cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 2 Materials Science of Hydrogen/Oxygen Fuel Cell Catalysis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the thermodynamics and chemistry of the hydrogen/oxygen (H 2 /O 2 ) fuel cell, followed by a microstructural description of state-of-the-art proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. It explains the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) anode reaction, which involves the dissociation of hydrogen into protons and electrons. This discussion involves reactant transport into and out of the catalyst layer, poisoning of the catalyst by fuel impurities, and strategies to improve all of these issues. The chapter also deals with the problem of oxygen reduction at the cathode. The problems of reactant/product transport in and out of the catalyst layer that exist in the anode are compounded by corrosion problems associated with the high potential at this electrode, as well as competitive reactions that decrease oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) efficiency. The chapter describes how advanced computational methods, particularly density functional theory (DFT) methods, are producing predictions/calculations that are driving experimental discovery of new materials. Finally, it presents a synthesis, identifying a few key areas where surface physics can offer solutions to crucial catalyst design problems.
Pasteur's Quadrant as the Bridge Linking Rigor with Relevance

A tension exists between educational practitioners and researchers, which is often attributed to their dichotomous and oftentimes polarizing professional ideologies or Discourse communities. When determining what works in education, researchers tend to emphasize evidence-based practices (EBPs) supported by research that is rigorous and internally valid, whereas practitioners tend to value practice-based evidence (PBE) that is relevant and externally valid. The authors argue that these separate mindsets stem from the classical view of research as being either rigorous or relevant. In his canonical Pasteur's Quadrant, Stokes (1997) proposed that rigor and relevance are complementary notions that, when merged, further the production, translation, and implementation of instructional practices that are both rigorous (i.e., evidence-based) and relevant (i.e., practice-based). The authors propose educational design research (EDR) and communities of practice (CoPs) as frameworks through which to realize the promi...
Playout buffer responsive wireless streaming for multiple clients

We consider a problem faced by wireless base stations in which multiple requests to stream data must be accomodated while minimizing the amount of buffering time spent by clients. In our model, clients request content in discrete data chunks, but the base station is restricted in which clients can simultaneously be served data at certain rates. This limitation occurs frequently due to wireless connectivity and congestion issues in which some clients are difficult to reach from the base station, whereas others are more easily serviced. These constraints are represented by a set of admissible service rate vectors from which a scheduler at the base station must choose. We take a queuing theoretic approach to this decision problem and employ a stress alignment approach to ensure that maximal throughput from the data center to the clients is achieved. As a consequence, whenever it is possible to stabilize the backlog of requests from each client, we are able to do so. Numerical experiments show that among the variations of this scheduling algorithm, we can choose parameters to vary the priority levels of different clients and even induce dependencies between service rates of different clients.
Direct Surface Force and Contact Angle Measurements of an Adsorbed Polymer with a Lower Critical Solution Temperature

As an example of a polymer with a lower critical solution temperature, TLC, in water, we studied the phase behavior of a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) copolymer. To adsorb it to a negatively charged surface, we introduced a positively charged comonomer. The combination of direct force measurements with the surface forces apparatus (SFA) and contact angle measurements reveal a lower TLC of the adsorbed layer than in bulk solution. At and above TLC the adsorbed polymer chains collapse and the adsorbed layers on the two opposing surfaces attract each other. The resulting adhesion is strongly dependent on the applied speed of separation, emphasizing the role of slow molecular relaxations and rearrangements above TLC. The results also point to the validity of the time−temperature superposition principle to this polymer system at T > TLC: at a low speed of separation the polymer layer is “liquid-like”, and at high speeds its behavior is more “solid-like”.
Pair Correlations and the Electronic Structure of Neon

Using a variationally determined set of atomic orbitals, the validity of pair-correlation approximations is examined for the Ne atom. Summing the usual pair-correlation energies yields 100.5% of the correlation energy. By summing symmetry-adapted pair-correlation energies, 90.2% of the correlation energy is obtained. The complete second-order wave function which includes the Hartree-Fock configurations plus all singly and doubly excited configurations produces 88.6% of the correlation energy.
EFFECTS OF IRRADIATION ON BRAIN VASCULATURE USING AN IN SITU TUMOR MODEL

