cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Understanding Environmental Pollution: Chemical exposures and risk assessment

“Ordinary risk analysis asks, How much environmental damage will be allowed? But the precautionary principle asks, “How little damage is possible?” Thomas Prugh, WorldWatch Institute How can we decide what is or is not safe? How much ozone should we allow in the air that we breathe? How much arsenic in drinking water is safe? What level of dioxin in soil or food is acceptable? These and similar questions regularly arise. Because we seldom have the luxury of answering “zero,” we must determine what level above zero is safe or essentially safe. The useful albeit imperfect tool of chemical risk assessment assists us in this effort. Section I of this chapter points out that a chemical cannot be a risk unless there is exposure to it. Also discussed are body burdens. Section II reviews epidemiological studies – investigations designed to detect relationships between exposure to a chemical and adverse health effects. Section III introduces the four steps of chemical risk assessment, both for chemicals that do not cause cancer and for carcinogenic chemicals. Section IV briefly examines risk assessment for non-humans and in less-developed countries. Section V explores what practices are used to reduce a chemical's risk, risk management. These include non-regulatory as well as regulatory approaches. Section VI looks at how chemical risk assessment is changing and how the regulation of chemicals may also be changed.
The Microaerophile SPirillum volutans: Cultivation on Complex Liquid and Solid Media

Spirillum volutans grows only under microaerobic conditions in a peptone-succinate-salts broth, but can grow aerobically when the peptone is replaced by vitamin-free acid-hydrolyzed casein broth. The addition of potassium metabisulfite, norepinephrine, catalase or superoxide dismutase (SOD) permitted aerobic growth in peptone-succinate-salts broth. A combination of catalase and SOD had a synergistic effect. S. volutans lacked catalase and had only a low level of peroxidase activity, but did possess SOD activity (12 to 14 U/mg of protein). The organism was found to be extraordinarily sensitive to exogenous hydrogen peroxide. Illumination of peptone-succinate-salts broth generated hydrogen peroxide and rendered the medium inhibitory to growth. A combination of catalase and SOD prevented this inhibition. Growth of S. volutans on solid media, not previously possible, was accomplished by the use of vitamin-free acid-hydrolyzed casein and peptone-succinate-salts agar media; maximum growth responses were dependent on the following combination of factors: addition of bisulfite, catalase, or SOD, protection of the media from illumination, incubation in a highly humid atmosphere, and incubation under atmospheres of 12% oxygen or less. The results indicate that the microaerophilic nature of S. volutans is attributable largely to the high sensitivity of the organism to exogenous hydrogen peroxide and, to a lesser extent, superoxide radicals occurring in the culture medium.
Introduction: Stat(e)ing the Obvious

In introducing this special issue of Workplace , I want to consider the nexus of the formation of academic labor, law and social policy--or more generally, the State itself--and the way in which we may begin to talk about organizational responses that are commensurate with these developments. Taken instrumentally, policies like the HEA can make the relation between state and education appear rather mysterious, a labyrinth of tax winks and once sided recognitions that separate powers between local employers and different governmental authorities so as to make the sleight-handed State invisible and produce the principle truth effect of a market economy. Through their own voluntary associations, universities legitimate themselves under licensure from statehouses that are given a blessing from the Capitol.
Interactive Effects of Hand Weeding, Tine and Sweep Cultivation for Weed Control in Organic Peanut Production

ABSTRACT Previous research has shown that mechanical cultivation is the most effective and affordable method of weed control in organic peanut production. However, growers are in need of more information on specific integrated cultivation regimes for effective season-long weed control with minimal hand-weeding requirements. Therefore, field trials were conducted in 2010–2012 to evaluate the effects of various tine and sweep cultivation treatments combined with or without hand-weeding on season-long weed control, stand establishment, and yield and grade of an organically-managed peanut crop. Tine cultivation treatments consisted of no cultivation or weekly cultivations for 5 wks after planting (WAP). Sweep treatments consisted of no cultivation, weekly cultivations (for 5 WAP), cultivations at 2 and 5 WAP only, or cultivation at 5 WAP only. Hand-weeding treatments were no hand-weeding or hand-weeding of the entire plot. There were numerous significant interactions among tine and sweep treatments on weed co...
Charismatic/Pentecostal Appropriation of Media Technologies in Nigeria and Ghana

How do religious collectivities which are predicated on the Word generate images of themselves in the highly competitive religious marketplaces of many African urban spaces today?' Focusing on the burgeoning Christian charismatic and pentecostal movements of Ghana and Nigeria,2 I explore how and why these movements are increasingly favoring electronic media as suitable sites for the transmission of their teachings and erecting of their empires. I will show how this process, no more than two decades old, both concurs with and challenges their religious ideology. I argue further that these developments result in the transformation of the religious landscape in at least two ways: one, they are facilitating transnational and homogenizing cultural flows, and two, they are taking the connections between these movements and the networks they create to new, global levels.3 Given my concern to identify African agency in these transnational developments, local forces feature more prominently in the discussion of this paper. Evangelization has always been a primary goal of these movements, not least in the endtime phase of history many of their leaders claim we have now entered. The appropriation and use of moder media technologies facilitates the dissemination of the Word to the masses. The use of the media is clearly a tool of expansion, a reflection of globalizing aspirations, but it is also part of a calculated attempt to transform and Christianize popular culture so that it is safe for consumption by 'bor-again' Christians. The 'modern' media are deemed an acceptable weapon for God's army in the battle against Satan. While there is clear boundary maintenance on the part of these religious organizations with regard to their own sanctified identity and territory and those who fall beyond the pale of God's grace, it has not resulted in
Vaccine therapy for prostate cancer

