cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Uncoupling gene expression noise along the central dogma using genome engineered human cell lines

Eukaryotic protein synthesis is an inherently stochastic process. This stochasticity stems not only from variations in cell content between cells but also from thermodynamic fluctuations in a single cell. Ultimately, these inherently stochastic processes manifest as noise in gene expression, where even genetically identical cells in the same environment exhibit variation in their protein abundances. In order to elucidate the underlying sources that contribute to gene expression noise, we quantify the contribution of each step within the process of protein synthesis along the central dogma. We uncouple gene expression at the transcriptional, translational, and post-translational level using custom engineered circuits stably integrated in human cells using CRISPR. We provide a generalized framework to approximate intrinsic and extrinsic noise in a population of cells expressing an unbalanced two-reporter system. Our decomposition shows that the majority of intrinsic fluctuations stem from transcription and that coupling the two genes along the central dogma forces the fluctuations to propagate and accumulate along the same path, resulting in increased observed global correlation between the products.
Youth-Adult Partnerships to Prevent Violence

Youth-adult partnerships in disadvantaged neighborhoods offer a promising approach for preventing community problems such as violence. While they differ slightly from traditional intergenerational ...
Biexciton Hamiltonian for the correlated triplet pair states in singlet fission: Revealing the contest between triplet-triplet exchange and triplet-triplet energy transfer coupling

The correlated triplet pair state 1(TT) is a key intermediate in the singlet fission process, and understanding the mechanism by which it separates into two independent triplet states is critical for leveraging singlet fission for improving solar cell efficiency. This separation mechanism is dominated by two key interactions: (i) the exchange interaction (K) between the triplets which leads to the spin splitting of the biexciton state into 1(TT),3(TT) and 5(TT) states, and (ii) the triplet-triplet energy transfer integral (t) which enables the formation of the spatially separated (but still spin entangled) state 1(T...T). In this work, we use simple ab inito calculations to compute the triplet-triplet exchange (K) and triplet-triplet energy transfer coupling (t). For a model 1D system, we show how these parameters affect the biexciton energy manifold using a steady state approximation. Our key findings reveal a new condition for successful correlated triplet pair state dissociation. If the K to t ratio is comparable to or less than one, biexction dissociation is favored for large chromophore assemblies. Additionally, for smaller chromophore assemblies, the biexciton exchange interaction needs to be negligible compared to the triplet energy transfer for favourable dissociation. We also explore the effect of chromophore packing to reveal geometries where the triplet energy transfer integral is significantly larger compared to the triplet-triplet exchange.
The Fairness Doctrine: A Solution in Search of a Problem

For most of this century, American broadcasters suffered from diminished First Amendment status in comparison with their brethren in the print media. Broadcasters' editorial judgments were subject to oversight and second-guessing by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) under what was called the "Fairness Doctrine." In 1987, the FCC ceased to enforce the doctrine and in the following years, Congress tried several times to revive it. Many observers in the media and on Capitol Hill now insist the issue is at last dead. Rumors and speculation, though, continue to abound over an eventual revival of the Fairness Doctrine. Advocates of the doctrine's return are now looking to the courts to force the FCC to do what it has refused to do on its own initiative and what Congress has been unable to mandate.
Lipase-catalyzed transamidation of non-activated amides in organic solvent

A novel biocatalytic reaction of transamidation of non-activated amides with amines is reported. Among 45 different lipolytic and proteolytic enzymes tested, only the lipase from Candida antarcticawas able to catalyze this reaction. The reaction proceeded with up to ca. 80% conversion in anhydrous methyl tert-butyl ether and worked with both N-substituted and unsubstituted amides. The biocatalytic transamidation is an equilibrium process and, therefore, higher conversions to the desired amide were achieved by using increased concentrations of the amine nucleophile.
Chapter 2 The roots of development theory

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an investigation on the availability of the current development theory, in the writings of the 18th century. The theory of economic development established itself in Britain in the century and a half running from about 1650 to Adam Smith's “The Wealth of Nations.” The chapter concentrates on the writings of the three superstars of the eighteenth century, Hume, Steuart, and Adam Smith. The eighteenth century economists did not find the precise distinction between tradeable and non-tradeable goods and services. They were also conscious of the difficulties of exporting imposed constraints on the growth of the economy. If they were obsessed with the balance of payments, it may also be said that mid-twentieth-century economists underestimated the importance of this constraint, and paid the penalty in almost continual international currency crises from 1913 to the time of writing (1985). The Quantity Theory of money was well known to economists throughout the eighteenth century, because of its formulation by John Locke. About the short-term effects on wages of an increase in the demand for labor, the long-run effects were disputed by at least three groups: those who believed in increasing returns, those who saw an infinitely elastic supply of labor, and a third group that expected diminishing returns. Economic institutions were different then from now, and this is reflected in the shape of development theory. The eighteenth century could not contribute spectacularly to the monetary theory of the twentieth century, because the institutional background differed so greatly as between the two periods. This is an age of paper money—banknotes checks and so on—whereas theirs was still an age of precious metals circulating as money.
A low-power architecture for phase-splitting passband equalizer

