Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial cell wall component) was investigated in adult rabbits. The resultant bilateral conjunctivitis/iritis and pyogenic responses were characterized. Bilateral symptoms were graded by slit lamp examinations; tear fluid, Schirmer tests (tear production), blood and aqueous humor (AH) samples were obtained from MDP-treated and untreated rabbits. MDP concentration, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase activity (GGT; key enzyme in glutathione recapture, xenobiotic detoxification, eicosanoid synthesis and neutrophil function), protein concentration, and tear cell density, cytology, and immunofluorescent antibody reactivity to GGT and calreticulin (CRT; MDP-binding protein) were determined. MDP was cleared from ipsilateral tears and serum by 6 h, but was undetected in mock-treated contralateral tears. Bilateral signs of acute transient pyogenic conjunctivitis, characterized by tearing, lid edema, conjunctival hyperemia, chemosis and leukocytic infiltrate with iritis (erythema and aqueous flare) were detected. Milder symptoms occurred in the mock-treated contralateral eyes. Bilateral symptoms, tear production, tear protein, GGT activity, and mucopurulent discharge (containing up to 2.5–5.0 × 106 cells/mL) were elevated 4–8 h post MDP and resolved to near pre-treatment levels by 24 h. Tear GGT activity and protein levels were higher in MDP-treated and mock-treated contralateral eyes than in eyes of untreated adult rabbits (p's < 0.001). Elevated tear GGT activity was associated with histopathology and increased vascular and epithelial permeability to serum protein, GGT-positive epithelia cells, macrophages and heterophils. Repeat MDP applications induced recurrent induction and resolution patterns of bilateral conjunctivitis/iritis and tear GGT activity, but ipsilateral GGT responses were lower. The results suggest unilateral topical MDP application to adult rabbit eyes induces a bilateral acute pyogenic conjunctivitis/iritis (PCI) characterized by increased vascular and epithelial permeability similar to acute bacterial conjunctivitis in man. The detection of CRT/GGT positive heterophils in tears suggests efferocytosis (phagocytosis of dead/dying cells). Tear GGT activity may be a useful means to quantify MDP-induced toxicity and extraocular inflammation.
Membrane-initiated steroid actions and the proteins that mediate them.

Membrane-initiated or nongenomic activities of steroids contribute to the effects of steroids on a wide variety of target organs, including those with low receptor numbers, recently discovered due to the increased sensitivity of new measurement techniques. Membrane-initiated responses are the cell's rapid and first response to steroids. The responses that emanate from the membrane can have direct functional consequences, such as secretion of other peptide hormones or rapid behavioral changes. Other rapid responses are prerequisites for subsequent genomic re- sponses. The wide variety of signal transduction schemes employed by various tis- sues and hormones are summarized and discussed in terms of the identity of proteins that mediate these responses. Probable mixed binding systems for steroids in plasma membranes are compared to similar multiple hormone-binding protein systems in extracellular fluids and inside cells. These issues are related to steroid-dependent tumor growth, developmental and therapeutic apoptosis, and the actions of endocrine disrupters. The integration of membrane-initiated effects with genomic mechanisms results in the complete cellular response to steroids. (P.S.E.B.M. 1999, Vol 2201
Experimental observation of scarred eigenfunctions of chaotic microwave cavities.

The wave functions of Sinai-billiard-shaped microwave cavities are experimentally studied. Some of the general features observed are parity breaking in the lowest eigenstates, ``bouncing-ball'' states, and states with quasirectangular or quasicircular symmetry. The above features are associated with nonisolated periodic orbits. Some states are observed which can be associated with isolated periodic orbits, leading to scars. This work represents the first direct experimental observation of scarred eigenfunctions. At high frequencies the eigenfunctions are very complex, and are yet to be classified in a general scheme.
Nitric oxide and heat shock protein 90 co-regulate temperature-induced bleaching in the soft coral Eunicea fusca