Immunotherapy with vaccines represents a novel, targeted nontoxic modality for the therapy of prostate cancer. Systemic immune responses to candidate prostate cancer antigens have been induced in a tumor that has been conventionally viewed as refractory to immunotherapy. Autologous dendritic cell vaccines expressing prostate-specific antigens have shown promising clinical outcomes in a randomized trial in metastatic androgen independent prostate cancer. Other vaccine approaches include granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor modified tumor cell vaccines and poxvirus vaccines. A combination of vaccines with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and other biologic agents is also being evaluated. Efforts to optimize vaccine approaches and select ideal patient populations need to continue because there is no evidence supporting a single superior approach.
pRb inactivation in mammary cells reveals common mechanisms for tumor initiation and progression in divergent epithelia

Retinoblastoma 1 (pRb) and the related pocket proteins, retinoblastoma-like 1 (p107) and retinoblastoma-like 2 (p130) (pRbf, collectively), play a pivotal role in regulating eukaryotic cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and terminal differentiation. While aberrations in the pRb-signaling pathway are common in human cancers, the consequence of pRbf loss in the mammary gland has not been directly assayed in vivo. We reported previously that inactivating these critical cell cycle regulators in divergent cell types, either brain epithelium or astrocytes, abrogates the cell cycle restriction point, leading to increased cell proliferation and apoptosis, and predisposing to cancer. Here we report that mouse mammary epithelium is similar in its requirements for pRbf function; Rbf inactivation by T121, a fragment of SV40 T antigen that binds to and inactivates pRbf proteins, increases proliferation and apoptosis. Mammary adenocarcinomas form within 16 mo. Most apoptosis is regulated by p53, which has no impact on proliferation, and heterozygosity for a p53 null allele significantly shortens tumor latency. Most tumors in p53 heterozygous mice undergo loss of the wild-type p53 allele. We show that the mechanism of p53 loss of heterozygosity is not simply the consequence of Chromosome 11 aneuploidy and further that chromosomal instability subsequent to p53 loss is minimal. The mechanisms for pRb and p53 tumor suppression in the epithelia of two distinct tissues, mammary gland and brain, are indistinguishable. Further, this study has produced a highly penetrant breast cancer model based on aberrations commonly observed in the human disease.
Prediction of ordered structures in the bcc binary systems of Mo, Nb, Ta, and W from first-principles search of approximately 3,000,000 possible configurations

We predict ground states of the refractory alloys $\mathrm{Nb}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Mo}$, $\mathrm{Nb}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{W}$, $\mathrm{Ta}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Mo}$, and $\mathrm{Ta}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{W}$ by combining first-principles calculated energies of \ensuremath{\gtrsim} 50 configurations for each system with a ``mixed-basis cluster expansion,'' whose interaction types are chosen with a genetic algorithm search. We find ground states that deviate substantially from the simplified predictions in the literature. These ground states are linked to relatively complex underlying interactions, leading to substantially lower order-disorder transition temperatures than would be expected from simple interaction models, consistent with the extent of the experimentally observed bcc solid solution phases.
Optimization of Dexamethasone Mixed Nanomicellar Formulation

The purpose of this study was to develop a clear aqueous mixed nanomicellar formulation (MNF) of dexamethasone utilizing both d-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol-1000 succinate (Vit E TPGS) and octoxynol-40 (Oc-40). In this study, Vit E TPGS and Oc-40 are independent variables. Formulations were prepared following solvent evaporation method. A three level full-factorial design was applied to optimize the formulation based on entrapment efficiency, size, and polydispersity index (PDI). A specific blend of Vit E TPGS and Oc-40 at a particular wt% ratio (4.5:2.0) produced excellent drug entrapment, loading, small mixed nanomicellar size and narrow PDI. Solubility of DEX in MNF is improved by ~6.3-fold relative to normal aqueous solubility. Critical micellar concentration (CMC) for blend of polymers (4.5:2.0) was found to be lower (0.012 wt%) than the individual polymers (Vit E TPGS (0.025 wt%) and Oc-40 (0.107 wt%)). No significant effect on mixed nanomicellar size and PDI with one-factor or multi-factor interactions was observed. Qualitative 1H NMR studies confirmed absence of free drug in the outer aqueous MNF medium. MNF appeared to be highly stable. Cytotoxicity studies on rabbit primary corneal epithelial cells did not indicate any toxicity suggesting MNF of dexamethasone is safe and suitable for human topical ocular drops after further in vivo evaluations.
Superstructure-based optimal synthesis of pressure swing adsorption cycles for precombustion CO2 capture

