cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Warning signal words: connoted strength and understandability by children, elders, and non-native English speakers

Signal words, such as DANGER, WARNING and CAUTION, are commonly used in sign and product label warnings for the purpose of conveying different levels of hazard. Previous research has focused on whether people's perceptions of connoted hazard are consistent with the levels suggested by design standards and guidelines. Most investigations have used college students to evaluate the terms; other populations who may be at greater risk have not been adequately studied. One purpose of the present research was to determine whether young children, the elderly, and non-native English speakers perceive similar connoted hazard levels from the terms as undergraduates and published guidelines. A second purpose was to assess the terms' comprehensibility using various metrics such as missing values (i.e. ratings left blank) and understandability ratings. A third purpose was to develop a list of potential signal words that probably would be understandable to members of special populations. In the first experiment, 298 fourth- to eighth-grade students and 70 undergraduates rated 43 potential signal words on how careful they would be after seeing each term. The undergraduates also rated the terms on strength and understandability. In the second experiment, 98 elders and 135 non-native English speakers rated the same set of terms. The rank ordering of the words was found to be consistent across the participant groups. In general, the younger students gave higher carefulness ratings than the undergraduates. The words that the younger children and the non-native English speakers frequently left blank were given lower understandability ratings. Finally, a short list of terms was derived that 95% or 99% of the youngest students (fourth- and fifth-graders) and 80% of the non-native English speakers understood. Implications of hazard communication are discussed.
Relationship quality: the undervalued dimension of software quality

Software service firms that want to win more business, generate referrals, and ensure timely payment of their bills manage the quality of their client relationships, not just of the systems they develop.
Review of catfish breeding research 1969–1981 at Auburn University

Abstract Catfish (Ictaluridae) breeding experiments conducted at Auburn University 1969–1981 are summarized. Strain comparisons and three major breeding programs (mass selection, intraspecific crossbreeding, and interspecific hybridization) were used to improve growth, survival, reproductive performance, disease resistance, seinability, vulnerability to angling, carcass yield, and tolerance to low dissolved oxygen. Different test environments (aquaria, cages, and ponds) were evaluated. Marking systems for fish identification were compared. Communal stocking and multiple-rearing were tested. Genetic and environmental components of variation were determined.
A Beaconless Minimum Interference Based Routing Protocol to Minimize End-to-End Delay per Packet for Mobile Ad hoc Networks

The authors propose a beaconless, on-demand, mobile ad hoc network routing protocol called minimum interference based routing protocol MIF that minimizes the end-to-end delay per data packet. During route discovery, each node inserts its identification and location information before broadcasting the Route-Request RREQ message in its neighborhood. The weight of a link, called the interference index, is the number of interfering links surrounding it. Two links are said to interfere with each other, if the distance between the mid points of the two links is within the interference range. The interference index of a path is the sum of the interference index values of the constituent links. The destination selects the path with the minimum interference index value and notifies the source through the Route-Reply packet. Simulation results demonstrate that MIF incurs a significant reduction in the end-to-end delay per data packet vis-i-vis the interference-aware load balancing routing protocol.
Jejunogastric intussusception: An infrequently recognized cause of postgastrectomy complications

The physician should be alert to jejunogastric intussusception as a cause of postgastrectomy complications. The intussusception is often overlooked as a cause, although about 146 cases have been reported. A case of chronic intermittent type of jejunogastric intussusception is added.
The Social Construction of Deviance: Experts on Battered Women

Contemporary experts on battered women have concentrated on asking why women stay with mates who beat them. This paper looks at how this question, and the way experts answer it, has created a new category of deviance and, by implication, a new clientele for the services of experts. We look at the quality of the evidence which the experts offer in support of their theories and suggest an alternative vocabulary for assessing the motives of battered women.
EFFECT OF CHEMISTRY VARIATIONS IN PLATE AND WELD FILLER METAL ON THE CORROSION PERFORMANCE OF NI-CR-MO ALLOYS

The ASTM standard B 575 provides the requirements for the chemical composition of Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum (Ni-Cr-Mo) alloys such as Alloy 22 (N06022) and Alloy 686 (N06686). The compositions of each element are given in a range. For example, the content of Mo is specified from 12.5 to 14.5 weight percent for Alloy 22 and from 15.0 to 17.0 weight percent for Alloy 686. It was important to determine how the corrosion rate of welded plates of Alloy 22 using Alloy 686 weld filler metal would change if heats of these alloys were prepared using several variations in the composition of the elements even though still in the range specified in B 575. All the material used in this report were especially prepared at Allegheny Ludlum Co. Seven heats of plate were welded with seven heats of wire. Immersion corrosion tests were conducted in a boiling solution of sulfuric acid plus ferric sulfate (ASTM G 28 A) using both as-welded (ASW) coupons and solution heat-treated (SHT) coupons. Results show that the corrosion rate was not affected by the chemistry of the materials in the range of the standards.
Use of Monetary and Nonmonetary Incentives to Increase Response Rates Among African Americans in the Wisconsin Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System