Coral bleaching represents a complex physiological process that is affected not only by environmental conditions but by the dynamic internal cellular biology of symbiotic dinoflagellates (Symbiodinium spp.) and their cnidarian hosts. Recently, nitric oxide (NO) has emerged as a key molecule involved with the expulsion of Symbiodinium from host cnidarian cells. However, the site of production remains under debate, and the corresponding signaling pathways within and between host and endosymbiont remain elusive. In this study, using freshly isolated Symbiodinium from the soft coral Eunicea fusca, I demonstrate that thermally induced stress causes an upregulation in Symbiodinium heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). In turn, Hsp90 shows a concomitant ability to enhance the activity of a constitutively expressed isoform of NO synthase. The resulting production of NO constitutes a signaling molecule capable of inducing Symbiodinium expulsion. Using nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and Hsp90 polyclonal antibodies, thermal stress-induced Hsp90 was shown to co-immunoprecipitate with a constitutive isoform of NOS. The specific blocking of Hsp90 activity, with the Hsp90 inhibitor geldanamycin, was capable of inhibiting NO production implicating the involvement of a coordinated regulatory system. These results have strong evolutionary implications for Hsp90–NOS chaperone complexes among biological kingdoms and provide evidence for a new functional role in symbiotic associations.
From Bridges to Trading Zones in Organizational Culture and Institutional Research

Scholarship on organizational culture and institutional analysis differ in their intellectual origins, modal research methods, and mechanisms explaining stability and change. At the same time, thes...
Synthesis of 1-Phenyl-2-(phenylcarbamoyl) pyrazolidines as Potential Anticonvulsant Agents

Twelve 1-phenyl-2-(phenylcarbamoyl)pyrazolidines were synthesized from 1-arylpyrazolidines and aryl isocyanates. These adducts showed little anticonvulsant activity in the maximal electroshock seizure and pentylenetetrazol seizure assays.
Estimating aircraft SAR response characteristics and ocean wave spectra in the Labrador Sea Extreme waves Experiment

The Labrador Extreme Waves Experiment (LEWEX) was an international effort to assess methods of measuring and modeling the directional aspects of wind-generated ocean waves, especially their evolution in the presence of rapidly turning winds. The author describes data-processing methods that have been developed to derive estimates of two-dimensional wave height-variance spectra from the ocean imagery obtained in LEWEX by a C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system aboard a Canadian CV-580 aircraft. SAR spectra at altitudes of 20000 and 12000 ft are compared for both large ( approximately 50 degrees ) and small ( approximately 25 degrees ) radar look angles. Independence spectral estimates from both a surface contour radar and a radar ocean wave spectrometer aboard a NASA aircraft are used to verify the surface wave spectrum. >
The Pituitary Axis

Pituitary disease manifests itself with a variety of different signs and symptoms, any of which can be the impetus for the patient to seek help. Disease may come to attention because of growth retardation in youth, amenorrhea, visual disturbances, headache, other evidence of hormone deficiencies, or even emotional symptoms. Pituitary disease may be related to tumors of various types or to defects of hypothalamic stimulation. Because the pituitary is made up of different cell types, many of which are associated with the secretion of specific hormones, the types of diseases and related symptoms are dependent on how hypothalamic function is disrupted. In the case of a tumor, symptoms depend on the nature, location, and treatment of the mass.
Effect of a change of perfusion on exit of nitrogen and oxygen from gas pockets

Abstract Rates of exit of O 2 and N 2 from subcutaneous gas pockets in rats were measured while tissue blood flow was elevated due to injections of cobalt chloride. Exit rate of N 2 doubled whereas O 2 exit rate changed only slightly. Blood flow was estimated to have increased fourfold. These findings are in accordance with theoretical predictions that inert gas uptake is proportional to the square root of perfusion rate but that O 2 uptake depends on local metabolic rate and is independent of perfusion. Comparison of O 2 and N 2 exit rates allows estimation of the diffusion limitation of tissue-to-blood exchange. For N 2 , blood appears to come only 50 to 75% of the way to equilibrium as it passes through capillaries of the tissue around the gas pocket.
The Neoliberal Era and the Financial Crisis in the Light of SSA Theory

Social structure of accumulation (SSA) theory suggests that economic growth in capitalist countries is characterized by lengthy periods of relatively vigorous growth, often amounting to several dec...
Thoughts about the abnormalities in the electrocardiogram of patients with acute myocardial infarction with emphasis on a more accurate method of interpreting S-T segment displacement: part II.