Pressure/vacuum swing adsorption (PSA/VSA) technology has been widely applied for H2 production from the effluent streams of a shift converter, which predominantly comprises H2 and CO2 with other trace components. It also offers significant advantages for precombustion CO2 capture in terms of performance, energy requirements, and operating costs since the shifted synthesis gas (syngas) is available for separation at a high pressure with a high CO2 concentration. Most commercial PSA cycles have been developed to recover H2 at very high purity and do not focus on enriching the strongly adsorbed CO2. Thus, a major limitation exists with the use of these conventional PSA cycles for high purity CO2 capture. Furthermore, complex dynamic behavior of PSA processes together with the numerical difficulties of the model governed by partial differential and algebraic equations (PDAEs) makes the evaluation and assessment of different operating steps and cycle configurations difficult and time-consuming. Therefore, a s...
Improving Parenting Skills for Families of Young Children in Pediatric Settings: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Disruptive behavior disorders, such as attention-deficient/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder, are common and stable throughout childhood. These disorders cause long-term morbidity but benefit from early intervention. While symptoms are often evident before preschool, few children receive appropriate treatment during this period. Group parent training, such as the Incredible Years program, has been shown to be effective in improving parenting strategies and reducing children’s disruptive behaviors. Because they already monitor young children’s behavior and development, primary care pediatricians are in a good position to intervene early when indicated. Objective To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of parent-training groups delivered to parents of toddlers in pediatric primary care settings. Design, Setting, and Participants This randomized clinical trial was conducted at 11 diverse pediatric practices in the Greater Boston area. A total of 273 parents of children between 2 and 4 years old who acknowledged disruptive behaviors on a 20-item checklist were included. Intervention A 10-week Incredible Years parent-training group co-led by a research clinician and a pediatric staff member. Main Outcomes and Measures Self-reports and structured videotaped observations of parent and child behaviors conducted prior to, immediately after, and 12 months after the intervention. Results A total of 150 parents were randomly assigned to the intervention or the waiting-list group. An additional 123 parents were assigned to receive intervention without a randomly selected comparison group. Compared with the waiting-list group, greater improvement was observed in both intervention groups ( P Conclusions and Relevance Self-reports and structured observations provided evidence of improvements in parenting practices and child disruptive behaviors that were attributable to participation in the Incredible Years groups. This study demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of parent-training groups conducted in pediatric office settings to reduce disruptive behavior in toddlers. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT00402857
Regional co-development and security:: a comprehensive approach

Abstract Concepts of security are no longer limited to the military form, but other potential, economic, ecological, social aspects are becoming included. Emphasis needs to be put on integration of all dimensions of security. Many environmental problems present threats to human health and welfare and hence to the well-being of nations. The environmental issues cannot be ignored in context of any comprehensive security concept, but environmental security should not be treated in isolation. Integration of sustainable development and regional security may address many of the current maritime issues. Such integration may best be handled jointly and at regional levels. With this in mind and the realization that there is now a clear awareness and understanding that issues such as poverty, underdevelopment, population growth, environmental quality and sustainable resource use, are interrelated and interdependent and must be dealt with as such, the paper aims to highlight some aspects of regional security and sustainable development issues with reference to the Mediterranean basin. The aim is to initiate a process to pursue integration of sustainable development and comprehensive regional security with focus on the Mediterranean. The approach is based on the concept of the Common Heritage of Mankind as proposed by Arvid Pardo in 1967. It has 4 dimensions: economic; ethical; environmental; peace and security. In dealing with the proposal of Arvid Pardo the United Nations General Assembly decided to split up the concept: the Conference on the Law of the Sea was to deal with the peaceful uses of oceans and sea-beds; the Conference on Disarmament with the security aspects, then considered as military. UNCED 92 maintained the separation in addressing only environment and development, with management also included. However, peace and security were not included. It is time now to include these elements, and also consider the enforcement issue. The paper aims at illustrating this need through some examples from the Mediterranean basin.
High-resolution 1H and 11B NMR studies of 1,2- and 1,7-B10C2H12

Abstract The 70.6-MHz 11B NMR spectrum of 1,2-B10C2H12 has been assigned by use of labeled derivatives. The assignments are, in order of increasing field, B(9,12), B(8,10), B(4,5,7,11) and B(3,6). Resonances in 1,7-B10C2H12 are due, in order of increasing field, to B(5,12), B(9,10), B(4,6,8,11) and B(2,3). The 1H NMR spectrum of 1,2-D2-1,2-B10C2H10 in C6D6 contains four quartets at −2.7, −2.5, −2.1, and −1.7 ppm due to H(8,10), H(9,12), H(4,5,7,11) and H(3,6), respectively. Confirmation of the assignment was achieved by double-resonance experiments.
Architecture validation for processors