Purpose Damage to normal tissue is a limiting factor in clinical radiotherapy (RT). We tested the hypothesis that the presence of tumor alters the response of normal tissues to irradiation using a rat in situ brain tumor model. Methods and Materials Intravital microscopy was used with a rat cranial window to assess the in situ effect of rat C6 glioma on peritumoral tissue with and without RT. The RT regimen included 40 Gy at 8 Gy/day starting Day 5 after tumor implant. Endpoints included blood–brain barrier permeability, clearance index, leukocyte-endothelial interactions and staining for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) glial fibrillary acidic protein, and apoptosis. To characterize the system response to RT, animal survival and tumor surface area and volume were measured. Sham experiments were performed on similar animals implanted with basement membrane matrix absent of tumor cells. Results The presence of tumor alone increases permeability but has little effect on leukocyte–endothelial interactions and astrogliosis. Radiation alone increases tissue permeability, leukocyte-endothelial interactions, and astrogliosis. The highest levels of permeability and cell adhesion were seen in the model that combined tumor and irradiation; however, the presence of tumor appeared to reduce the volume of rolling leukocytes. Unirradiated tumor and peritumoral tissue had poor clearance. Irradiated tumor and peritumoral tissue had a similar clearance index to irradiated and unirradiated sham-implanted animals. Radiation reduces the presence of VEGF in peritumoral normal tissues but did not affect the amount of apoptosis in the normal tissue. Apoptosis was identified in the tumor tissue with and without radiation. Conclusions We developed a novel approach to demonstrate that the presence of the tumor in a rat intracranial model alters the response of normal tissues to irradiation.
Measurement Interpretation and Uncertainty Resulting from Nonlinear Ultrasonic Wave Propagation

Nominally identical ceramic-element ultrasonic transducers, of the type used in the aerospace and metals industries for nondestructive evaluation (NDE), often have variability in the peak pressure of the generated ultrasonic pulses. The generated pressures are also high enough for nonlinear propagation to be present in the water medium, often used as coupling in these types of inspections. In this study, a measurement system for monitoring ultrasonic pulse pressure level and nonlinear propagation in water is presented. Several different industrial NDE measurement applications are examined to quantify the impact of variable pressure and nonlinear propagation with respect to test interpretation and measurement uncertainty. In particular, pulse frequency content, velocity measurements, reference block calibrations, and beam-width measurements are examined. In addition, an experimental demonstration of why nonlinear pulse distortion is not normally observed in practice is presented.
Nonuniqueness of the inverse Laplace transform, and the debate on Harmuth's technique

As the inverse Laplace transform (ILT) is nonunique, computations based on the ILT may not be used to either prove or disprove the validity of Harmuth's technique for solving initial-boundary value problems. >
Money Is What Central Bankers Make of It

Central Banking as Global Governance: Constructing Financial Credibility. By Rodney Bruce Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. 278 pp., $34.99 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0521727211). Money is one of those things that fits at best awkwardly into the distinction between the material and the socially constructed that underlies one of the key contemporary distinctions in international relations theory. On the one hand, money is a key element of modern economics and modern economies—it is, in this sense, intimately related to the material. But money itself is clearly an intersubjective phenomenon, based as it is on confidence rather than on any use value. Macroeconomists have argued about how to deal with the tension between money as confidence and money as a real part of the economy for most of the past century. In his latest book, Rodney Bruce Hall jumps into this debate on the side of social construction, arguing that the actors who control the way we think about money play a key role in governance. At the international level, he argues, central bankers currently play this role, and as such are an important site of global governance. This book is aimed at, and will be of interest to, two general categories of readers within the academic field of international relations. The first is constructivists, who have generally paid more attention to issues of international security and international organization than to international political economy. Politics in …
Fourth grade computer science

We describe a module, or sequence of lessons, that has been successfully used to teach basic elements of computer science to fourth grade students. The module was designed to reflect a firm grounding in computer science, to be age-appropriate, to be easily installed in schools, and to support a range of teachers. Over 300 students in grades three through six have taken this module or a related module. The programming language used is a modern variant of Logo called VVLogo, which students access through a Java applet on a web page.
PED: pressurized electroosmotic dewatering

Laboratory bench tests are being conducted to optimize pressurized electroosmotic dewatering (FED) of ultra-fine coal suspensions. The tests show that FED increases the dewatering rate and decreases the final moisture content as compared to conventional processes. Other slurries, slimes and sludges have also been dewatered using the FED process and the results have proven that the FED process is effective with a variety of materials and suspensions. Optimization of the FED process will be used to develop a cost effective, continuous dewatering process for fine-particle
Abstract 5391: Rosiglitazone and Gemcitabine combination therapy limits tumor progression and prolongs survival in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a leading cause of cancer related mortality with a dismal 2-5% 5-year survival rate because clinically apparent disease is usually detected late in disease progression and lacks effective therapies. The current ‘standard of care’ for pancreatic cancer patients is Gemcitabine, a deoxycytidine analog, which has been shown to increase quality of life and the median survival of patients by a few weeks. Although Gemcitabine therapy limits pancreatic tumor progression, PDA is often insensitive to chemotherapeutic agents, limiting their success and underlining the need for additional therapies which would enhance the efficacy of current treatments. We investigated combinations of Gemcitabine with drugs that target both the growing tumor and the immunosuppressive inflammatory microenvironment. Inflammation accompanies tumor progression in pancreatic cancer which can support tumor cell survival and growth directly, enhance tumor cell resistance to Gemcitabine and limit anti-tumor immune responses through induction of immunosuppressive mechanisms. Rosiglitazone Maleate, an FDA-approved drug for the treatment of type II diabetes, targets the PPARγ receptor, a major modulator of the inflammatory response. Rosiglitazone has been shown to limit tumor growth through effects on angiogenesis, differentiation and apoptosis. Additionally, some evidence suggests that PPARγ may regulate multi-drug resistance and may therefore limit tumor chemoresistance. We found that Rosiglitazone enhanced the efficacy of Gemcitabine by reducing tumor proliferation, limiting invasiveness, and enhancing tumor cell apoptosis in vitro. Therapeutic combination of Rosiglitazone and Gemcitabine was evaluated in subcutaneous and orthotopic models of pancreatic cancer, and revealed that the combination significantly reduced tumor progression and metastasis, enhanced tumor cell apoptosis in vivo and significantly extended overall survival compared to Gemcitabine alone. Together these results provide pre-clinical data in support of combining Rosiglitazone and Gemcitabine as a clinical therapy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5391.
Preference heterogeneity and coorientation as determinants of perceived informational influence