A low power architecture for phase splitting passband equalizer (PSPE) is proposed. Carrierless AM/PM (CAP) transmission scheme, which is a standard for numerous broadband communication systems including ATM-LAN networks, employs PSPE at the receiving end to combat channel distortion and crosstalk. The conventional PSPE requires two independent adaptive filters that form the in-phase and the quadrature phase equalizers. The Hilbert relationship between the in-phase and quadrature phase equalizers in the PSPE is exploited to develop the proposed architecture. It is shown that, by employing the proposed receiver architecture in a 51.84 Mb/s ATM-LAN environment: (i) a net saving in power is obtained as long as the length of the Hilbert filter is less than 130, (ii) a saving of up to 18% can be achieved with a degradation of less that 0.5 dB.
Retrotranspositions in orthologous regions of closely related grass species.

Retrotransposons are commonly occurring eukaryotic transposable elements (TEs). Among these, long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons are the most abundant TEs and can comprise 50–90% of the genome in higher plants. By comparing the orthologous chromosomal regions of closely related species, the effects of TEs on the evolution of plant genomes can be studied in detail. Here, we compared the composition and organization of TEs within five orthologous chromosomal regions among three grass species: maize, sorghum, and rice. We identified a total of 132 full or fragmented LTR retrotransposons in these regions. As a percentage of the total cumulative sequence in each species, LTR retrotransposons occupy 45.1% of the maize, 21.1% of the rice, and 3.7% of the sorghum regions. The most common elements in the maize retrotransposon-rich regions are the copia-like retrotransposons with 39% and the gypsy-like retrotransposons with 37%. Using the contiguous sequence of the orthologous regions, we detected 108 retrotransposons with intact target duplication sites and both LTR termini. Here, we show that 74% of these elements inserted into their host genome less than 1 million years ago and that many retroelements expanded in size by the insertion of other sequences. These inserts were predominantly other retroelements, however, several of them were also fragmented genes. Unforeseen was the finding of intact genes embedded within LTR retrotransposons. Although the abundance of retroelements between maize and rice is consistent with their different genome sizes of 2,364 and 389 Mb respectively, the content of retrotransposons in sorghum (790 Mb) is surprisingly low. In all three species, retrotransposition is a very recent activity relative to their speciation. While it was known that genes re-insert into non-orthologous positions of plant genomes, they appear to re-insert also within retrotransposons, potentially providing an important role for retrotransposons in the evolution of gene function.
Lives of promise: What becomes of high school valedictorians: A fourteen-year study of achievement and life choices.

1. Pomp and Circumstance 2. School Smart: Becoming High School Valedictorian 3. What Is Success? Envisioning the Ultimate 4. Life After the First B'': Going to College 5. Contingency Planning: Women and Careers 6. Hidden Lessons: Race, Class, and Tacit Knowledge 7. Channels of Success: From College to Career 8. Delights and Troubles: Becoming an Adult 9. The Full Plate Stage: Entering the Thirties 10. Values and Vocations: The Mission of Achievement 11. What Really Happens to High School Valedictorians? Resources: Note to Researchers and Descriptive Tables.
Who became poor, who escaped poverty, and why? Developing and using a retrospective methodology in five countries

The Stages-of-Progress methodology helps identify context-specific reasons associated with households' movements into or out of poverty. Developed in 2002, it was used over the next seven years for examining the experiences of 35,567 households in 398 diverse communities of India, Kenya, Uganda, Peru, and North Carolina. This essay looks at the reasons that motivated the development of a different methodology for exploring poverty flows, explores the steps involved, and briefly presents key results. Large numbers of households have fallen into poverty in every context examined, but large numbers have also become persistently poor. Different reasons are associated, respectively, with escaping poverty and falling into poverty. Different policies are, therefore, required to deal with each of the two poverty flows. © 2010 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
Categorical and Programming Changes in Special Education Services

Special education students (N = 654) were studied to determine what proportion had a categorical or programming change and what factors (child, school, and home) were associated with change. The study included all students with disabilities from preschool through secondary school in a tricounty rural district. Data were gathered through a record review and parent survey. Change was found to be more common than is generally perceived: 38.2% of the students had a classification change (21.9% by termination and 16.3% by reclassification). Rates of change varied significantly among classifications and the student's initial classification, grade level, and comorbidity were significantly predictive of change in classification.
Response of the Primate Secretory Endometrium to Subchronic Hypercortisolemia