Modem, high performance microprocessors are extremely complex machines which require substantial validation effort to ensure functional correctness prior to tapeout. Generating the corner cases to test these designs is a mostly manual process, where completion is hard to judge. Experience shows that the errors that are caught late in the design, many post-silicon, are interactions between different components in very improbable corner case situations. In this paper we present a technique that targets such error-causing interactions by automatically generat- ing test vectors that will cause the processor to exercise all transitions of the control logic in simulation. We use techniques from formal verification to derive transition tours of a fully enumerated state graph of the control logic of the processor. Our system works from a Verilog description of the original machine and is currently being used to validate an embedded dual-issue processor in the node controller of the Stanford FLASH Multiprocessor. Modeling the processor control results in 200K states and an 8M instruction trace to check all transitions of control arcs.
Synthesis of nanoparticles by reactive laser vaporization: silicon nanocrystals in polymers and properties of gallium and tungsten oxides

Abstract In this paper, we present three different examples of nanocrystals prepared by the pulsed laser vaporization–controlled condensation (LVCC) technique. First, we present some new results on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of the Si nanocrystals. One of the main goals of this work is to compare the results of the PL from the solid surface-oxidized particles with those from the incorporated particles in polymer films. We also present evidence for a novel photoreduction of the white WO3 nanoparticles into the blue W2O5 following the irradiation of the particles with the second harmonic of the Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm. Finally, we report the observation of efficient blue PL from Ga oxide nanoparticles. These examples demonstrate the potential use of nanoparticles in the design of optical and photonic devices.
THE VECTORCARDIOGRAM (VCG) IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS (CF)

The VCG (Frank system) as an indicator of severity of pulmonary involvement was assessed in 75 patients (pts) with CF. The Shwachman-Kulczycki clinical score(CS), PaO2, right maximum spatial vector(RMSV) and standard pulmonary function tests were performed. The VCG horizontal loops(HL) were classified on the basis of configuration into four groups: normal, mild (increased anterior forces ± small rightward terminal forces), moderate (increased anterior forces with prominent rightward terminal forces or narrow antero-posterior loop) and severe (diminished anterior forces with marked rightward posterior loop displacement). The CS was similar in the normal and mild groups but progressively decreased in the moderate (p<.01) and severe (p<.05) groups. Mean PaO2 for the normal group was 68 mmHg (range 54-76), mild 66 mmHg(57-83), moderate 56 mmHg (48-80)(p<.05) and severe 44 mmHg(30-60)(p<.01). Vital capacity and forced expiratory volumes were significantly lower (p<.01) in the moderate and severe categories when compared to the normal and mild groups. The mean RMSV in the normal group was 0.8 mv(range 0.4-1.1), mild 1.1 mv(0.7-2.2) (p<.02),moderate 1.2 mv(0.7-2.9) (p<101) and in the severe 1.8 mv(0.8-2.7) (p<.01). During the 8 months the study was in progress, 7 pts died all of whom were in the moderate or severe categories, we conclude that there is a significant relationship between right heart involvement assessed by the HL of the VCG and the severity of CF determined by CS, PaO2 and some pulmonary tests.
Effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on estrous cyclicity and ovulation in female Sprague-Dawley rats.

The effect of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on estrous cyclicity and ovulation in Sprague-Dawley rats was examined. TCDD at a single oral dose of 10 μg/kg resulted in irregularity of cycles, characterized mainly as prolonged periods of diestrus. In rats cycling normally this dose of TCDD reduced the ovulatory rate and the number of ova recovered. The results suggest that TCDD is a reproductive toxin also in female rats, the mechanism of which is as yet unknown.
A Study of Inhomogeneous Plastic Deformation of 1045 Steel

An experimental study was conducted on the inhomogeneous plastic deformation of 1045 steel subjected to monotonic tension and cyclic tension-compression. Small strain gages were used to characterize the local deformation and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to study the microstructures associated with the observed deformation phenomenon. Under monotonic tension, the strain of the Luders front was lower than the full Luders strain. The local strains were inhomogeneous even at the work-hardening stage. Under stress-controlled cyclic loading with stress amplitudes below the lower yield stress, cyclic deformation consisted of an incubation stage, a significantly inhomogeneous cyclic softening stage, and a saturation stage. Inhomogeneous cyclic plasticity persisted at the saturation stage. A monotonic tension preload can eliminate the incubation stage in the subsequent cyclic loading. Under asymmetric cyclic loading with a mean stress, the cyclic plastic deformation was accompanied by noticeable inhomogeneous ratcheting deformation. TEM was used to analyze the distribution and evolution of the dislocation structures at different locations of the specimen. With increasing loading cycles, the dislocation substructures evolved in a sequence of loose tangles, thick veins, long walls, elongated cells, and equiaxial cells. Based upon the mechanical experiments and observations of dislocation arrangements, the mechanisms governing inhomogeneous cyclic plastic deformation were discussed. .
Unilateral Neck Pulsations in a Patient with a Permanent Pacemaker