From 2009 to 2010, an experiment was conducted to increase response rates among African American mothers in the Wisconsin Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). Sample members were randomly assigned to groups that received a prepaid, cash incentive of $5 (n = 219); a coupon for diapers valued at $6 (n = 210); or no incentive (n = 209). Incentives were included with the questionnaire, which was mailed to respondents. We examined the effects of the incentives on several outcomes, including response rates, cost effectiveness, survey response distributions, and item nonresponse. Response rates were significantly higher for the cash group than for the coupon (42.5 vs. 32.4%, P < .05) or no incentive group (42.5 vs. 30.1%, P < .01); the coupon and no incentive groups performed similarly. While absolute costs were the highest for the cash group, the cost per completed survey was the lowest. The incentives had limited effects on response distributions for specific survey questions. Although respondents completing the survey by mail in the cash and coupon groups exhibited a trend toward being less likely to have missing data, the effect was not significant. Compared to a coupon or no incentive, a small cash incentive significantly improved response rates and was cost effective among African American respondents in Wisconsin PRAMS. Incentives had only limited effects, however, on survey response distributions, and no significant effects on item nonresponse.
Air intrusion and its impact on energy performance of roofing assemblies

Air intrusion through roof assembly is a concern for wind uplift resistance and life-cycle performance of roofs. Airflow control is usually achieved by the installation of an air barrier/retarder in the roofing assembly. Even though the concept of air barrier/retarder and air barrier systems has been around for decades, it is still considered a new notion to the roofing industry. Currently, there are no widely accepted standard specifications or test methods to determine air intrusion through roofs or roof assemblies. An experimental procedure has been under development at the National Research Council of Canada to quantify the air intrusion of roof assemblies. As part of this investigation, five roofing assembly configurations were quantified for air intrusion. Relative performance of the air retarding effect of the five assemblies indicated that assemblies with air barrier/retarder had lower air intrusion rates than without. Measured air intrusion rates are compared with the existing codes of practice and standards. This comparison clearly demonstrates the significance of air intrusion into the roofing assembly and the necessity of a standardized air intrusion test method for the roofing industry. With the measured data, attempts were made to perform thermal load calculations using a simplified procedure, and through two case studies the impact of air intrusion through roofing assemblies on energy performance was estimated.
The phonological status of the Russian ‘labial fricatives’

It is generally accepted that Contemporary Standard Russian (CSR) has four labiodental fricatives, f, f', v and v '. Most descriptions of Russian phonetics note that two of these, the voiced v and v ' differ from all other Russian obstruents in one important respect. While as a general rule obstruent sequences are either voiced throughout or voiceless throughout depending on the voiced or voiceless character of the last member of the sequence, v and v ' do not effect assimilative voicing in a preceding obstruent; cf. otboj [-db-], otdat ' [-dd-], otgon [-dg-], otzýv [-dz-], otžit ' [-dž-], but otval [-tv-].
Some points in β N

Assuming either the continuum hypothesis or Martin's axiom, we show that in the space βN – N, there are: (a) points which are not P-points, but which are also not limit points of any countable set, and (b) a countable set of points dense in itself such that each of the points is not a limit point of any countable discrete set. Our method is to construct such points in the Stone space of a measure algebra, and then embed that Stone space into βN – N. We also, by a similar use of measures, establish the independence of the existence of selective ultrafilters by showing that there are none in the random real model.
VTD combination therapy with bortezomib–thalidomide–dexamethasone is highly effective in advanced and refractory multiple myeloma

Bortezomib (V) was combined with thalidomide (T) and dexamethasone (D) in a phase I/II trial to determine dose-limiting toxicities (DLT's) and clinical activity of the VTD regimen in 85 patients with advanced and refractory myeloma. The starting dose of V was 1.0 mg/m(2) (days 1, 4, 8, 11, every 21 day) with T added from cycle 2 at 50 mg/day, with 50 mg increments per 10 patient cohorts, to a maximum dose of 200 mg. In the absence of DLT's, the same reiteration of T dose increases was applied with a higher dose of V=1.3 mg/m(2). D was added with cycle 4 in the absence of partial response (PR). Ninety-two percent had prior autotransplants, 74% had prior T and 76% abnormal cytogenetics. MTD was reached at V=1.3 mg/m(2) and T=150 mg. Minor response (MR) was recorded in 79%, and 63% achieved PR including 22% who qualified for near-complete remission. At 4 years, 6% remain event-free and 23% alive. Both OS and EFS were significantly longer in the absence of prior T exposure and when at least MR status was attained. The MMSET/FGFR3 molecular subtype was prognostically favorable, a finding since reported for a VTD-incorporating tandem transplant trial (Total Therapy 3) for untreated patients with myeloma (BJH 2008).
Effects of acetylation and guanidination on alkaline conformations of chymotrypsin