Abstract This study examined how characteristics of a referent and of a service affect perceived referent influence in the recommendation of a service provider. The study experimentally manipulated the source (referent) of influence to be dissimilar to the consumer or similar (cooriented) to the consumer. The study contrasted service choices in which consumers have widely differing tastes and preferences (high- preference heterogeneity) and service choices in which consumers have little difference in tastes and preferences (low-preference heterogeneity). Results support the importance of both source coorientation and preference heterogeneity in determining the amount of informational influence.
BENDABLE HEAT PIPES USING SINTERED METAL FELT WICKS

This work describes the effect bending within the adiabatic section has on the performance of heat pipes. The heat pipes described herein are bendable post fabrication and are distinct from heat pipes fabricated in bent configurations and from flexible heat pipes. The effect of bending on performance and performance limits was both calculated and measured. The heat pipes used for testing were the copper-water variety. The wick was made from sintered copper felt and provided the bendability feature of these heat pipes. The concept of copper equivalence to reduce performance measurements data was used via benchmark test data against solid copper pipes.
Determinants for the activation and autoinhibition of the diguanylate cyclase response regulator WspR.

Abstract The bacterial second messenger bis-(3′–5′)-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP) controls secretion, cell adhesion, and motility, leading to biofilm formation and increased cytotoxicity. Diguanylate cyclases containing GGDEF and phosphodiesterases containing EAL or HD-GYP domains have been identified as the enzymes controlling cellular c-di-GMP levels, yet less is known regarding the molecular mechanisms governing regulation and signaling specificity. We recently determined a product–inhibition pathway for the diguanylate cyclase response regulator WspR from Pseudomonas, a potent molecular switch that controls biofilm formation. In WspR, catalytic activity is modulated by a helical stalk motif that connects its phospho-receiver and GGDEF domains. The stalks facilitate the formation of distinct oligomeric states that contribute to both activation and autoinhibition. Here, we provide novel insights into the regulation of diguanylate cyclase activity in WspR based on the crystal structures of full-length WspR, the isolated GGDEF domain, and an artificially dimerized catalytic domain. The structures highlight that inhibition is achieved by restricting the mobility of rigid GGDEF domains, mediated by c-di-GMP binding to an inhibitory site at the GGDEF domain. Kinetic measurements and biochemical characterization corroborate a model in which the activation of WspR requires the formation of a tetrameric species. Tetramerization occurs spontaneously at high protein concentration or upon addition of the phosphomimetic compound beryllium fluoride. Our analyses elucidate common and WspR-specific mechanisms for the fine-tuning of diguanylate cyclase activity.
Collaborative Development of a Structural Damper Utilizing Ultra-High-Damped Elastomer

This paper defines a current applied research project in mechanical engineering technology, describes the roles of the principles, provides a status report of year one work, and provides the major goals for year two. The purpose of the project is to develop a marketable viscoelastic structural damper utilizing ultra-high-damped elastomer to protect buildings from seismic and wind events. The project is a collaboration of Penn State Erie, Lehigh University, and Lord Corporation that is funded by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Morphology-based approaches for detecting stream channels from ALSM data

To map the Earth's surface at remarkable resolution, Airborne Laser Swath Mapping ALSM instrument technology and subsequent algorithms have been used over the last several years. Since forested watersheds have commonly been problematic to study with remote sensing techniques, the ability of ALSM technology to densely sample ground elevations beneath forest canopies is especially considerable. Stream network detection from digital elevation models DEMs is a key role in modelling spatially distributed hydrological processes. To detect stream channels, we have developed two approaches. The first approach is based on an encoding of mathematical morphological operators. In the second approach, a composition of geodesic top-hat and bot-hat operations of different sizes is used in order to build a morphological profile P M that records the image structural information. The two proposed methods perform well in terms of detection results and classification accuracies. The second approach is more general than the first, but it also requires training and more computation.
Retinoblastoma binding protein-1 (RBP1) is a Runx2 coactivator and promotes osteoblastic differentiation