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of subchronic and moderate hypercortisolism on the secretory endometrium of the cynomolgus monkey. METHODS Osmotic pumps containing hydrocortisone phosphate (HP) were implanted subcutaneously in each monkey on the first day of the menstrual cycle; each monkey also received pumps containing saline in another cycle. Blood was obtained three times per week and urine was collected daily for hormone analyses. Endometriectomy was performed 13 +/- 1 days after the serum estradiol (E2) peak in each study cycle. RESULTS Infusion of HP elevated serum cortisol levels by an average of 70%. Mean serum progesterone (P) levels were decreased by 50% during the secretory phase of HP-treatment cycles by comparison with self-control cycles (P < .01); as a result, the mean endometrial glycogen concentration was reduced by 30% (P < .05) and the activity of 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase was decreased by 70% (P < .05). Serum E2 levels were not consistently elevated by HP treatment, but cytosolic estrogen receptor levels of the endometrium were decreased by 50% (P < .01), indicating increased estrogenic stimulation. Histologic development of the secretory endometrium was retarded, but the length of the secretory phase was not affected by the treatment. CONCLUSION A moderate elevation of serum cortisol levels over one menstrual cycle consistently produced a reduction in serum P and a hypoprogestogenic-hyperestrogenic response of the secretory endometrium in the cynomolgus monkey.
Coping with Rape: Critical Perspectives on Consciousness

Traditional psychological prescriptions for coping with injustice rest on a variety of assumptions which ignore the lived experiences of most women, especially those who are poor or working class, whose lives are embedded in a network of relationships that need be considered in their coping. This article, through a dialogue between the author, a rape counselor, and a woman who has survived rape, provides an analysis of the class, race and gender biases woven into the Taking-Control-Yields-Coping formulations.
Pairwise trade and coexistence of money and higher-return assets

Abstract A new theory of coexistence of money and higher-return assets is set out. It applies to any setting in which some trade involves an exchange of goods for assets and occurs between two people—a buyer and a seller. We show that there exists a function mapping the portfolios of the buyer and the seller to the trade that occurs such that (i) the trade is in the buyer–seller core and (ii) some people are induced to enter the buyer–seller meeting with money.
Suppression of somatostatin levels in the hepatic portal and systemic plasma of the rat by synthetic human pancreatic polypeptide.

Abstract Intravenous administration of synthetic human pancreatic polypeptide (hPP) with 36 amino acid residues significantly decreased immunoreactive somatostatin levels in both hepatic portal and systemic plasma in anesthetized rats. The effect of hPP on plasma somatostatin levels is acute. The results suggest that hPP may have a role in controlling somatostatin secretion from the gut and pancreas.
Carbon Dioxide Variability and Atmospheric Circulation

Abstract Hourly values of the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide at Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) formed the basis for an investigation of concentration fluctuations on daily to monthly time scales. In agreement with earlier studies we found no evidence linking the fluctuations with large-scale variations in the atmospheric circulation. Neither did local cane fires produce any measurable effects. A diurnal variation that comprises daytime forest depletion and nighttime enhancement by outgassing from the summit caldera need not affect overall data quality. We conclude that MLO is an excellent site for monitoring atmospheric carbon dioxide.
Demand management of groundwater with monsoon forecasting

Abstract This paper presents an operational approach to setting prices for groundwater in accordance with the interannual variability of monsoon rainfall and the dynamic cost of groundwater use to society. The pricing system is designed for the state of Tamil Nadu, India, where groundwater is largely unregulated and the electricity for pumping is heavily subsidized. Depletion of aquifers during the primary growing season causes environmental damage and drying of wells. The proposed price-setting system estimates the marginal social cost of groundwater use based on the current state of aquifer storage and the forecast of the coming monsoon. Prices are set prior to onset of the monsoon so farmers can plan crop rotations according to the expectation of seasonal rainfall as reflected in the pricing signal. During years that forecasts accurately characterize the probability distribution of monsoon outcomes the market signal encourages economically efficient use of the resource. When monsoons differ from the expected outcome farmers are cushioned by ancillary effects of the pricing system.
A Reappraisal of the Evidence for Regulation of Wolf Populations

The dogma that gray wolf (Canis lupus) population densities in naturally occurring systems are limited almost solely by available ungulate biomass is based upon studies that fit straight line linear regressions (Type 1 numerical response) to data collected at 32 sites across North America. We fit Type 1, 2, and 3 response functions to the data using linear and nonlinear regression as appropriate and found that the evidence supported wolf population regulation by density-dependence as much as limitation by prey availability. When we excluded 4 of 32 points from the original data set because those points represented exploited or expanding wolf populations the data suggested that wolf populations are self regulated rather than limited by prey biomass by at least a 3:1 margin. In establishing goals for sustainable wolf population levels, managers of wolf reintroductions and species recovery efforts should account for the possibility that some regulatory mechanism plays an important role in wolf population dynamics. 2011 The Wildlife Society.
A new gas-tight isobaric sampler for hydrothermal fluids