The QRS, S-T, and T wave abnormalities produced by the usual myocardial infarction are discussed in Part I of this manuscript. The recent guidelines supplied by the ACC/AHA Practice Guidelines divide primary S-T segment displacement into S-T segment elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non S-T segment elevated myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Accordingly, the electrophysiologic mechanisms responsible for epicardial and subendocardial injury that produce the S-T segment abnormalities are discussed in this manuscript. In this regard, the author suggests that the Grant method of interpreting the 12 lead electrocardiogram, which uses basic principles and vector concepts, is a more accurate method of identifying epicardial injury and subendocardial injury than memorizing the rules provided by the guidelines. An electrocardiogram is shown to illustrate this point. In Addition, the author expresses his personal view that labeling an electrocardiogram as NSTEMI but not stating what is actually present in the tracing is a cumbersome method of communication. The author believes it is better communication to state what is present rather than to state what is not present. At best, the result of both assessments should be stated in the interpretation. Part II of the manuscript is devoted to a discussion as to why treatment with thrombolytic or percutaneous coronary intervention is more effective in patients whose electrocardiograms reveal epicardial injury than it is in patients whose electrocardiograms reveal subendocardial injury or no injury.
Enhanced versus Passive Mutual Fund Indexing: Has DFA Outperformed Vanguard by Enough to Justify Its Advisor and Transaction Fees?

Passive and enhanced index funds are two important options for investors. Vanguard is the largest provider of passive indexed funds, and DFA is one of the major providers of enhanced indexed funds, with uniquely close ties to academic financial research and an illustrious board of directors. Vanguard has low fees and investors can buy Vanguard funds directly. DFA’s fees are higher and one can invest in DFA funds only through an advisor, who charges for the service. Moreover, one must pay transaction fees to a custodian. We ask whether DFA has outperformed Vanguard by enough to justify the additional fees.
Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease: pathogenic mechanisms and insights into the roles of proteolipid protein 1 in the nervous system.

After over 50 years of study, a clear understanding of the biological roles of proteolipid protein 1 (PLP1) is lacking [1]. The PLP1 gene encodes two major products, PLP1 itself, and DM20, encoded by an alternatively spliced transcript, that lacks 35 residues from the cytoplasmic domain of PLP1. PLP1 comprises about half the protein mass of central nervous system myelin. PLP1 is also present in the peripheral nervous system, however it constitutes only a small fraction of myelin protein. PLP1 is a highly hydrophobic transmembrane protein. In addition to a high content of hydrophobic amino acids, PLP1 is anchored to the lipid bilayer by fatty acylation of several cysteine residues. DM20 is present at about 10% of the level of PLP1 in the CNS while in the PNS it is present at approximately equivalent amounts [2]. Because of its abundance in CNS myelin, PLP1 has generally been thought of as an important structural protein. Mutations of the PLP1 gene cause a broad range of clinical phenotypes that affect the central nervous system and, in some instances, the peripheral nervous system as well [3,4]. Analysis of the consequences of these mutations offers glimpses into the functions of PLP1, the most abundant protein in CNS myelin, as well as into the cellular effects of abnormalities in PLP1. Null mutations are the most informative for inferring the normal biological functions of a gene product. Belying its abundance in normal CNS myelin, complete lack of PLP1 and DM20 results in a surprisingly mild phenotype in both mice and in humans. Griffiths et al. [5] found that Plp1 knockout mice behave normally until about 15 months of age, when they develop progressive extremity weakness. Early myelination
Inattentive behavior after traumatic brain injury

Clinicians and families report that traumatic brain injury results in a variety of attention deficits. Numerous laboratory studies have documented slowing of information processing, alteration in event-related potentials, or difficulty attending to specific relevant task dimensions in the presence of redundant information. However, little is known about how these information processing abnormalities relate to observable behaviors in daily living or work environments, which presumably form the basis for clinicians' and families' reports. We developed a quantitative assessment of behavioral inattentiveness in both quiet and distracting environments, and demonstrated excellent interrater reliability. Using this assessment, we have studied 20 patients with recent traumatic brain injury and 20 demographically comparable control subjects. We have confirmed marked differences in behavioral attentiveness between patients and controls in both distracting and nondistracting environments.
End-user programming to support classroom activities on small devices