Numerous transcription factors are involved in the establishment and maintenance of the osteoblastic phenotype, such as Runx2, osterix and Dlx5. The transcription factor retinoblastoma binding protein-1 (RBP1) was recently identified as an estrogen regulated gene in an osteosarcoma cell model. Since the function of RBP1 in osteoblastic differentiation and mineralization is unknown, we investigated the role of RBP1 in these processes. To create a cell model with suppressed RBP1 expression, primary calvarial osteoblasts were infected with a shRNA lentiviral vector specific for mouse RBP1 (CalOB-ΔRBP1) or a scrambled control shRNA lentivirus (CalOB-Control). Stable cell lines were generated and their mineralization potential was determined using osteoblastic differentiation medium, Alizarin Red staining, and quantitative PCR (QPCR) analyses. Runx2 coactivation by RBP1 was determined through the use of transient transfection assays. Stable expression of the RBP1 shRNA lentivirus in CalOB-ΔRBP1 cells resulted in a 65-70% suppression of RBP1 expression. Osteoblastic mineralization assays demonstrated that suppression of RBP1 results in a potent delay in osteoblastic nodule formation in the CalOB-ΔRBP1 cells with a concomitant decrease in the expression of the osteogenic transcription factors Runx2 and osterix, along with decreases in BMP2, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein. Regulation of Runx2 expression by RBP1 was shown to be mediated through the proximal P2 Runx2 promoter. Furthermore, RBP1 was demonstrated to be a potent coactivator of Runx2 transcriptional activity on two known Runx2 reporter constructs. These data suggest that the expression and activity of Runx2 is critically dependent on the presence of RBP1. This study is the first to demonstrate that RBP1 is an important mediator of the osteoblastic phenotype and clearly defines RBP1 as a novel transcription factor involved in the well known Runx2-osterix transcriptional cascade. As such, the effects of RBP1 on these processes are mediated through both regulation of Runx2 expression and transcriptional activity.
Insurance coverage is associated with mortality after gunshot trauma.

Background Poor access to adequate health care coverage is associated with poor outcomes for many chronic medical conditions. We hypothesized that insurance coverage is also associated with mortality after gunshot trauma. Study Design The trauma records for gunshot victims and their insurance status were reviewed at our center from January 1998 to December 2007. Patient demographics (age, gender, race, and insurance coverage), injury severity, hospital care (operations and radiographic studies), and in-hospital mortality were analyzed. Results There were 2,164 gunshot trauma activations reviewed during the study period. One-quarter (n = 544) of these patients had insurance and three-quarters (n = 1,620) were uninsured. The in-hospital mortality rate was significantly higher for uninsured patients than for insured patients (9% vs 6%, p=0.02). After controlling for age, gender, race, and injury severity by logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio for death of uninsured patients was 2.2 (95% CI 1.1 to 4.5). Insured patients did not differ from uninsured patients with respect to mean Injury Severity Score ([ISS] 12.2 ± 10.7 vs 12.6 ± 12.4, p=0.56); similar percentages of patients were severely injured (ISS 16 to 24, 17% vs 15%, p=0.19) and most severely injured (ISS > 24, 15% vs 16%, p=0.68). Insured patients did not differ from uninsured patients with respect to use of radiographic imaging (53% vs 50%, p=0.15) or operative intervention (37% vs 35%, p=0.35). Conclusions Despite similar injury severity, uninsured trauma patients were more likely to die after gunshot injury than insured patients. This difference could not be attributed to demographics or hospital resource use. Insurance coverage may reflect the many social determinants of health. Improving the social determinants of health in patients affected by violent trauma may be a step toward improving outcomes after trauma.
Is It Better to Give Than to Donate? Syntactic Flexibility in Language Production

Abstract This article compares the predictions of two models of grammatical encoding in language production. The basis of one model is that alternative syntactic structures compete to determine which structure is eventually used. The second model is incremental: Utterances are gradually built up, and the structure emerges from the construction process itself. If grammatical encoding is competitive, syntactic choices should pose difficulties; if incremental, syntactic choices should ease the creation of speech. These predictions were tested in three experiments where speakers created utterances which sometimes required a syntactic decision. When constructing a sentence allowed a syntactic choice, speakers generally constructed that utterance with fewer errors and more quickly. This finding supports the notion that language production operates incrementally.
Comparison between ethanol-induced and slow-wave sleep synchronous EEG activity utilizing spectral analysis.