A new gas-tight isobaric sampler for the collection of hydrothermal fluids venting at the seafloor has been designed, constructed, and tested at a ridge-crest vent site. The new device is constructed of chemically inert titanium, is gas-tight to 450 bar and can be used to sample fluids with temperatures up to 400°C. Compressed gas is used to maintain the sample at seafloor pressure before and during sample withdrawal onboard ship, allowing subsampling without degassing the fluid remaining in the sampler. This feature eliminates the need to collect separate gas-tight and major element samples since a single fluid sample can be analyzed quantitatively for major, trace, semi-volatile, and volatile components. The sampler fill rate is regulated to minimize entrainment of ambient seawater during collection of fluids from environments characterized by low fluid flow such as diffuse hydrothermal vents. In addition to deployment at the ridge-crest, the samplers can be used to collect gas-tight samples from other subseasurface environments such as hydrocarbon seeps, areas of methane-gas hydrate formation, cold seeps associated with serpentinites, regions of groundwater egress to the oceans, and the water column.
The “protection” of “woman”: A history of legal attitudes toward women's workplace freedom

This essay argues that current symbols can be attitudinally united with historical symbols despite seeming dissimilarities in their construction. This thesis is illustrated by a comparative analysis of the historical dispute over protective legislation for women and the current controversy over fetal protection policies. “Protection” historically meant the protection of “woman” as mother of future generations by the state. Today, “protection” means protection of the “unborn child” by corpora‐lions. Despite seeming dissimilarities, these symbols are attitudinally united because both reduce the interests of all women to motherhood and thereby limit women's autonomy in the workplace. Though contemporary symbols representing women may appear to be more egalitarian, this analysis indicates that the historical inequality of women in the workforce haunts contemporary corporate policy.
VICARIOUS HOMICIDE VICTIMIZATION AND SUPPORT FOR CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: A TEST OF BLACK'S THEORY OF LAW*

This article examines the relationship between experiencing the homicide of a family member, friend, or acquaintance and the likelihood of support for capital punishment. Homicide victims'family and friends are often portrayed as strong advocates of the death penalty. Yet, the effect of vicarious homicide victimization on support for capital punishment has never been systematically examined, and in fact, Donald Black's theory of law suggests an inverse relationship between the two variables. Using data from the 1988 General Social Survey, this research tests hypotheses derived from Black's theory regarding the relationship among social intimacy, cultural status, and the use of law in response to conflict. Multivariate logistic regression models suggest that the experience of personally knowing a homicide victim significantly affects one's likelihood of support for the death penalty, but the effect of vicarious victimization varies for black and white respondents. The empirical patterns indicate that in addition to race, religious orientation and gender also play important roles in determining the relationship between vicarious homicide victimization and support for the death penalty.
Assessing the Vulnerability of a Municipal Well Field to Contamination in a Karst Aquifer

Proposed expansion of extractive lime-rock mines near the Miami–Dade County Northwest well field and Everglades wetland areas has garnered intense scrutiny by government, public, environmental stakeholders, and the media because of concern that mining will increase the risk of pathogen contamination. Rock mines are excavated to the same depth as the well field's primary producing zone. The underlying karst Biscayne aquifer is a triple-porosity system characterized by (1) a matrix of interparticle porosity and separate vug porosity; (2) touching-vug porosity that forms preferred, stratiform passageways; and, less commonly, (3) conduit porosity formed by thin solution pipes, bedding-plane vugs, and cavernous vugs. Existing ground-water flow and particle tracking models do not provide adequate information regarding the ability of the aquifer to limit the advective movement of pathogens and other contaminants. Chemical transport and colloidal mobility properties have been delineated using conservative and microsphere-surrogate tracers for Cryptosporidium parvum . Forced-gradient tests were executed by introducing conservative tracers into injection wells located 100 m (328 ft) from a municipal-supply well. Apparent mean advective velocity between the wells is one to two orders of magnitude greater than previously measured. Touching-vug, stratiform flow zones are efficient pathways for tracer movement at the well field. The effective porosity for a continuum model between the point of injection and tracer recovery ranges from 2 to 4 percent and is an order of magnitude smaller than previously assumed. Existing well-field protection zones were established using porosity estimates based on specific yield. The effective, or kinematic, porosity of a Biscayne aquifer continuum model is lower than the total porosity, because high velocities occur along preferential flow paths that result in faster times of travel than can be represented with the ground-water flow equation. Tracer tests indicate that the relative ease of contaminant movement to municipal supply wells is much greater than previously considered.
Time course of C-reactive protein reduction with Simvastatin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