An asymptomatic patient with a permanent pacemaker presented with unilateral accentuated neck pulsations. Evaluation revealed tricuspid insufficiency, a massively dilated right internal jugular vein, and obstruction of the left internal jugular vein. There was no evidence of aneurysm, vascular tumor, or fistula. The most likely explanation for this constellation of findings is tricuspid regurgitation occurring in the setting of unilateral internal jugular vein occlusion. Such a combination should be considered in the differential diagnosis of asymmetrical neck pulsations in a patient with a transvenous pacemaker.
Effects of mass transfer on the performance of slurry reactors used for fischer-tropsch synthesis

The influence of mass transfer on the H2/CO ratio in the liquid phase of a slurry reactor used for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis has been analyzed theoretically. It is determined that even under circumstances where the gas-liquid mass-transfer resistance is a small fraction of the overall resistance, differences in the solubilities and diffusivities of H2 and CO can give rise to liquid-phase H2/CO ratios which differ substantially from that of the gas fed to the reactor. The direction and magnitude of the change in the liquid-phase H2/CO ratio is dependent on the H2-CO consumption ratio, the interfacial area for mass transfer from the bubble phase, the Damkohler number, and the space velocity of the feed gas.
Field-testing the new DECtalk PC system for medical applications

Synthesized human speech has now reached a new level of performance. With the introduction of DEC's new DECtalk PC, the small system developer will have a very powerful tool for creative design. It has been our privilege to be involved in the beta-testing of this new device and to add a medical dictionary which covers a wide range of medical terminology. With the inherent board level understanding of speech synthesis and the medical dictionary, it is now possible to provide full digital speech output for all medical files and terms. The application of these tools will cover a wide range of options for the future and allow a new dimension in dealing with the complex user interface experienced in medical practice.
Effect of prostaglandin E1 and steroid on healing colonic anastomoses

PURPOSE: The effect of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and corticosteroids alone and in combination were studied in the healing rat colon to determine whether PGE1 could not only improve healing but reverse the negative effect of steroids on colonic wound healing. METHODS: Colonic anastomoses were performed in 144 male Sprague-Dawley rats divided into four groups. The control group (I) received no further treatment. The steroid group (II) received cortisone acetate (5 mg/kg/day) beginning six days preoperatively and continuing until sacrifice. The PGE1 group (III) received 2 μg of PGE1 intra-aortically at surgery and for three days postoperatively. The combination PGE1/steroid group (IV) received both drugs in the same doses as those in Groups II and III. Animals were sacrificed on postoperative days 6, 10, and 14. Wound healing was evaluated by hydroxyproline content, bursting pressures, and histology. RESULTS: The hydroxyproline assay at day 10 revealed that steroid-treated rats have significantly lower levels than any other group. The PGE1 group (III) had the highest level of significance in comparison to the steroid group (II) (P=0.001). The addition of PGE1 to steroid (Group IV) appeared to abolish the negative effect of the steroid as measured by hydroxyproline content on day 10 (P=0.038). When measuring bursting pressures, the PGE1 group (III) had significantly higher pressures than any other group at day 10. However, no amelioration of the steroid effect on bursting pressures was seen. Histologic evaluation of the anastomosis did not reveal any significant differences among the four groups. CONCLUSIONS: PGE1 reverses the negative effect of the steroid on hydroxyproline levels at day 10. Furthermore, using bursting pressure as a parameter of wound healing, administration of PGE1 results in significantly improved anastomotic healing at day 10.
Empirical predictions of the new monetary economics: Perspectives on velocity

Recent work by Black (1970), Fama (1980), Hall (1983), Wallace (1983), and others has stimulated interest in what Hall (1982a) labels the "new monetary economics" (henceforth, NME).I Most generally, the NME emphasizes the distinction between the provision of monetary services and the provision of money. More specifically , money's two functions of medium of account and medium of exchange need not be united in a single asset called money . In contrast to current financial institutions , transactions could be conducted by using assets that are traditionally considered nonmonetary , such as equity shares , interest-bearing assets, or bookkeeping entries through a central accounting system. The unit of account could be a commodity basket or even be purely abstract; in either case it could exist separately from the media of exchange . For this reason, NME systems are often described as " advanced barter. " Furthermore, NME banks would not differ in kind from other financial intermediaries (Cowen and Kroszner , 1989b, forthcoming). Depositors would hold checkable accounts based upon return-bearing assets; some extension of today's " Cash Management Account" (Merrill Lynch) might become the standard form for transactions deposits . The authors associated with the NME, however , do not adopt any monolithic or even necessarily consistent position on many important issues. Some formulations are strictly cashless, with no physical media of exchange, whereas others contain currency that might be provided
Decadal variability of the air‐sea CO2 fluxes in the equatorial Pacific Ocean