Abstract This study was designed to compare the cortical EEG and EEG power spectra associated with slow-wave sleep (SWS) with those after acute ethanol administration in the rat. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with chronic cortical and temporalis muscle electrodes and intravenous (i.v.) cannulas for drug administration. Ethanol was administered at doses of 1, 2 and 4 g/kg (i.v.) to 3 groups of 4 rats each, respectively. The EEG effects of ethanol were compared to those of slow-wave sleep. Ethanol produced dose-related increases in the mean duration of synchronous EEG episodes. Differences in EEG waveforms between the EEG in slow-wave sleep and ethanol-induced EEG synchrony were detected. Dose-related increases by ethanol in 0–4 Hz spectral power and decreases in 8–13 Hz spectral power were found. These results demonstrated discrete differences between the normal EEG in slow-wave sleep and ethanol-induced EEG synchrony in the rat.
Cadmium modification of nucleolar function and structure in Physarum polycephalum.

polycephalum. SINA, J. F., AND CHIN, B. (1979). Toxicol. Appl. PharmacoI. SO, 253-259. Exposure of Physurum to CdSO,, 1.5 x lo-’ M for 2-3 hr in early S phase (the onset of DNA synthesis and nucleolar reconstruction) resulted in the appearance of ring-shaped nucleoli. We have investigated the effects of cadmium on nucleolar (ribosomal) RNA synthesis during this interval with acrylamide-agarose gel electrophoresis. Cadmium significantly depressed [“Hluridine incorporation into rRNA, with the extent of inhibition increasing with time. The effect of cadmium on RNA synthesis was quantitative, not qualitative: Cadmium depressed the amplitude of individual RNA peaks but not their distribution in RNA profiles. Cadmium exposure did not result in the appearance of new (or altered) rRNA peaks, induce detectable degradation/turnover of RNA, or alter rRNA processing. Surprisingly, no significant difference in rRNA content and distribution was observed in celIs treated with cadmium which induced rings and shorter exposures which did not, suggesting that the inhibition of rRNA synthesis and the formation of ring-shaped nucleoli arc coincident manifestations of cadmium toxicity at the cellular’level but are not causally related. Cadmium and its compounds are extremely toxic (Fulkerson and Goeller, 1973), and have been shown to be teratogenic (Ferm, 1971;
Soil development, relative dating, and correlation of late Quaternary marine terraces in southwestern Oregon

Flights of tectonically uplifted, late Quaternary marine terraces are preserved at several localities along the Oregon coast. Intervening coastal areas without marine terraces reflect net subsidence. These gaps in the coastal terrace record make it difficult to correlate terraces along the Pacific coast. To test the utility of soils in relative dating and correlation, two flights of marine terraces near Cape Blanco and Cape Arago were investigated. The terraces could be distinguished in each area from soil morphological properties and a quantitative index of soil development derived from field descriptions. The soils in the two areas show a progression in development from spodosols to spodosols underlain by clayey material to ultisols. The lowest two terraces at Cape Blanco, which have reported age estimates of 80,000 and 105,000 yr, are correlative with the lowest two terraces at Cape Arago. The fifth and oldest terrace at Cape Blanco has no equivalent at Cape Arago. Soil development indices for the third and fourth terraces at each area allow two alternative sets of correlations.
A comparison of generalized eigensystem, truncated singular value decomposition, and tikhonov regularization for the steady inverse heat conduction problem

We present new techniques for solving inverse boundary value problems in steady heat conduction. These new Generalized Eigensystem techniques are vector expansion methods which have previously been used in inverse electrocardiography applications. We compare the Generalized Eigensystem techniques to truncated singular value decomposition and Tikhonov regularization on two two-dimensional test geometries and four temperature/flux patterns. One of the Generalized Eigensystem methods (GESL) substantially outperforms the other techniques studied on the majority of the test cases, with inverse errors up to 20 times smaller than other approaches. In addition, even when the number of sensors on the boundary is reduced, GES L was still comparable to or superior to the other techniques with a full sensor set.
One ring to rule them all: service discovery and binding in structured peer-to-peer overlay networks

Self-organizing, structured peer-to-peer (p2p) overlay networks like CAN, Chord, Pastry and Tapestry offer a novel platform for a variety of scalable and decentralized distributed applications. These systems provide efficient and fault-tolerant routing, object location, and load balancing within a self-organizing overlay network.One major problem with these systems is how to bootstrap them. How do you decide which overlay to join? How do you find a contact node in the overlay to join? How do you obtain the code that you should run? Current systems require that each node that participates in a given overlay supports the same set of applications, and that these applications are pre-installed on each node.In this position paper, we sketch the design of an infrastructure that uses a universal overlay to provide a scalable infrastructure to bootstrap multiple service overlays providing different functionality. It provides mechanisms to advertise services and to discover services, contact nodes, and service code.
The Internet and the Transformation of the Reality of Everyday Life: Toward a New Analytic Stance in Sociology