Abstract Guanidination leads to stabilization of several globular proteins, including bovine chymotrypsinogen, as determined by hydrogen isotope exchange (P. Cupo, W. El-Deiry, P. L. Whitney, and W. M. Awad, Jr. (1980) J. Biol. Chem. 255 ,10828–10833). The present study examined the binding of proflavin to guanidinated, acetylated, and native chymotrypsins in order to compare conformational flexibilities. The order of decreasing alkaline stabilities of the catalytically active conformations of the different δ-chymotrypsin forms was guanidinated, native, and acetylated proteins; δ-chymotrypsin showed greater stability than α-chymotrypsin. In each case removal of calcium reduced the amount of the catalytically active conformation. The alkaline pH dependence for the decrease of the catalytically active conformation of guanidinated α-chymotrypsin could not be attributed to the titration of a single group, indicating that the α-amino group of isoleucine-16 is not the sole feature regulating the conformational transition for this derivative. At neutral pH values δ-chymotrypsin exists completely in an active conformation and the percentage of α-chymotrypsin in this form is only slightly lower. These differences from earlier results are possibly due to differences in buffers, calcium ion concentrations, and ionic strength. The rate of inactivation of guanidinated δ-chymotrypsin with methyl acetimidate was much lower than the corresponding rate for the native enzyme. This suggests that guanidination increases enzyme stability which in turn leads to a reduced accessibility of the α-amino group of isoleucine-16.
An Old Woman and her Case Worker: Accommodation and Resistance in the Face of Serious Illness

From the Luella Hannan Memorial Foundation archives in Detroit, Michigan, we document the persistent efforts of one client to remain in her beloved home amidst progressive illness and her position as an older woman facing economic limitations during the Great Depression. We consider the development of social case work methodology during this time period and demonstrate how this woman exerts self-determination and personal power by both accommodating and resisting these emerging case work principles in her relations with the case worker.
What Is Close Reading? A Focus on Sound Objects

Chartier, Roger. The Order of Books. Readers, Authors, and Libraries in Europe between the Four teenth and Eighteenth Centuries. Transl. Lydia Cochrane. Palo Alto: Stanford UP, 1994. DuBois, Andrew. "Close Reading: An Introduction." Close Reading: The Reader. Ed. Frank Lentricchia and Andrew DuBois. Durham: Duke UP, 2003. 1-40. Lentricchia, Frank. "How to Do Things with Wallace Stevens." Close Reading: The Reader. Ed. Frank Lentricchia and Andrew DuBois. Durham: Duke UP, 2003. 136-55. McLuhan, Marshall. The Gutenberg Galaxy: The Making of Typographic Man. Toronto: U of Toronto P, 1962. Mikics, David. "Philology." A New Handbook of Literary Terms. New Haven: Yale UP, 2007. 232-33.
Nonlinear Effects in Instability of Solid-Propellant Rocket Motors

This paper is in two parts. The first section discusses briefly the various kinds of nonlinear effects associated with instability in solid-propell ant rockets and attempts to provide brief surveys of the ways in which various nonlinear phenomena may manifest themselves. The second section reviews and extends some of the work that has been carried out at the Applied Physics Laboratory on nonlinear instability phenomena arising from erosion. This work has been concerned with effects of erosion on stability and with the waveform of finite amplitude oscillations in motors with cylindrical propellant charges. In this connection, it is found that, especially for axial modes, significant waveform distortion may develop even for relatively small amplitudes of the pressure oscillation and that the wave shape tends to be a rather sensitive function of the time dependent response of the propellant.
Prognostic factors predicting treatment response

This study demonstrated that the anatomic distribution of disease in the patient with renal adenocarcinoma is the single most important factor in predicting the impact of surgical intervention. Ninety-six patients underwent radical nephrectomy for control of renal adenocarcinoma. The survival in this patient population was dependent upon whether the disease was confined to the primary organ of origin or whether it had extended outside the primary organ site. Survivals greater than 90 percent in ten years were experienced for patients with organ confined disease irrespective of the cell type.
Two years of Visual Odometry on the Mars Exploration Rovers

NASA's two Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) have successfully demonstrated a robotic Visual Odometry capability on another world for the first time. This provides each rover with accurate knowledge of its position, allowing it to autonomously detect and compensate for any unforeseen slip encountered during a drive. It has enabled the rovers to drive safely and more effectively in highly sloped and sandy terrains and has resulted in increased mission science return by reducing the number of days required to drive into interesting areas. The MER Visual Odometry system comprises onboard software for comparing stereo pairs taken by the pointable mast-mounted 45 deg FOV Navigation cameras (NAVCAMs). The system computes an update to the 6 degree of freedom rover pose (x, y, z, roll, pitch, yaw) by tracking the motion of autonomously selected terrain features between two pairs of 256×256 stereo images. It has demonstrated good performance with high rates of successful convergence (97% on Spirit, 95% on Opportunity), successfully detected slip ratios as high as 125%, and measured changes as small as 2 mm, even while driving on slopes as high as 31 deg. Visual Odometry was used over 14% of the first 10.7 km driven by both rovers. During the first 2 years of operations, Visual Odometry evolved from an “extra credit” capability into a critical vehicle safety system. In this paper we describe our Visual Odometry algorithm, discuss several driving strategies that rely on it (including Slip Checks, Keep-out Zones, and Wheel Dragging), and summarize its results from the first 2 years of operations on Mars. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
PP128. Placental Caspase-3 gene polymorphisms is associated with preeclampsia.