The aim of this study was to investigate the time course of C-reactive protein (CRP) reduction with simvastatin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Thirty-five subjects (mean ± SEM body mass index 32.8 ± 1 kg/m 2 , mean ± SEM glycated hemoglobin 7.3 ± 0.2%) were studied using a randomized, crossover, double-blind design. Patients were treated with simvastatin 40 mg or placebo for 28 days, with a minimum 28-day intervening washout. On entry, all subjects had low-density lipoprotein cholesterol >100 mg/dl and/or non–high-density lipoprotein cholesterol >130 mg/dl. High-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) was measured on days 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 of each phase; fasting lipids were measured weekly. The mean hs-CRP level was 4.2 ± 0.6 mg/L at baseline (>3.0 mg/L represents high risk). After simvastatin administration, there was a significant reduction in levels of log(hs-CRP) (p = 0.001). This effect of simvastatin was seen by day 7 (p = 0.008), with maximal reduction seen at day 14 (p = 0.004; hs-CRP in original units 3.1 ± 0.5 mg/L with simvastatin and 4.1 ± 0.6 mg/L with placebo). As expected, the change in hs-CRP was not related to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reduction. By day 28 with simvastatin, hs-CRP had returned to near baseline levels. In conclusion, in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, simvastatin reduced hs-CRP within 7 days. However, this potentially beneficial effect was lost within 28 days.
Effect of ammonium nitrate aerosol on human respiratory function and symptoms

Abstract Volunteers, 20 normal and 19 asthmatic, were exposed to clean air (sham) and to ammonium nitrate (NH 4 NO 3 ) aerosol (exposure) under conditions which simulated a “worstcase” ambient pollution episode. The arosol concentration was nominally 200 μg/m 3 with a mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 1.1 μm and a geometric standard deviation (σg) of 3.3. Exposures lasted 2 hr with intermittent exercise and heat stress. No substantial alterations in pulmonary function or overall reported symptoms attributable to the NH 4 NO 3 exposure were found for either subject group. Possibly meaningful pulmonary function changes or symptom increases were seen in a few individuals, but these showed no obvious pattern and may well have been chance occurrences.
Attentional training of the appetitive motivation system: Effects on sensation seeking preferences and reward-based behavior

Motivation is seen to guide selective attention in favor of motivation-consistent stimuli. However, such links may be bi-directional in nature, such that selective attention processes may also bias and determine one’s motivational state. In the present study, we examined the latter direction of influence by randomly assigning participants to one of two conditions designed to train selective attention either toward or away from rewarding word stimuli. The effects of this manipulation were examined in terms of approach-related intentions, emotional state, and reward-reactive behavior. It was found that the selective attention manipulation influenced preferences and behavior, but not conscious emotional state. Findings are discussed in relation to implications for motivation, cognition, and emotion.
Bipolar Spectrum – Substance Use Co-occurrence: Behavioral Approach System (BAS) Sensitivity and Impulsiveness as Shared Personality Vulnerabilities

Bipolar disorders and substance use disorders (SUDs) show high co-occurrence. One explanation for this co-occurrence may be common personality vulnerabilities involved in both. The authors tested whether high behavioral approach system (BAS) sensitivity and impulsiveness are shared personality vulnerabilities in bipolar spectrum disorders and substance use problems and their co-occurrence in a longitudinal study of 132 individuals on the bipolar spectrum and 153 control participants. At Time 1, participants completed the Behavioral Inhibition System/BAS Scales and the Impulsive Nonconformity Scale. Substance use problems were assessed via the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test and the Drug Abuse Screening Test at 4-month intervals for 1 year. Participants with bipolar disorder had higher rates of lifetime SUDs and substance use problems during the follow-up, relative to control participants. In line with hypotheses, higher BAS sensitivity and impulsiveness predicted bipolar status and increased substance use problems prospectively. BAS total, BAS Fun Seeking, and impulsiveness mediated the association between bipolar spectrum status and prospective substance use problems, with impulsiveness as the most important mediator. High BAS sensitivity and impulsiveness may represent shared personality vulnerabilities for both disorders and may partially account for their co-occurrence.
The double mutation ΔL6MW241F in PsbO, the photosystem II manganese stabilizing protein, yields insights into the evolution of its structure and function

The W241F mutation in spinach manganese-stabilizing protein (PsbO) decreases binding to photosystem II (PSII); its thermostability is increased and reconstituted activity is lower [Wyman et al. (2008) Biochemistry 47, 6490–6498]. The results reported here show that W241F cannot adopt a normal solution structure and fails to reconstitute efficient Cl− retention by PSII. An N-terminal truncation of W241F, producing the ΔL6MW241F double mutant that resembles some features of cyanobacterial PsbO, significantly repairs the defects in W241F. Our data suggest that the C-terminal F → W mutation likely evolved in higher plants and green algae in order to preserve proper PsbO folding and PSII binding and assembly, which promotes efficient Cl− retention in the oxygen-evolving complex.
Real-Time Optimal Reach-Posture Prediction in a New Interactive Virtual Environment