This article examines the impact of the Internet on the social construction of reality. By revisiting the lifeworld Berger and Luckmann depicted 40 years ago, I seek to highlight the changes the Internet has brought to our everyday lives. I argue that the spread of the Internet has altered the conditions of interpersonal contact, as well as the realms of the lifeworld in which we live. Specifically, the Internet has created a new spatiotemporal zone—the zone of the “there and now,” a new mode of communication—the electronic text chat, and a new social gathering place—the online public domain. These creations have in turn contributed to the rise of the realm of “consociated contemporaries,” the formation of a new matrix of social contact, the maintenance of the subjective reality through text chat, and the involvement of the online world in the socialization process. In light of such changes, I join those who call for a revision of the existing sociological stance on human interaction. Forty years ago, Berger and Luckmann (1966) published an influential book on the sociology of knowledge. The book provided a phenomenological account of the social construction of the reality of everyday life. Berger and Luckmann described the reality of everyday life as organized around the “here and now” of the individuals who interacted with each other in the face-to-face situation. However, since the beginning of the 1990s, the world has witnessed a rapid spread of the Internet, especially in the developed countries. In 2004, for example, nearly 70 percent of the adults and 9 of 10 young people between the ages of 12 and 17 years went online in the United States (Lenhart, Madden, and Hitlin 2005). There is thus a need to find out to what extent the Internet has changed the conditions of social interaction, and whether or not such changes have altered the ways in which individuals construct the reality of their everyday life. Scholars have been debating the social impact of the Internet for more than
Type IV Secretion System of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Ehrlichia chaffeensis

The intracellular bacterial pathogens Ehrlichia chaffeensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum have evolved to infect leukocytes and hijack biological compounds and processes of these host defensive cells. Bacterial type IV secretion (T4S) system transports macromolecules across the membrane in an ATP-dependent manner and is increasingly recognized as a virulence factor delivery mechanism that allows pathogens to modulate eukaryotic cell functions for their own benefit. Genes encoding T4S system homologous to those of a plant pathogen Agrobacterium tumefaciens have been identified in E. chaffeensis and A. phagocytophilum. Upon interaction with new host cells, E. chaffeensis and A. phagocytophilum genes encoding the T4S apparatus are upregulated. The delivered macromolecules are referred to as T4S substrates, or effectors, because they affect and alter basic host cellular processes, resulting in disease development. Recently, A. phagocytophilum 160-kDa AnkA protein was to be delivered by T4S system into the host cytoplasm. Thus, dynamic signal transduction events are likely induced by T4S substrates in the host cells for successful establishment of intracellular infection. Further studies on Ehrlichia and Anaplasma T4S effectors cognate host cell molecules will undoubtedly advance our understanding of the complex interplay between obligatory intracellular pathogens and their hosts. Such data can be applied toward treatment, diagnosis, and control of ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis.
Nucleation of huntingtin aggregation in cells.

In diseases linked to protein aggregation, the initiation of aggregation can be a critical point in the disease mechanism. New studies in cells expressing huntingtin exon I suggest that the initiation of polyglutamine aggregation proceeds by a simple nucleation mechanism.
Directed catalytic asymmetric olefin metathesis. Selectivity control by enoate and ynoate groups in Ru-catalyzed asymmetric ring-opening/cross-metathesis.

A new concept in catalytic asymmetric olefin metathesis is introduced: a nonreacting enoate or ynoate group can be used to alter and significantly enhance the enantioselectivity. Catalytic asymmetric ring-opening/cross-metathesis (AROM/CM) processes proceed in ≤30% ee with non-styrenyl cross partners. However, with olefin partners bearing an enoate or ynoate group (1,6-diene or 1,6-enyne), catalytic AROM/CM affords the desired products in up to 98% ee, with the opposite sense of enantioselectivity versus reactions with styrene or aliphatic cross partners. This new method, for the first time, extends the scope of effective metal-catalyzed AROM/CM to reactions of non-styrenyl alkenes and cyclopropenes, a diverse and readily available set of substrates, and that of Ru-catalyzed asymmetric olefin metathesis to include processes that bear all-carbon quaternary stereogenic centers.
A combinatorial testing strategy for concurrent programs

One approach to testing concurrent programs is called reachability testing, which derives test sequences automatically and on-the-fly, without constructing a static model. Existing reachability testing algorithms are exhaustive in that they are intended to exercise all possible synchronization sequences of a concurrent program with a given input. In this paper, we present a new testing strategy, called t-way reachability testing, that adopts the dynamic framework of reachability testing but selectively exercises a subset of synchronization sequences. The selection of the synchronization sequences is based on a combinatorial testing strategy called t-way testing. We present an algorithm that implements t-way reachability testing, and report the results of several case studies that were conducted to evaluate its effectiveness. The results indicate that t-way reachability testing can substantially reduce the number of synchronization sequences exercised during reachability testing while still effectively detecting faults. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adjustment of antisocial and nonantisocial rejected adolescents