[1] In order to determine the interannual and decadal changes in the air-sea carbon fluxes of the equatorial Pacific, we developed seasonal and interannual relationships between the fugacity of CO2 (fCO2) and sea surface temperature (SST) from shipboard data that were applied to high-resolution temperature fields deduced from satellite data to obtain high-resolution large-scale estimates of the regional fluxes. The data were gathered on board research ships from November 1981 through June 2004 between 95°W and 165°E. The distribution of fCO2sw during five El Nino periods and four La Nina periods were documented. Observations made during the warm boreal winter-spring season and during the cooler boreal summer-fall season of each year enabled us to examine the interannual and seasonal variability of the fCO2sw-SST relationships. A linear fit through all of the data sets yields an inverse correlation between SST and fCO2sw, with both interannual and seasonal differences in slope. On average, the surface water fCO2 in the equatorial region has been increasing at a rate similar to the atmospheric CO2 increase. In addition, there appears to be a slight increase (∼27%) in the outgassing flux of CO2 after the 1997–1998 Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) regime shift. Most of this flux increase is due to increase in wind speeds after the spring of 1998, although increases in fCO2sw after 1998 are also important. These increases are coincident with the recent rebound of the shallow water meridional overturning circulation in the tropical and subtropical Pacific after the regime shift.
Riboflavin as a photocatalyst and hydrogen carrier in photochemical reduction.

1. 1. In the presence of certain metal-chelating agents riboflavin was reversibly reduced by visible light. This reduction has been followed visually, spectrophotometrically and polarographically. 2. 2. Riboflavin not only absorbs the light but is reduced in the process, and in turn can transfer its electrons to suitable hydrogen acceptors added to the system. 3. 3. Polarographic data were used to establish the reversibility of the photoreduction system. Semiquinone formation was strongly suggested. 4. 4. From the half-wave potential (E12) for the polarographic reduction of riboflavin, the reduction potential at pH 7.3 was calculated to be −0.208 volts, and −0.194 volts at pH 7.0. 5. 5. Oxygen inhibited the photoreduction of riboflavin and also protected the riboflavin from photolysis. Na2EDTA not only protected riboflavin, but also promoted the photoreduction. 6. 6. Certain metal ions, dinitrophenol, p-nitrobenzaldehyde, and sodium azide inhibited the photoreduction of riboflavin. This inhibition could be reversed by excess riboflavin. 7. 7. Evidence points to a metal-mediated complex between riboflavin or light-activated riboflavin and the metal-chelating agent.
Genre bending and utopia‐building

Why are bookstore shelves filled with mysteries, horror stories, romances, Westerns and other genre fiction? Why should one spend time reading narratives that are so similar? Why, for that matter, should one write works that are so similar to those of other authors? One philosopher, Noel Carroll, in fact, refers to the phenomenon as the ‘paradox of junk fiction’. Are there works in political theory as well that share characteristics with these genres? And is there also a paradox involved among both these readers and authors? This essay reviews both the criticisms and defenses of popular generic texts focusing on arguments that defend the complexity of genre texts and those that deny the distinction between generic works and others. Utopias are identified as counterparts in political theory and are applied to this genre debate. I conclude by revising the genre paradox.
Compartmental expression of trkB receptor protein in the developing striatum.

Abstract To investigate the role of neurotrophins in the initial formation of striatal patch versus matrix, the spatial and temporal expression of trkB receptors was examined using immunohistochemistry. Polyclonal antibodies, against the C-terminus or the tyrosine kinase domain, revealed trkB-immunoreactive cells and fibers localized to patches beginning on embryonic day 19 in the rat, which co-localized with patchy dopamine fibers, substance P-immunoreactive neurons and glutamate receptors. Patchy striatal trkB expression was maintained after lesioning the nigrostriatal dopamine system. The patchy trkB distribution persisted through postnatal day 14, then became more homogeneous at the same time that nigrostriatal afferents become homogeneous. Later in development, trkB immunoreactivity was most intense in a subpopulation of large striatal cells that were similar in size and frequency to those immunoreactive for choline acetyltransferase. The spatiotemporal expression of trkB receptor in phenotypically distinct striatal patches, as well as evidence that neurotrophins regulate expression of neuronal phenotypic markers during development, may indicate a convergence of neurotrophins and afferent innervation on to future patch cells that may regulate the establishment of striatal compartmentalization.
Hormonal regulation of uridine diphosphatase during spermatogenesis in the rat.

Uridine diphosphatase, a protein marker of internal cytoplasmic membranes, and 5'–nucleotidase, a protein marker of plasma membranes, have been studied in terms of their SA and cytochemical localization during spermatogenesis in the rat. The plasma membranes of all the germinal epithelial cells stained for 5'–nucleotidase activity. The SA of this enzyme increased markedly during the formation of spermatogonia, and was unaltered by hypophysectomy or injections of testosterone or pituitary gonadotropins. The SA of UDPase increased markedly with the formation of spermatogonia and spermatocytes (up to 26 days of age), and then decreased sharply with the formation of spermatids, in which cells the enzyme was not detectable by cytochemical staining techniques. Hypophysectomy of the adult rat (58–60 days) induced a loss of spermatids and a rapid increase of the specific activity of UDPase to levels characteristic of the 26–day—old rat. Treatment of hypophysectomized rats with LH and FSH or with testosterone indu...
Combat and ‘combat’: a feminist reflection

Official recognition – by civilian governments, by military officers, by legislators – of ‘women in combat’ is scarcely coterminous with women experiencing violence. • A woman who has been attacked...
Commercially prepared infant cereals: Nutritional considerations