We believe it is unreasonable to assume that all students will own a laptop. One potential solution is to depend on the students to bring whatever computing devices (cell phones, portable gaming devices, etc.) that they already own to class. This leaves a unique challenge for teachers both in creating activities that work across a wide set of devices with different input modalities and in interpreting the responses to these activities. We seek to explore an end-user programming solution for teachers to abstractly define an activity for use over a diverse set of devices - allowing for easy distribution and aggregation of the resulting responses.
Recovery of Self-Reported Functional Capacity After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Study objectives: This study was conducted to determine the effects of age, gender, comorbid conditions, and exercise on the recovery of self-reported functional capacity after coronary artery surgery, and to identify predictors of 1-year functional capacity. Patients: One hundred ninety-eight patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Measurements and results: Self-reported functional capacity was evaluated before surgery, and 3 months and 1 year postoperatively using the Veterans Specific Activity Questionnaire (VSAQ). Patients were classified into groups based on age, gender, comorbid conditions, and postoperative exercise. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to determine if groups differed with respect to functional capacity recovery and multiple linear regression was used to identify predictors of 1-year VSAQ score. A significant time by age interaction was found (p = 0.0001), with a more protracted recovery for older patients. There were significant group effects for gender (p = 0.0001), and presence of comorbid conditions (p = 0.0009); however, there were no time/group interactions for these variables. A significant group effect was found for postoperative exercise (p = 0.0001), with a trend toward group/time interaction (p = 0.096). Predictors of 1-year functional capacity were VSAQ score in the year prior to surgery and performance of regular aerobic exercise in the postoperative period. Conclusions: This study suggests that older patients attain good self-reported functional outcomes after surgery; however, the time course for recovery is more protracted than for younger patients. Functional capacity in the year prior to surgery and postoperative exercise are key predictors of 1-year functional capacity.
Civic Education in Post-Apartheid South Africa: Alternative Paths to the Development of Political Knowledge and Democratic Values

Despite the proliferation of civic education programs in the emerging democracies of Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe, there have been few recent evaluations of the effectiveness of civics instruction in achieving changes in democratic orientations among student populations. We present findings from a study conducted in 1998 that examined the impact of democratic civic education among South African high school students. Using a battery of items to gauge democratic orientations, including measures of political knowledge, civic duty, tolerance, institutional trust, civic skills, and approval of legal forms of political participation, we find that civic education had the largest effects on political knowledge, with the magnitude of the effect being approximately twice as large as the recent Niemi and Junn (1998) finding for the United States. Exposure to civic education per se had weaker effects on democratic values and skills; for these orientations, what matters are specific factors related to the quality of instruction and the use of active pedagogical methods employed by civics instructors. Further, we find that civic education changed the structure of students’ orientations: a “democratic values” dimension coalesces more strongly, and in greater distinction, from a “political competence” dimension among students exposed to civic education than among those with no such training. We discuss the implications of the findings for our theoretical understanding of the role of civic education in fostering democratic attitudes, norms, and values, as well as the practical implications of the results for the implementation and funding of civic education programs in developing democracies in the future.
CueFlik: interactive concept learning in image search

Web image search is difficult in part because a handful of keywords are generally insufficient for characterizing the visual properties of an image. Popular engines have begun to provide tags based on simple characteristics of images (such as tags for black and white images or images that contain a face), but such approaches are limited by the fact that it is unclear what tags end users want to be able to use in examining Web image search results. This paper presents CueFlik, a Web image search application that allows end users to quickly create their own rules for re ranking images based on their visual characteristics. End users can then re rank any future Web image search results according to their rule. In an experiment we present in this paper, end users quickly create effective rules for such concepts as "product photos", "portraits of people", and "clipart". When asked to conceive of and create their own rules, participants create such rules as "sports action shot" with images from queries for "basketball" and "football". CueFlik represents both a promising new approach to Web image search and an important study in end user interactive machine learning.
Beginning On-Line Delphi Ethnographic Research: The BOLDER Method

The use of the Internet to gather data, produce and report research has changed the face of the fields of education and research. This paper will present a method for combining electronic on-line media and Delphi methodology to begin the process of ethnographic research with participant inclusion, informed consent, data gathering by discourse facilitation, and preparation for coding. The use of a reflecting team by the research group provides impetus for second round responses by participants. Methods, format, a case study and an evaluation of the process will be presented. Key words: Delphi, Electronic Research, Ethnography, Narrative Therapy, On-line Research, Postmodern Research, and Reflecting Teams
Time-Quality Analysis of Spatial Data Processing for Bridge Management