Introduction Increased placental trophoblastic apoptosis (programmed cell death) was previously reported in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia. Caspase-3 is one of the key executioners of apoptosis. Caspase are expressed in many tissues including human placental trophoblast and other tissues. Variations in the promoter area of the Caspase genes may modulate apoptotic signaling, contributing to an increased risk of preeclampsia Objectives To determine if gene polymorphisms of Caspase 3 proteins differ between patient with and without preeclampsia. Methods Forty-three singleton placentas were studied. Twenty-two placentas were with preeclampsia and 21 were normotensive controls. DNA was extracted from placentas using QIAAmp DNA Minikit. Genotyping of Caspase 3 +567 was determined by real-time PCR using the Applied Biosystems Prism 7900 HT SDS machine. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used for statistical analysis. Results There were no significant differences in maternal age, parity or race between the two groups. Preeclamptic placentas had higher frequency of wild type TT of Caspase-3 SNP (+567) as compared with normotensive controls (59% versus 28.5%). Preeclamptic placentas expressed significantly more genotype of TT of Caspase-3 SNP (+567) than normotensive patients when compared to CC ( p =0.02). The alle frequencies of the Caspase SNP (+567) in preeclampstic placentas were 0.77 and 0.23 for T and C, respectively, as compared to 0.52 and 0.48, respectively, in placentas from normotensive pregnancies. Conclusion Immune intolerance of maternal and placental interaction plays an important role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Increased of placental apoptosis was reported in pregnancy complicated with preeclamsia. Our findings indicate placental Caspase 3 (+567) gene polymorphisms is associated with preeclampsia. Altered placental alle frequencies and caspase-3 SNP (+567) in preeclampsia further suggests preeclampsia is a trophoblastic disorder.
Effective Fields in Cubic Lattices with Extended Charges. II

The effective field in cubic lattices is calculated for a simple model in which the electrons have spatially extended charge distributions. For simple cubic, body-centered cubic, and face-centered cubic lattices in which the electrons in each primitive cell are infinitesimally displaced from rigid cores, the effective field can be written ${\mathrm{E}}_{\mathrm{eff}}=\mathrm{E}+(\frac{4\ensuremath{\pi}}{3})\ensuremath{\gamma}\mathrm{P}$, where E is the average electric field in the medium, and P is the polarization. The coefficient $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ varies from zero for very extended electronic charge distributions to 1 for the limit of point charges. Values of $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ for Gaussian distributions of intermediate width are given. Effective fields are also calculated for the rocksalt, zincblende, and cesium chloride structures. These results involve an additional coefficient ${\ensuremath{\gamma}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ which also varies between 0 and 1. For moderate overlaps between electronic charge distributions of next-nearest neighbors the effective fields differ appreciably from the Lorentz field $E+(\frac{4\ensuremath{\pi}}{3})\mathrm{P}$.
Scattering phase function for fibrous media

Abstract The formulation and evaluation of the effective phase function for fibrous media with any fiber orientation are presented based on the assumption that the fibers are infinite cylinders and scattering is in the independent regime. The phase function is derived in terms of the scattering angle which is the angle between the incident and the scattered radiation. Unlike spherical particles which scatter radiation into all directions, radiation scattered by cylindrical fibers only propagates into limited angular ranges. Hence, the maximum value of the scattering angle for radiation scattered by a collection of fibers depends on the orientation of the fibers relative to the direction of the incident radiation. For a given fiber orientation both the angular variation and the maximum scattering angle of the phase function are different for different incident directions. If the fibers are randomly oriented in space, the angular variation of the phase function is independent of the incident direction and the maximum scattering angle is π. The phase function for fibrous media always exhibits a strong peak in the direction of incident radiation, indicating that the scattering is highly anisotropic.
Improved optical communications performance combining adaptive optics and pulse position modulation

A free-space optical communication channel suffers degraded performance due to blurring and scintillation of the received signal caused by atmospheric turbulence. Adaptive optics (AO) improves the communication performance of such a channel by concentrating the received power on the detector. The degree of improvement with AO correction depends on the modulation format, and on the modulation order when pulse position modulation is utilized. Gains of up to 6 dB with AO have been experimentally validated in a laboratory test bed under simulated atmospheric conditions involving turbulence and background light. The fade statistics of the turbulent atmospheric channel have also been analyzed with and without AO correction.
Psychologists' evaluations of individual assessments: A comparison on the basis of graduate training and professional affiliation