This study was designed to expand the investigation of peer-rejected subgroup differences to adolescence. A sample of 501 eighth-grade adolescents (age 13–14 years) were assessed. These students and their classmates (1,082 15–16-year-olds) were assessed at 10th grade. Rejected-antisocial and rejected-nonantisocial subgroups were identified at both time periods using peer ratings of social status and antisocial behavior. They were compared with accepted, accepted-antisocial, and accepted-nonantisocial subgroups. Results are consistent with past research indicating significant heterogeneity within the rejected population. Rejected-antisocial adolescents exhibited elevated problem behavior (substance use and deviant peer involvement), depression, and school adjustment difficulties (low attendance, low achievement, and school discipline problems). Rejected-nonantisocial students in contrast exhibited little problem behavior, but were characterized by low physical attractiveness and lower involvement in athletics. Discussions of psychopathological risk associated with peer rejection must account for the heterogeneity and extreme differences between antisocial and nonantisocial-rejected adolescents. Comparison of antisocial and nonantisocial-rejected children with their respective antisocial and nonantisocial-accepted comparison groups revealed few differences. This calls into question the unique contribution of rejection in the development of psychopathology.
Interactive Multimedia Preventive Alcohol Education: An Evaluation of Effectiveness with College Students

A self-selected sample of 4695 university and college students participated in a short-term evaluation of an interactive CD-ROM addressing harm reduction for alcohol use. The CD-ROM (Alcohol 101) uses a mix of video, text, music, graphics, and animation elements to present behavioral change strategies for safe and responsible use of alcohol. Student learning about alcohol as measured by self-report was generally in the desired direction and supportive of the impact of the CD-ROM on understanding of the physiological impact of alcohol and the range of behavioral options for pacing consumption and helping friends in potential peril.
Federal regional development programs and growth in non-farm county income

The problem addressed by this paper is to determine the effect of regional development programs on the growth in nonfarm income for U.S. counties. Using economic base theory, a reduced form regression model is presented which includes measures of the amount, type and timing of assistance as explanatory variables. A simulation experiment and calculated beta coefficients are used to measure the relative magnitude of development program impacts. The results indicate that the amount and type of assistance are statistically significant factors in explaining variations in changes in non-farm growth rates. The size of these effects, however, appear small relative to other growth influencing factors.
Prolonged triple therapy for persistent multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii ventriculitis

Purpose A case of persistent multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii ventriculitis successfully treated with a prolonged and novel combination of antimicrobials is reported. Summary A 38-year-old, 84-kg Caucasian woman with a recent history of craniotomy was admitted with nausea, fever, headache, photophobia, and drainage from her craniotomy incision. She underwent a repeat craniotomy on hospital day 4 with abscess debridement and repair of a cerebrospinal fluid leak. Cultures grew MDR A. baumannii, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus . Based on the limited published pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data for colistin, we determined a favorable outcome with i.v. colistin monotherapy was unlikely and decided to treat the patient with simultaneous i.v. and intraventricular colistin, as well as intraventricular tobramycin and i.v. rifampin. She was treated with a total of 36 days of intraventricular colistin, 40 days of intraventricular tobramycin, 51 days of i.v. colistin and rifampin, and 56 days i.v. vancomycin for infection that persisted despite multiple debridements. The patient had subsequent improvement in clinical manifestations and eradication of infection. She was subsequently discharged to an acute rehabilitation facility on hospital day 77 with posttreatment sequelae including mental impairment and renal failure requiring hemodialysis. Follow-up visits revealed significant improvement in her mental status, speech, and strength on the side not affected by the stroke. Conclusion Prolonged combination therapy with intraventricular colistin and tobramycin plus i.v. colistin, rifampin, and vancomycin led to the resolution of a persistent central nervous system infection caused by MDR A. baumannii.
Clinical and Histopathological Study of Merosin-deficient and Merosin-positive Congenital Muscular Dystrophy:

The clinical features of merosin-positive congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) and merosin-deficient CMD are well known, with those of merosin-deficient CMD being more severe. Whether the severity of histopathological findings correlates with these clinical features remains unanswered. In this study, the clinical and histopathological findings of 39 merosin-deficient and 37 merosin-positive CMD patients were compared. Merosin-deficient CMD patients were found to be younger, with earlier onset of symptoms, age of diagnosis, and a more severe clinical state (reflecting maximum motor capacity and contractures). On histopathological evaluation, endomysial fibrosis, perimysial fibrosis, and histopathological state (reflecting fibrosis, adiposis, necrosis, and variation in fiber size) were more severe in merosin-deficient CMD. There was a correlation between clinical and histopathological states only in merosin-deficient CMD.
Conflict management and the misapplication of moral hazard theory