Human posture prediction is a key factor for the design and evaluation of workspaces, in a virtual environment using virtual humans. This work presents a new interface and virtual environment for the direct human optimized posture prediction (D-HOPP) approach to predicting realistic reach postures of digital humans, where reach postures entail the use of the torso, arms, and neck. D-HOPP is based on the contention where depending on what type of task is being completed, and human posture is governed by different human performance measures. A human performance measure is a physics-based metric, such as energy or discomfort, and serves as an objective function in an optimization formulation. The problem is formulated as a single-objective optimization (SOO) problem with a single performance measure and as multi-objective-optimization (MOO) problem with multiple combined performance measures. We use joint displacement, change in potential energy, and musculoskeletal discomfort as performance measures. D-HOPP is equipped with an extensive yet intuitive user-interface, and the results are presented in an interactive virtual environment.
Genocide Studies: An Australian Perspective

The burgeoning field of genocide studies is faced with several concerns. Foremost is the challenge of finding a space for encompassing and embracing the Holocaust with some comfort. The Judeocide is an ally, not an enemy, and not on the margins. Our maturing discipline needs to find a sense of collegiality, consensus on terminology, and yardsticks with which to measure scales, dimensions, and degrees of the crime. Several other themes also need attention: wider perspectives on the prerequisites of genocide, starvation as a genocidal weapon, a clear separation between motive and intent, genocide by omission, the elusive concepts of “worthy” and “unworthy” victims, the vexed question of why nations and people want or do not want to intervene in the case of endangered peoples, the race factor in all genocides, the educative value of trials, and, a topic least addressed, the complicity of populations whose leaders are the perpetrators.
Cooperative Learning as a Sociocultural Practice

This study investigates Chinese immigrant high school students' perceptions of cooperative learning and their interactions during cooperative learning activities in English as a second language (ESL) classes. The findings present a complex picture of cooperative learning in the ESL classroom. The interview results demonstrate that the Chinese students had multiple and contradictory views of cooperative learning. They simultaneously liked and disliked working in groups. The observation data show that these students also produced multiple and conflicting discourses of cooperation, non-cooperation, and mis-cooperation as they worked on cooperative learning tasks. The themes of these contradictory discourses suggest that the Chinese students' everyday lived experiences of cooperative learning in ESL classes were shaped by dilemmatic qualities. The dilemmas these students encountered during cooperative learning tasks seem to derive from conflicting values and practices of the cultural, socio-economic, and educ...
Structure of rat aortic baroreceptors and their relationship to connective tissue.

The ultrastructure of fibres and sensory terminals of the aortic nerve innervating the aorta between the left common carotid and left subclavian arteries was investigated in the rat. This is the region from which most baroreceptor responses are recorded electrophysiologically. The fibres of the aortic nerve enter the adventitia and separate into bundles generally containing one myelinated fibre and four or five unmyelinated fibres of various sizes. The bundles pursue a roughly helical course through the adventitia; when they are close to the aortic media, the myelinated fibre loses its myelin sheath. A complex sensory terminal region is formed, as both the unmyelinated and ‘premyelinated’ axons become irregularly varicose. The concentration of mitochondria becomes very dense and cytoplasmic deposits of glycogen are observed. Both unmyelinated and premyelinated axons branch, and the unmyelinated axons wind irregularly around the premyelinated axon. The latter may have several loops and small holes. The terminal regions of both types of axon contain clusters of clear 40 nm vesicles. Part of the surface of each terminal region is ensheathed by Schwann cells, but the rest of the axolemma is directly exposed to extracellular connective tissue. There are often several layers of basal lamina around the sensory terminals and parts of the axolemma and Schwann cell membranes are attached to it by fine fibrillar material. The basal laminae are also attached to fibroblasts, fibroblast-like perineurial cells and elastic laminae, and the whole cellular and extracellular system appears to be tightly bound together. No differences between baroreceptors of spontaneously hypertensive and normal rats were found.
Meter-baseline tests of sterile neutrinos at Daya Bay

Abstract We explore the sensitivity of an experiment at the Daya Bay site, with a point radioactive source and a few meter baseline, to neutrino oscillations involving one or more eV mass sterile neutrinos. We find that within a year, the entire 3 + 2 and 1 + 3 + 1 parameter space preferred by global fits can be excluded at the 3σ level, and if an oscillation signal is found, the 3 + 1 and 3 + 2 scenarios can be distinguished from each other at more than the 3σ level provided one of the sterile neutrinos is lighter than 0.5 eV.
Pulse Electron Spin Resonance Studies of H and D Atoms in Impurity-Helium Solids