Recent research on individual psychological assessments for personnel decision-making purposes has indicated a great deal of variability in practice. This study compared the responses of psychologists who evaluated the same set of assessment protocols on the basis of graduate training and professional affiliation. Results indicated few differences in evaluations of those assessed or in the way assessments were conducted. Concerns about training for and the practice of individual assessment are discussed.
The Relative and Perceived Impact of Irrelevant Speech, Vocal Music and Non-vocal Music on Working Memory

The ability to retain and manipulate information for brief periods of time is crucial for proficient cognitive functioning but working memory (WM) is susceptible to disruption by irrelevant speech. Music may also be detrimental, but its impact on WM is not clear. This study assessed the effects of vocal music, equivalent instrumental music, and irrelevant speech on WM in order to clarify what aspect of music affects performance and the degree of impairment. To study this, 60 college students completed WM tests (digit span) in the presence of irrelevant speech, vocal music, instrumental (karaoke) versions of the vocal music, and silence. As expected, both speech and vocal music degraded performance. WM performance with instrumental music was better than with vocal music but not significantly different from either silence or speech. Familiarity with song lyrics had little effect on performance. People were poor judges of the degree of memory impairment resulting from various irrelevant sounds.
Hydrogen-Bond Acid/Base Catalysis: A Density Functional Theory Study of Protonated Guanine-(Substituted) Cytosine Base Pairs as Models for Nucleophilic Attack on Mitomycin in DNA

The mechanism of alkylation at the exocyclic nitrogen of guanine in G·C base pairs has been studied using density functional theory at the B3LYP/D95** level. Protonation of the amino group was used as a model for this reaction. The calculations indicate that the reaction is facilitated by a temporary transfer of the H-bonding hydrogen from the guanine amino position to the cytosine oxygen within the H-bond. Thus, the cytosine “loans” its basicity to the guanine within the H-bonded base pair. These calculations explain the previously observed dependence of guanine alkylation upon the substituent at the 5-position of cytosine. The generality of catalysis via the temporary transfer of a H-bonding hydrogen within an H-bond, hydrogen-bond, acid/base catalysis (HBA/BC), is discussed. This form of catalysis might be important in biochemistry, materials science, and the solid state.
Roles of climate and agricultural practices in discharge changes in an agricultural watershed in Iowa

Abstract River discharge represents a vital resource for many human activities. The improved understanding of the physical processes controlling its regime can lead to large economic and societal benefits, such as improved flood warning and mitigation, and improved water management during droughts. This is particularly true for the agricultural U.S. Midwest and Iowa more specifically. Iowa is relentlessly plagued by catastrophic flooding, with the spring and summer river floods of 1993, 2008, and 2013 and the drought of 2012 being the most recent widespread events affecting the state. These natural disasters also come with a very large price tag, both in terms of economic damage and fatalities. During the 20th and 21st centuries, discharge over this area has been changing on a number of temporal scales, from annual to decadal. An outstanding question is related to the contribution of changes in the climate system and in land use/land cover and agricultural practices in explaining changes in discharge. We address this question by developing statistical models to describe the changes in different parts of the discharge distribution. We use rainfall and harvested corn and soybean acreage to explain the observed stream flow variability. We focus on the Raccoon River at Van Meter, which is a 9000-km2 watershed with daily discharge measurements covering most of the 20th century up to the present. Our results indicate that rainfall variability is responsible for the majority of the changes observed in the discharge record, with changes in cultivated area affecting the discharge responses in different ways, depending on which part of the discharge distribution is considered. In particular, land use change exacerbates high discharge during heavy precipitation and low discharge during low precipitation.
Multichannel reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction microdevice for rapid gene expression and biomarker analysis.

A microdevice is developed for RNA analysis that integrates one-step reverse transcription and 30 cycles of PCR (RT-PCR) amplification with capillary electrophoresis (CE) separation and fluorescence detection of the amplicons. The four-layer glass−PDMS−glass−glass hybrid microdevice integrates microvalves, on-chip heaters and temperature sensors, nanoliter reaction chambers (380 nL), and 5-cm-long CE separation channels. The direct integration of these processes results in attomolar detection sensitivity (<11 template RNA molecules or ∼0.1 cellular equiv) and rapid 45-min analysis, while minimizing sample waste and eliminating contamination. Size-based electrophoretic product analysis provides definitive amplicon-size verification and multiplex analysis. Multiplexed differential gene expression analysis is demonstrated on mdh and gyrB E. coli transcripts. RNA splice variant analysis of the RBBP8 gene is used to identify tumorigenic tissue. RT-PCR microdevice analysis of normal breast tissue RNA generates ...
What does health activism mean in Venezuela's Barrio Adentro program? Understanding community health work in political and cultural context