Nutritional properties of infant dry cereals vary with the brand and variety of cereal and with the choice of diluent (formula, milk, or water). In a study of a group of 34 women, it was found that approximately 6 parts of diluent were mixed with one part (by weight) of dry cereal. Many dry cereals are relatively good sources of protein, iron, thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin. Wet-packed cereals with fruit generally provide fewer calories and less protein and iron per unit of weight than do dry cereals diluted with milk or formula.
Entamoeba histolytica: A Method for Isolate Identification

The ability to identify individual isolates of Entamoeba histolytica Schaudinn 1903 (Emend. Walker 1911) is necessary before several important epidemiological questions can be answered. We have developed such a method based on our discovery of extensive polymorphism in two E. histolytica genes--the serine-rich antigen gene and the "strain specific gene"--each of which has an internal tandemly repeated structure. Using the polymerase chain reaction we detected both size and restriction site polymorphisms in the repetitive regions. When the two genes were used in combination we obtained 16 distinct DNA patterns out of 18 isolates examined. Moreover, these patterns proved to be stable under a variety of conditions--long-term culture, axenization, cell cloning, and animal passage.
Amine oxidase activity in commercial preparations of bovine serum albumin

Amine oxidase activity has been identified in commercial samples of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Benzylamine, phenylethylamines and to a lesser extent, indoleamines, were found to be substrates. The amine oxidase activity was inhibited by semicarbazide and was virtually absent in electrophoretically purified samples. Kinetic analysis of benzylamine deamination and experiments utilizing mixed substrates indicate that more than one catalytic activity may be involved. The results show that amine deamination should be considered as a potential source of error in experiments employing high concentrations of commercially available BSA preparations. This would be of particular importance for in vitro studies with dopamine since this amine was found to be deaminated at a rapid rate.
Chemoinformatics analysis identifies cytotoxic compounds susceptible to chemoresistance mediated by glutathione and cystine/glutamate transport system xc-

Glutathione detoxification has been broadly implicated in resistance to chemotherapy. This study explores the relationship between chemical structure and GSH-mediated chemoresistance. System xc-, the heterodimeric cystine/glutamate exchanger composed of SLC7A11 and SLC3A2, plays a role in maintaining cellular glutathione (GSH) levels. Previous results show that SLC7A11 expression negatively correlates with drug potency across the National Cancer Institute's 60 cell lines for compounds susceptible to GSH-mediated chemoresistance. The number of significant SLC7A11-drug correlations was much greater than those of other genes tested, suggesting that SLC7A11 plays a critical role. Approximately 15% of a curated set of 3045 compounds yielded significant negative SLC7A11 correlations. These compounds tend to contain structural features amenable to GSH reactivity, such as Mannich bases. In cell lines strongly expressing SLC7A11, the potency of selected compounds, was enhanced by inhibition of SLC7A11. This system provides a rapid screen for detecting susceptibility of anticancer drugs to GSH-mediated resistance.
The NSF Foundation Coalition: The First Five Years

The Foundation Coalition was funded in 1993 as the fifth coalition in the National Science Foundation's Engineering Education Coalitions Program. The member institutions—Arizona State University, Maricopa Community College District, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University, Texas A&M University - Kingsville, Texas Woman's University, and the University of Alabama—have developed improved curricula and learning environment models that are based on four primary thrusts: integration of subject matter within the curriculum, cooperative and active learning, technology-enabled learning, and continuous improvement through assessment and evaluation. This paper discusses the first five years of Coalition activities and major accomplishments to date.
THE USE OF COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGIES IN NARRATIVE DISCOURSE: A CASE STUDY OF A LEARNER OF MOROCCAN ARABIC AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

Research in second language learners’communicative strategies has provided an elaborate framework for analyzing how learners manage to convey meanings and messages in spite of their limited "knowledge" of the target language. Many studies (e.g., Faerch and Kasper 1983) have dealt with the identification and classification of communicative strategies (CSs). This paper investigates a new aspect of the use of CSs: the interaction between the application of CSs and narrative discourse features. Twelve narratives were collected from a learner of Moroccan Arabic as a second language over a four-week period during daily conversation sessions in the target language. The analysis of the data draws upon research in narrative discourse (e.g., Labov 1972) and language learners’CSs (e.g., Tarone 1980; Faerch and Kasper 1983). The study suggests that the subject resorted to a number of strategies to compensate for her linguistic deficiencies and that the application of these strategies was not random but constrained by narrative discourse features. The limitations of this study are discussed and suggestions for further research made.
DNA repair in cultured human fibroblasts does not decline with donor age.