We have performed measurements of the two-pulse ESEEM (electron spin echo envelope modulation) spectra of H and D atoms within impurity-helium solids. The local environments of the atoms were determined from the modulation of the ESEEM signal by neighboring D2 and HD molecules. We have measured changes in the atom environments due to coalescence of the nanoclusters within the impurity-helium solids and due to the tunneling exchange chemical reaction D+HD→H+D2.
Role of peroxynitrite in secondary oxidative damage after spinal cord injury

Peroxynitrite (PON, ONOO−), formed by nitric oxide synthase-generated nitric oxide radical (˙NO) and superoxide radical (O2˙−), is a crucial player in post-traumatic oxidative damage. In the present study, we determined the spatial and temporal characteristics of PON-derived oxidative damage after a moderate contusion injury in rats. Our results showed that 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), a specific marker for PON, rapidly accumulated at early time points (1 and 3 h) and a significant increase compared with sham rats was sustained to 1 week after injury. Additionally, there was a coincident and maintained increase in the levels of protein oxidation-related protein carbonyl and lipid peroxidation-derived 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE). The peak increases of 3-NT and 4-HNE were observed at 24 h post-injury. In our immunohistochemical results, the co-localization of 3-NT and 4-HNE results indicates that PON is involved in lipid peroxidative as well as protein nitrative damage. One of the consequences of oxidative damage is an exacerbation of intracellular calcium overload, which activates the cysteine protease calpain leading to the degradation of several cellular targets including cytoskeletal protein (α-spectrin). Western blot analysis of α-spectrin breakdown products showed that the 145-kDa fragments of α-spectrin, which are specifically generated by calpain, were significantly increased as soon as 1 h following injury although the peak increase did not occur until 72 h post-injury. The later activation of calpain is most likely linked to PON-mediated secondary oxidative impairment of calcium homeostasis. Scavengers of PON, or its derived free radical species, may provide an improved antioxidant neuroprotective approach for the treatment of post-traumatic oxidative damage in the injured spinal cord.
Cytotoxic Halogenated Macrolides and Modified Peptides from the Apratoxin-Producing Marine Cyanobacterium Lyngbya bouillonii from Guam

Collections of the marine cyanobacterium Lyngbya bouillonii from shallow patch reefs in Apra Harbor, Guam, afforded three hitherto undescribed analogues of the glycosidic macrolide lyngbyaloside, namely, 2-epi-lyngbyaloside (1) and the regioisomeric 18E- and 18Z-lyngbyalosides C (2 and 3). Concurrently we discovered two new analogues of the cytoskeletal actin-disrupting lyngbyabellins, 27-deoxylyngbyabellin A (4) and lyngbyabellin J (5), a novel macrolide of the laingolide family, laingolide B (6), and a linear modified peptide, lyngbyapeptin D (7), along with known lyngbyabellins A and B, lyngbyapeptin A, and lyngbyaloside. The structures of 1-7 were elucidated by a combination of NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric analysis. Compounds 1-6 were either brominated (1-3) or chlorinated (4-6), consistent with halogenation being a hallmark of many marine natural products. All extracts derived from these L. bouillonii collections were highly cytotoxic due to the presence of apratoxin A or apratoxin C. Compounds 1-5 showed weak to moderate cytotoxicity to HT29 colorectal adenocarcinoma and HeLa cervical carcinoma cells.
Long Days on the Fibonacci Clock

The rule generating the Fibonacci sequence is extraordinarily simple, but its repeated application produces rich mathematics. If we leave the rule alone and change the start ing values, we again find sequences with interesting properties?such as the Lucas numbers. If we introduce modular arithmetic, there are new questions to answer. In what follows, I study Fibonacci sequences in ?p = Z/pZ, the integers mod p, where p is a prime. I like to call these the "Fibonacci numbers." Regardless of the start ing pair, the sequence will repeat [10]. The question I want to answer is "What is the maximum period for any Fibonacci sequence in Z/pZT In what follows, I present a particular point of view about the Fibonacci sequence in a way that gives some insight into both the standard sequence and its variations. Specifically, the Fibonacci sequence is interpreted in terms of a matrix acting on a finite set, an idea that is related to group actions and to (discrete) dynamical systems. The underlying set is the two-dimensional vector space ?p2; the matrix M from (2) provides the rule for the process. Iterations of the system correspond to powers of the matrix. Periods in the system are related, then, to powers of M that are equivalent modulo p to the identity matrix. The point of view works for all cases, even for the generalized Fibonacci numbers, where weights are allowed in the recursion formula. For a thorough look at dynamical systems and number theory, Silverman's book [8] is an excellent source. Most of what is contained here is not new. Searching Mathematical Reviews turns up dozens of articles about periods of Fibonacci numbers in Z/mZ, including many where m doesn't even have to be a prime or a power of a prime. The most-referenced article is Wall's article [10] in the monthly in 1960. Wall established many funda mental results, and posed some tantalizing questions. In particular, he showed that the period divides (p ? 1) when 5 is a quadratic residue mod p and divides (2/7 + 2) when it is not, but he did not find the maximal periods. Wall's investigation was motivated by a search for methods of generating pseudorandom numbers. Later, Brent [1], also motivated by pseudorandom numbers, considered the special properties of Fibonacci sequences modulo a power of 2. The story, however, begins even before the days of Mathematical Reviews. In the 1930s, Ward [11] considered periods, both minimal and maximal, and other characteristics of sequences arising from rather general recurrence relations, not just the Fibonacci relation. Kaiman and Mena's article in an earlier issue of this Magazine [5] examines many of the famous properties of the Fibonacci num bers as specific instances of properties of general second-order recurrences. Ward's results built on even earlier work by Carmichael [2] and others. For the early history of the subject, the curious reader should consult Dickson's history [3], particularly Volume I, Chapter XVII, where elements of the problem are traced back to Gauss and Lagrange. Earlier in the Magazine, Vella and Vella [9] looked at possible periods in
Using a college human sexuality course to combat homophobia