Launched in 2003 by the leftist government of Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's Barrio Adentro (Inside the Poor Neighborhood) health care program is deeply dependent on local community health workers to implement and administer clinics and various health initiatives. Based on ethnographic research conducted between 2006 and 2009, this article analyzes the experiences of Barrio Adentro community health workers (promotores) in a working-class neighborhood in Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela. My research reveals that community health workers understood their relationship to the state as fraught, but fundamentally collaborative. In contrast, they viewed local residents as the main threat to achieving their community health goals, based on perceptions that some residents were apathetic or politically opposed to the government's programs to promote social change. In situating this analysis in the broader social and historical context, I show how community health workers represent one of the most significant forms of state-supported activism in a country that has radically expanded social and political participation for historically marginalized groups in the name of “21st century socialism.” I argue that the state's antineoliberal discourse, substantial investment in public health care, and employment of Cuban doctors distinguish community health work in Barrio Adentro from the experiences of community health work in other areas of Latin America, where community participation has also been framed as a form of empowerment but often serves as a mechanism to devolve state responsibilities for health care onto local communities. In focusing on the broader social, political, and economic context that gives meaning to Barrio Adentro activists, this analysis offers insights that may be applied to community health initiatives in other settings.
Secure or insure?: a game-theoretic analysis of information security games

Despite general awareness of the importance of keeping one's system secure, and widespread availability of consumer security technologies, actual investment in security remains highly variable across the Internet population, allowing attacks such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) and spam distribution to continue unabated. By modeling security investment decision-making in established (e.g., weakest-link, best-shot) and novel games (e.g., weakest-target), and allowing expenditures in self-protection versus self-insurance technologies, we can examine how incentives may shift between investment in a public good (protection) and a private good (insurance), subject to factors such as network size, type of attack, loss probability, loss magnitude, and cost of technology. We can also characterize Nash equilibria and social optima for different classes of attacks and defenses. In the weakest-target game, an interesting result is that, for almost all parameter settings, more effort is exerted at Nash equilibrium than at the social optimum. We may attribute this to the "strategic uncertainty" of players seeking to self-protect at just slightly above the lowest protection level.
Self-luminous, pre-breakdown phenomena in liquid hexane

The growth and structure of prebreakdown streamers extending from a negative DC-biased steel needle having a round tip of 3 mu m radius were recorded with an intensifier-equipped video camera and video-cassette recorder. The structure as observed in its self-luminous light is quite similar in size and shape to those observed in previous experiments using transmitted light. The results are interpreted in terms of a theoretical study of electrostatically inflated bubbles in the fluid. >
A prospective comparison of enteroclysis and capsule endoscopy in the diagnosis of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding

Purpose: Enteroclysis is considered the gold standard for evaluation of small bowel diseases. Small bowel series is preferred because of its simplicity and lack of patient (pt) discomfort. Recently, capsule endoscopy (CE) was shown to be superior to small bowel radiography for evaluation of small bowel diseases. (Gastroenterol 2002; 123; 999–1005) This study was undertaken to prospectively study the diagnostic yield of enteroclysis compared with CE in pts with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.
Predictive membrane transport model for nanofiltration processes in water treatment

A membrane transport model was developed for prediction and simulation of membrane filtration (nanofiltration) dynamics with reference to permeate flux. It incorporates important phenomenological aspects of membrane transport, such as concentration polarization and gel layer formation, and illustrates the concentration of solutes as foulants in the mass-transfer boundary layer on the membrane surface. Membrane filtration tests using tannic acid as a model organic compound were designed for investigating permeate fluxes, as well as solute concentration profiles for permeates and concentrates. Membrane performance experiments were conducted under various operation conditions by varying several parameters including solute concentrations, transmembrane pressures, and reject flow rates. The tests showed that the NF-45 membrane composed of polypiperazine amide was more susceptible to organic fouling by tannic acid than the NF-70 membrane made of cross-linked aromatic polyamide. These observations were supported by surface-potential measurements that demonstrated higher negative surface charges and greater hydrophilicity for the NF-70 membrane in the presence of tannic acid. The predictive capability of the membrane transport model was evaluated using the results from membrane filtration tests. Model sensitivity studies were conducted to obtain information on effects of various input parameters pertaining to operating conditions and fluid-dynamic regimes.
Integrase Inhibitors and Cellular Immunity Suppress Retroviral Replication in Rhesus Macaques

We describe the efficacy of L-870812, an inhibitor of HIV-1 and SIV integrase, in rhesus macaques infected with the simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) 89.6P. When initiated before CD4 cell depletion, L-870812 therapy mediated a sustained suppression of viremia, preserving CD4 levels and permitting the induction of virus-specific cellular immunity. L-870812 was also active in chronic infection; however, the magnitude and durability of the effect varied in conjunction with the pretreatment immune response and viral load. These studies demonstrate integrase inhibitor activity in vivo and suggest that cellular immunity facilitates chemotherapeutic efficacy in retroviral infections.
Simultaneous thrombotic culprit lesions in two separate coronary arteries in a patient with ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