Abstract Human fibroblasts from young (3 days to 3 years) and old (84–94 years) donors were tested for their ability to repair DNA damage by measuring survival of colony formation following irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) light. Repair was also measured by the ability to reactivate herpes simplex virus following treatment of the virus with UV light, methyl methane sulfonate or 4,5′,8-trimethylpsoralen plus light. This virus was used as a probe of cellular repair capacity because survival of damaged virus is lower in repair-deficient cell lines [1]. Cell lines from both age groups exhibited comparable survivals following UV irradiation and failed to show increased sensitivity to irradiation in the presence of caffeine. Cells from both groups repaired damaged virus to equal extents. Proficient viral repair was observed under conditions in which cells were infected by either single or multiple viral genomes. These results suggest that DNA repair mechanisms which act on a variety of lesions (e.g. pyrimidine dimers, apurinic sites, alkylated bases, cross-links, etc.) do not decline with age. A model for biological aging resulting from the accumulation with age of unrepaired DNA damage is discussed.
Myosin phosphorylation, agonist concentration and contraction of tracheal smooth muscle.

Myosin phosphorylation plays an important part in excitation–contraction coupling in smooth muscle. Phosphorylation by a Ca2+, calmodulin-dependent kinase stimulates the actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity of smooth muscle myosin1–5, suggesting that myosin phosphorylation regulates smooth muscle contraction (see refs 5, 6 for discussions of alternative hypotheses). This hypothesis is supported by evidence that myosin is phosphorylated during contraction and dephosphorylated during relaxation of intact smooth muscles stimulated with a single agonist concentration7–9. However, there is little information regarding the response to stimulation with various agonist concentrations. As the dose–response relationships for phosphorylation and tension should be similar if myosin phosphorylation does, in fact, regulate smooth muscle contraction, we studied myosin phosphorylation in tracheal smooth muscle stimulated with a broad range of concentrations of the cholinergic agonist, methacholine. The results of these experiments are consistent with the hypothesis that myosin phosphorylation regulates smooth muscle contraction but they indicate a relatively complex relationship between myosin phosphorylation and the generation of isometric tension.
Ethical issues in the use of the bogus pipeline

This article addresses the ethics of utilizing the bogus pipeline (BPL) procedure in social psychological research. A debate is presented between 2 positions: One challenges the use of the BPL based on ethical principles, and the other confronts these challenges. The debate addresses the void in previous BPL literature regarding concerns about the ethics of using this technique, and raises awareness about potential ethical dilemmas faced by BPL users. The BPL is discussed from utilitarian and deontological ethical perspectives.
Sensitivity analysis of rotational energy transfer processes to the intermolecular potential

This paper considers the sensitivity of rotational energy transfer processes to the variation of parameters within an assumed model intermolecular potential. The following cross sections are considered here: integral state to state, pressure broadening, effective diffusion and viscosity, and final state summed integral cross sections. In order to simplify the calculation of cross sections, attention is restricted to the scattering of an atom and linear rigid rotor. Furthermore, the collision dynamics are approximated by using the infinite order sudden (IOS) method. It is shown that use of the IOS method allows for the very simple generation of first order sensitivity coefficients (i.e., the partial derivative of cross sections with respect to potential parameters). Particular attention is focused upon the sensitivities of different cross sections and combinations of cross sections to the various parameters. The first order sensitivities are also used to derive new coefficients which describe how the potential parameters correlate given a limited set of cross section measurements. These coefficients are shown to be particularly important in determining the degree to which a set of measurements is able to define various parameters of the assumed potential.
Release of aflatoxin from the mycelium of Aspergillus parasiticus into liquid media

Spores of an aflatoxinogenie strain ofAspergillus parasiticus were inoculated into a glucose-salts medium and incubated at 28° C for 5 days when both mold growth and aflatoxin production were nearly maximal. The mold mycelium thus produced was recovered by filtration, washed three times with distilled water, placed in a nitrogen-free liquid medium (so growth was not possible), and held for 45 h. Samples of medium were tested periodically for aflatoxin content to determine release of toxin by the mycelium. When the mycelium was in a medium with 5% glucose and was held at 7° C; 17, 33, 39, and 56% of the aflatoxin from the mycelium appeared in the liquid after 1, 9, 21, and 45 h, respectively. Aflatoxin B1 was lost by the mycelium more slowly than were B2, G1, and G2. At 28° C, values for the same time intervals were 27, 60, 70, and 76%, respectively, and at 45° C they were 32, 71, 71, and 79%. At 28 and 45° C, aflatoxins G1 and G2 were lost by the mycelium more rapidly than were aflatoxins B1 and B2. Elimination of glucose from the medium at 28° C hastened, and use of 50% instead of 5% glucose markedly reduced release of aflatoxin by the mycelium during early stages of the incubation period.
COMPLEMENTARY PERFECTLY MATCHED LAYERS TO REDUCE REFLECTION ERRORS

A new approach is proposed to reduce the reflection error () of a perfectly matched layer PML in the frequency-domain finite- element solution of electromagnetics problems. The approach is based on the complementary nature of a PML backed by a perfect electric conduc- () ( ) tor PEC and one backed by a perfect magnetic conductor PMC . By aeraging the solutions obtained by PEC- and PMC-backed PML, the << error is reduced by 20 log R dB, where R is the reflection coefficient of the PEC- or PMC-backed PML. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the complementary PMLs. Q 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 14: 284)287, 1997.