The present study seeks to identify factors among university students that may be associated with homophobic attitudes and whether homophobia may be reduced by educational interventions, such as knowledge-based curricula found in college sexuality courses. Participants were 128 undergraduate students attending a small, private university in the northwestern region of the United States. At the beginning and end of the fall semester 2004, survey packets consisting of a demographic questionnaire, the Sexual Opinion Survey, the Homophobia Scale, a sexual knowledge survey, and the Bem Sex Role Inventory were administered to students attending a human sexuality class and a comparison group of students enrolled in professional and social science introductory courses. Relative to the comparison group, homophobia levels significantly decreased over the course of the semester among students attending the sexuality class. The effect of attending the class on reducing homophobia was partially mediated by an increase ...
Epistemological Structures in Marketing: Paradigms, Metaphors, and Marketing Ethics

This article uses Arndt's depiction of marketing epistemology to suggest a possible explanation for the lack of emphasis on marketing ethics within the marketing literature. While a growing number of writers are turning their attention to the area, marketing's heavy reliance on logical empiricism has contributed to a disinclination in the development of this area. Only through recent and numerous revelations of misconduct has the discipline of marketing responded to its ethical dimensions.
Chain-length dependence of the electrophoretic mobility in random gels.

The electrophoretic mobility \ensuremath{\mu} of a flexible N-segment probe polymer has been measured in cross-linked gels of concentration c. Assuming \ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\sim}${\mathit{N}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}$${\mathit{c}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\gamma}}$, \ensuremath{\alpha} initially increases with N, reaches a maximum of \ensuremath{\sim}2 in a crossover regime, and finally decreases to 1, the exponent of reptation. In accord with a semidilute-solution scaling argument, an analogous maximum in \ensuremath{\gamma} is observed. Behavior at intermediate N and c is consistent with ``entropic-barrier''-mediated transport, while larger N or c leads to reptation.
Stability, prediction-correction, and dynamic programming

It is proven here that a bounded perturbation of the discrete dynamic programming functional equation arising from the Bolza problem yields a bounded change in its solution. This stability property encourages the development of approximation techniques for solving such equations. One such technique, involving the backward solution of an approximate functional equation as a prediction step, followed by a forward reconstruction using true equations as a correction step, is then discussed. Bounds for the errors arising from such an approximation procedure are derived. Successive approximations is suggested, in conclusion, as a means for obtaining improved solutions.
Symposium: Genetics in Entomology: Introductory Remarks

THE MERGER OF genetics and molecular biology is a relatively new theme for entomologists and one whose time has definitely come. There has, of course, been a revolution in this field during the past few years. However, because entomologists by and large do not regard work with Drosophila as falling within the domain of entomology, such work does not often become a forerunner of similar developments in insect sciences until other insect taxa begin to be used.
High heat flux removal from a single-side heated monoblock using flow boiling

Abstract The robust design of one-side-heated plasma-facing components and other high heat flux components is dependent on knowing the local distribution of inside wall heat flux in the flow channels. The local inside wall heat flux can be obtained from selectively chosen local plasma-facing component wall temperatures close to the inside boundary of the flow channel. To this end, three-dimensional thermal measurements for a one-side-heated monoblock were made and show: (1) the three-dimensional variation of the wall temperature close to both the heated and fluid/solid surface boundaries, (2) the resultant effects of mass velocity on the three-dimensional wall temperature/outside heat flux relationship, and (3) the occurrence of local critical heat flux and local post-critical heat flux. The monoblock has a 180.0 mm heated length, has a 10.0 mm inside diameter, and has a square cross-section with 30.0 mm nominal outside surfaces.