A 78-year-old male with no history of coronary artery disease presented to our emergency department with intermittent chest pain that had worsened over 5 days. Electrocardiogram showed ST elevation in V1 and V2 ( Panel A ). The patient was taken emergently to the cardiac catheterization laboratory, where he developed hypotension and bradycardia requiring …
Scripts, Tricks and Capability Theory: Using an Empirical Window Into the Logic of Achievement to Illustrate How a Critical Addition to Capability Theory Might Work to Guide Action

Capability theory improves our understanding of well being because it takes account of the “conversion” problem: income/wealth/commodities. (IWCs) need to be made effectively available to really increase well being. However, just as IWCs need to be converted into functionings in order to be effective in bringing additional possibilities to a person, our institutions, abilities and environments need to be converted as well to allow them to be used effectively in the same pursuit. Freedom of the press and speech, education and certainly economic independence as well as the democratic political processes themselves are as inert as IWCs without some additional conversion to enable them to do what we have set them up to do. The moniker “conversion factor” is the name of the problem rather than the source of a solution. This paper will explore the possibility that the needed theoretical addition to capability theory might be found by understanding how the elements of the capabilities equation change over time. Using education as an example of a conversion factor, the paper will explore how an addition to the theory might help create effective policy alternatives.
The Americans with Disabilities Act: What it Means to Small Business Owners

Small Business owners with as few as 15 employees came under the provisions of the Americans With Disabilities Act on July 26, 1994. A small business not affected in the employment area may need to provide the disabled customer access to the business. Successful small business strategies for the future should systematically incorporate not only the philosophy of accommodation for the disabled , but realistic attention to details of compliance and competitiveness. This paper reviews terms and conditions that will aid the business compliance owner in planning for compliance with the ADA. Additional sources of help are also provided.
Black carbon emissions from trucks and trains in the Midwestern and Northeastern United States from 1977 to 2007

We have developed a framework to estimate BC emissions from heavy-duty diesel trucks and trains engaged in transporting freight in the Midwestern and Northeastern United States (MNUS) from 1977 to 2007. We first expand on a previous development of a regional econometric input–output model (REIM) that has been used to estimate commodity flows between 13 states in the MNUS (plus the rest of the US) and 13 industrial sectors. These commodity flow data are then distributed over the MNUS using a stylized link-and-node network, which creates great circle transportation links between nodes in each state at the county with the largest population. Freight flows are converted to BC transportation emissions and the resulting BC emissions are compared to the MACCity BC emissions inventory. We find that from 1977 to 2007 potential emission growth from the continued increase in freight tonnage in the MWUS is counteracted by decreases in the BC emission factor of heavy-duty diesel trucks, which results in an overall decrease of BC emissions by 2007. One sector (fabricated metal product manufacturing) has dominated the BC transportation emissions throughout 1977 to 2007 with transportation emissions remaining relatively unchanged from 1977 to 1997 and then decreasing out to 2007. The BC transportation emissions are concentrated in and around the urban centers, which serve as transportation and production nodes for industrial manufacturing. Our BC emissions are distributed along stylized transportation corridors that are not well represented in emissions inventories that largely distribute emissions via a population proxy. The framework established in this study can be used to estimate future BC transportation emissions under a set of stylized economic, technological, and regulatory scenarios.
Abstract W MP76: Ischemic Postconditioning Protected Against Stroke by Inhibiting NADPH Oxidase-Mediated ROS Activity

Background: The underlying protective mechanisms of ischemic postconditioning (IPostC) remain elusive. Although previous studies have shown that IPostC generates protection by attenuating ROS activity, how this protection is achieved is not known. We hypothesize that inhibition of NADPH oxidase-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS) is essential for the neuroprotective effects of IPostC. Methods: We used both wild type mice and mice mutant for the NADPH oxidase gene. Stroke was induced by middle cerebral artery (MCA) suture occlusion and IPostC was conducted by repeated, brief occlusions immediately after reperfusion. Glucose was injected to promote NADPH oxidase, while apocynin and 2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) were used to inhibit it. FACS was used to quantify inflammatory cells in the brain, and to assess ROS activity in macrophage/microglia subsets stained by 2′-7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA). Results: IPostC reduced infarction as a function of the numbers of cycles of brief MCA occlusion. Glucose injection enlarged the infarction induced by the control stroke and abolished the protective effects of IPostC. Both 2-DG and apocynin injection reduced infarction, but only apocynin, and not 2-DG, acted synergistically with IPostC against stroke. Moreover, neither IPostC nor glucose altered the infarction in NADPH oxidase gene mutated mice. FACS results suggest that glucose injection exacerbated while IPostC inhibited inflammatory cell infiltration. Furthermore, IPostC blocked ROS activity in both macrophages and microglia. Conclusions: IPostC attenuated infarction by inhibiting NADPH oxidase-mediated ROS activity.
Effects of Deposition Process on Poly-Si Microscale Energy Harvesting Systems: A Simulation Study