Delays in delivering spatial information to support the decisions about maintenance of bridges introduce stoppages into the bridge management workflow. Previous studies show that spatial data collection and analysis are major components of these inspection programs. However, the time consuming spatial data processing cause days or weeks of delays in delivering the needed spatial information. Federal agencies, in many cases, either wait for the tedious spatial data processing, or use partial data processing results containing high uncertainties. Using the processing of 3D laser scanning point clouds as an example, this paper examines the technical feasibility and scientific challenges of quantifying the data processing time and the quality (e.g., accuracy) of derived information (e.g., minimum under-clearance of a bridge) useful for bridge management. Different decisions need different geometric attributes and relationships with various accuracy requirements. The optimal data processing strategy varies with the needed information quality and time limits. It is difficult to manually analyze the time-quality trade-offs of spatial data processing due to its ad-hoc nature and large number of possible parameter settings in data processing workflows. The authors proposed a computational framework that automatically records data processing histories of engineers along with the engineering needs. Analyzing those histories lead to insights into the trade-offs between required computational complexity/time and quality of delivered spatial information. This paper presents time-quality analysis results from two bridge inspection cases.
Dual periodicities in the rotational modulation of Saturn narrowband emissions

[1] Using the Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument it has recently been shown that the rotational modulation period of Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) has two components, one with a period of 10.6 h and the other with a period of 10.8 h. The longer period is primarily observed in the southern hemisphere and the shorter period is primarily observed in the northern hemisphere. In this paper, the modulation period of 5 kHz Saturn narrowband radio emissions is examined, restricting the spacecraft location to either the northern or the southern hemisphere of Saturn. It is found that in both hemispheres, the modulation period of 5 kHz narrowband emissions has two components that are equal to the SKR periods. It is known that Saturn narrowband emissions are first generated in the auroral regions as Z-mode and then mode convert to escaping L-O modes at density gradients. These Z-mode waves are trapped in a region close to the planet and can propagate from one hemisphere to another before they mode convert to L-O modes, thereby leading to dual periods of Saturn narrowband emissions in each hemisphere. The phase shift between the SKR and narrowband emissions is around 90° in the longitude, which means that SKR leads narrowband emissions by 2–3 h.
Work in progress - instructional strategies for pre-college engineering education

Infusing engineering instruction into pre-college education has been the focus of a number of outreach programs, such as the Infinity project, which have primarily focused on curriculum development. In contrast, our goal is to provide a set of guidelines for the design of engineering instruction that promotes problem solving skills and cognitive flexibility in pre-college engineering education programs. Based on the existing educational psychology theories and engineering education research, we have identified four high priority research areas that need to be addressed for systematically building up a fundamental understanding of effective instructional design for pre-college engineering education: 1) Representations of engineering concepts, worked examples, and practice problems that promote students' problem solving and cognitive flexibility, 2) Problem- solving practice designs that promote students' learning, 3) Peer-model pedagogical agents, and 4) Examination of the role of spatial abilities, prior knowledge, and gender on the strategies examined in the preceding three areas.
On the notion of pre-request

In early work within Conversation Analysis, utterances within a request sequence which inquire regarding some of the preconditions of granting the request (such as having the item or having the abi...
Notification of a family history of breast cancer: issues of privacy and confidentiality.

Little information is available about notifying individuals with a family history of cancer about their risk of cancer. With the recent identification of BRCA1, an important predisposition gene for breast and ovarian cancer, genetic testing is becoming available to high-risk women and their families. Some of these individuals may not be aware of their family history and may be notified of their family history by medical personnel or biomedical investigators. This disclosure could be detrimental to the individual by changing their perception of risk, sense of privacy, or psychosocial well-being. Members of 544 breast cancer families are currently being contacted as part of an epidemiologic follow-up study at the University of Minnesota. Some family members were unaware of their relative's diagnosis and therefore, notification occurred when they were contacted by study personnel. To determine the impact of risk notification in this context, 376 male and female relatives of 160 breast cancer probands were surveyed to assess their prior knowledge of their family history of cancer, issues relating to study participation, and their concerns regarding the possibility of developing cancer. Following a telephone interview about family history, family members were administered a short, open-ended questionnaire. The majority of individuals (82%) were blood relatives of the proband and 71% were either first- or second-degree relatives. A proportion of blood relatives (24%) were not aware of their family history of breast cancer. More blood relatives (76%) than non-blood relatives (62%, P < 0.01) were aware of their family history. 43 respondents (12%) expressed specific concerns about participating in the large genetic follow-up study and 16 comments concerned privacy issues. Neither the reasons for participation nor an individual's concern about developing cancer was associated with gender of the respondent, relationship to the proband, or awareness of breast cancer in the family. Interestingly, individuals who were notified about their family history through the large follow-up study were no more likely than other family members to be more concerned about developing cancer. Understanding the privacy and psychosocial issues of family members who are informed about a family history of breast cancer may aid in developing appropriate guidelines for notification. Risk notification in this setting does not appear to have a significant impact on these family members. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.