Abstract This piece develops a formal model of moral hazard and evaluates its utility for the study of conflict management. Although the concept of moral hazard is perhaps heuristically useful, the analysis shows that it generally does not accurately describe the incentive structure produced by the conflict management activities of third parties. Moral hazards only occur when there is an opportunity for agents to take ‘hidden actions’, and this is seldom the case where humanitarian intervention is concerned. Thus, the application of moral hazard theory to conflict management may lead analysts and policy makers astray.
Temperature Dependence of the Exchange Stiffness in Ferrimagnets

The temperature dependence of magnon frequencies is studied for ferrimagnets. The magnon frequency increases for the acoustical branch and decreases for the optical branch, both in low-temperature regions. Temperature variations obey the ${T}^{\frac{5}{2}}$ law. In high-temperature regions, both acoustical- and optical-magnon frequencies decrease with increasing temperature. The sign change of the temperature variation of acoustical-magnon frequencies is due to optical-magnon population which increase with temperature. The sign change occurs at a lower temperature for a magnon with a shorter wavelength. This feature is in accordance with Riste's neutron-scattering experiments performed with magnetites. The second-order shift has proved to be small at low temperatures. In the course of its calculation, we give a simple expression for the matrix element of a magnon interaction. This bears a close relationship to Dyson's dynamical interaction in ferromagnets.
Noninvasive, infrared monitoring of cerebral and myocardial oxygen sufficiency and circulatory parameters

The relatively good transparency of biological materials in the near infrared region of the spectrum permits sufficient photon transmission through organs in situ for the monitoring of cellular events. Observations by infrared transillumination in the exposed heart and in the brain in cephalo without surgical intervention show that oxygen sufficiency for cytochrome a,a3, function, changes in tissue blood volume, and the average hemoglobin-oxyhemoglobin equilibrium can be recorded effectively and in continuous fashion for research and clinical purposes. The copper atom associated with heme a3 did not respond to anoxia and may be reduced under normoxic conditions, whereas the heme-a copper was at least partially reducible.
Toxic interaction of specific polychlorinated biphenyls and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin: Increased incidence of cleft palate in mice

The induction of cleft palate in C57BL/6N mice is an extremely reproducible and sensitive indicator of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) toxicity. This endpoint was used to look for potential interactions between two polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and TCDD. Both 2,3,4,5,3',4'-hexachlorobiphenyl (HCB) and 2,4,5,2',4',5'-HCB are of relatively low toxic potency, but their biological properties differ. Pregnant mice were treated with TCDD and either HCB on gestation Days 10 through 13, and the fetuses examined for the presence of cleft palate and renal abnormalities on gestation Day 18. At a dose of TCDD which caused a low level of cleft palate, moderate hydronephrosis was observed. No renal or palatal anomalies were detected after 2,4,5,2',4',5'-HCB treatment, and the combination of this isomer with TCDD had no effect on the incidence of TCDD-induced cleft palate. 2,3,4,5,3',4'-HCB caused mild renal toxicity, but no cleft palate. However, treatment of pregnant mice with a combination of TCDD and 2,3,4,5,3',4'-HCB resulted in a 10-fold increase in the incidence of cleft palate. Thus, the toxicity of compounds such as TCDD may be enhanced by compounds of relatively low acute toxicity such as selected PCBs. The widespread environmental occurrence of such combinations suggests a need for further evaluation of the mechanism of this interaction.
Exact identities for both single- and two-component nonuniform Fermi systems

The Ward-Pitayevski identities are extended to two-component fermion systems. Additional sum rules are derived for higher-order density-density response functions in both uniform and nonuniform single- and two-component systems. Possible applications of these relations are briefly considered.
Newborn cells in the adult crayfish brain differentiate into distinct neuronal types

Mitotically active regions persist in the brains of decapod crustaceans throughout their lifetimes, as they do in many vertebrates. The most well-studied of these regions in decapods occurs within a soma cluster, known as cluster 10, located in the deutocerebrum. Cluster 10 in crayfish and lobsters is composed of the somata of two anatomically and functionally distinct classes of projection neurons: olfactory lobe (OL) projection neurons and accessory lobe (AL) projection neurons. While adult-generated cells in cluster 10 survive for at least a year, their final phenotypes remain unknown. To address this question, we combined BrdU labeling of proliferating cells with specific neuronal and glial markers and tracers to examine the differentiation of newborn cells in cluster 10 of the crayfish, Cherax destructor. Our results show that large numbers of adult-generated cells in cluster 10 differentiate into neurons expressing the neuropeptide crustacean-SIFamide. No evidence was obtained suggesting that cells differentiate into glia. The functional phenotypes of newborn neurons in cluster 10 were examined by combining BrdU immunocytochemistry with the application of dextran dyes to different brain neuropils. These studies showed that while the majority of cells born during the early postembryonic development of C. destructor differentiate in AL projection neurons, neurogenesis in adult crayfish is characterized by the addition of both OL and AL projection neurons. In addition to our examination of neurogenesis in the olfactory pathway, we provide the first evidence that adult neurogenesis is also a characteristic feature of the optic neuropils of decapod crustaceans.