In this paper, the feasibility of a low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) microscale energy harvester for a wireless sensor node is investigated. For that purpose, two device-level models for the LTPS solar cell and thin-film transistors are proposed and employed in system-level evaluation of an energy harvesting system. The results of our analysis indicate that: 1) the maximum power operating point for the solar cell is different when connected to a lossy power converter; 2) increasing the average grain size of the LTPS film can reduce the circuit area by 20 times, while increasing the output power by 6%; and 3) the proposed bottom–up approach enables the designers to identify system bottlenecks and improve the performance accordingly.
Surface Barrier Properties of Self-Assembled Monolayers as Deduced by Sum Frequency Generation Spectroscopy and Electrochemistry

This paper presents a model on the electrochemical behaviors of n-alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold electrodes with different chain length (C10, C12, C16, and C18) using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and sum frequency generation spectroscopy (SFG). The SAMs studied reached their maximum density with a deposition time of ≈72 h according to the kinetics results shown by EIS Bode phase plots. For shorter chain SAMs, C10 and C12 monolayers, the results from CV, EIS, and SFG were consistent with each other. Significant amounts of thiols were removed by reductive desorption of the films for C10 and C12 SAMs, as indicated by decreases in the electrochemical waves and SFG peaks. Surprising differences were observed for longer-chain SAMs made from C16 and C18 monolayers. The CV results suggested that a large amount of the C16 and C18 monolayers chemically desorbed from the gold surface, while the EIS and SFG results illustrated that C16 and C18 layers sti...
Protein Kinase C (PKC)ζ Pseudosubstrate Inhibitor Peptide Promiscuously Binds PKC Family Isoforms and Disrupts Conventional PKC Targeting and Translocation

PKMζ is generated via an alternative transcriptional start site in the atypical protein kinase C (PKC)ζ isoform, which removes N-terminal regulatory elements, including the inhibitory pseudosubstrate domain, consequently rendering the kinase constitutively active. Persistent PKMζ activity has been proposed as a molecular mechanism for the long-term maintenance of synaptic plasticity underlying some forms of memory. Many studies supporting a role for PKMζ in synaptic plasticity and memory have relied on the PKCζ pseudosubstrate-derived ζ-inhibitory peptide (ZIP). However, recent studies have demonstrated that ZIP-induced impairments to synaptic plasticity and memory occur even in the absence of PKCζ, suggesting that ZIP exerts its actions via additional cellular targets. In this study, we demonstrated that ZIP interacts with conventional and novel PKC, in addition to atypical PKC isoforms. Moreover, when brain abundance of each PKC isoform and affinity for ZIP are taken into account, the signaling capacity of ZIP-responsive pools of conventional and novel PKCs may match or exceed that for atypical PKCs. Pseudosubstrate-derived peptides, like ZIP, are thought to exert their cellular action primarily by inhibiting PKC catalytic activity; however, the ZIP-sensitive catalytic core of PKC is known to participate in the enzyme’s subcellular targeting, suggesting an additional mode of ZIP action. Indeed, we have demonstrated that ZIP potently disrupts PKCα interaction with the PKC-targeting protein A-kinase anchoring protein (AKAP) 79 and interferes with ionomycin-induced translocation of conventional PKC to the plasma membrane. Thus, ZIP exhibits broad-spectrum action toward the PKC family of enzymes, and this action may contribute to its unique ability to impair memory.
Alternative Micromachining Approaches For the Realization of Robust MEMS

This work describes efforts in the fabrication and testing of robust microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Robustness is typically achieved by investigating non-silicon substrates and materials for MEMS fabrication. Some of the traditional MEMS fabrication techniques are applicable to robust MEMS, while other techniques are drawn from other technology areas, such as electronic packaging. The fabrication tcchnologics appropriate for robust MEMS arc illustrated through three examples: wireless micromachined ceramic pressure sensors for high temperature application in turbine compressors; micromachined stainless steel pressure sensor arrays; and micromachined stainless steel modulators for synthetic jets intended for aerodynamic control applications.
Control of Interfacial Mechanical Properties in Ti/Al203 Composites

The fracture energy of Ti/Al2O3 composite interfaces has been determined by four point bending tests of sandwich specimens for different thicknesses of metal interlayers at 900°C. The interfacial fracture was found to be brittle. An intermetallic reaction product (Ti3Al) was produced at the interface after the diffusion bonding process. When the metal interlayer is thicker, there is more plastic energy dissipation in the metal during the fracture process. Therefore, the interfacial fracture energy increases. This can be seen from the fact that there is a larger plastic zone size with increasing thickness of the metal interlayer. The measured interfacial fracture energy Ti/Al2O3 ranges from 9.6 J/m2 to 45.1 J/m2. The intrinsic interfacial fracture energy is obtained to be 0.26 J/m2. The embrittlement of the interface after the diffusion bonding process causes this value to be smaller than work of adhesion for Ti/Al2O3 (2.0 J/m2).